My life before the Ottobock C-Brace

In early 2013, I started getting headaches once or twice a week. I thought nothing of it, just took some headache ibuprofen and went on with my day. I was away for training with the Air Force when I called my wife one morning before I headed out. I told her I had some tingling and numbness in my arm.

Surgery, Recovery, and Hope

I was in an unfortunate motorcycle accident on Monday, August 11 and through God’s grace I survived the crash. There were casualties — my left leg was amputated above the knee, I have a broken pelvis, and some major bruises. While it sucks (a lot), I’d rather be alive and have a couple broken bits than not be here at all. I’m learning to live in a new normal.

8 Tips for Dating Women with Disabilities

Dating can be tricky for anyone! I know I have had some pretty interesting experiences myself. Here is a list of tips for dating women with disabilities.

Tough Love: When to Get Tough?

Connor HATED his physical therapist. Every time she walked in the door he would start crying. Every. Single. Time. He knew that she was going to make him work, and she did. So did I. We worked on rolling over and lying on our side and reaching for toys. Even though I didn’t like making…

The Unbreakable Mold

When something or someone breaks the mold so to speak, we think of it as extraordinary, something beyond our wildest expectations. I never quite thought of myself as mold breaker until I became one, literally. Growing up with Cerebral Palsy, I had lots of muscle tone. My body was seldom limber nor did it stay…

Tough Times and Tough Love

Let’s talk about love! No, not Cupid’s arrows, fluffy bears, and chocolates. The kind that every parent is probably very aware of: tough love! When Connor was about 4 months old, I took him to the emergency room because his eyes were shaking side to side. I called my mom, and she told me it…

Job Interview Tips and Pitfalls for Amputees

Starting new career or returning to your old one after an extended absence can be a terrifying proposition for anybody. Trying to find your way back into the “groove” of the hustle and bustle of the working world takes time and effort. When you’re returning after an amputation these fears are multiplied. You may have…

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

I never pictured myself as a golfer. I’d always asked my father-in-law, “How do you go out there and just chase a little ball around?” Growing up I thought of golf as a sport for retired people. Then one Father’s Day years ago, I was asked to go golfing with some friends. I figured why…

Beauty. And the Evolving View of It.

Each of us has a standard for beauty and we usually don’t measure up.

We want longer hair. We want less curves. Or maybe more curves. We want to be taller. We want smaller ears. We want long legs.

We want..we want..we want..

Introducing Hooked on Harmony

Welcome to the first installment of a new series on our breakthrough Harmony family of products for vacuum socket technology. Not only will you begin learning more about Ottobock socket technology and Harmony pumps, but we’ll be sharing real stories from people whose lives are being changed across the country once they are able to…

Five simple questions and a powerful answer.

I was recently invited for a week-long trip to Oregon for the Ottobock for life road show as a patient ambassador for the C-Brace, something I do often. I woke up early, 2:15 a.m. on a Monday for my flight out of Albany, New York to Portland. Arriving at 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time, three hours…

Some Assembly Required: Advice for New Amputees

My journey to becoming an amputee was sort of unusual. I wanted to become an amputee…well…”wanted” is a strong word. Amputation was the lesser of two evils and gave me the best chance of being able to return to work. Honestly, I was optimistic about my new life as an amputee. Leading up to the…