Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior
Breaking through mental and physical barriers to becoming your best self, living your best life.
Episodes
November 12, 2025 • 27 mins
Traveling The Yellow Brick Road of Amputee Life
In this episode, I want to talk about one of the biggest learning curves after limb loss — getting fitted for a prosthesis. Nobody really tells you how challenging this part can be. You think, “Okay, I’ll get my prosthetic leg or arm, strap it on, and get back to life.” But if only it were that simple, right? The truth is, it’s a process — one that takes time, patience, and a wh...
Mark as Played
November 5, 2025 • 24 mins
Enjoying Your Life RIGHT NOW
"Want to go for a drive?"
This simple phrase sends my pups into a frenzy! Their excitement is overflowing and their joy is tangible!
This energy is what we should be living for each day, but when we are struggling we find ourselves consumed and can only see the problems, to the positives.
I remember coming back home after losing my mom. I had spent a full month back in Illinois helping my family...
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October 22, 2025 • 23 mins
Navigating Life When It Falls Off The Rails
Sometimes life takes a turn you never saw coming. One moment everything feels steady, predictable, maybe even comfortable — and then suddenly, the tracks shift, and you’re left wondering how to move forward. As an amputee, I’ve had my share of moments where life completely fell off the rails. Moments that tested not just my strength, but my heart.
Let's talk about what it really fee...
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October 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Defining Success As An Amputee
What is success?
Can any one person define success for the world?
Of course not!
As an amputee we need to remember that. Success id what you make of your life and where you'll find contentment and happiness behind what you do and accomplish.
For some of us it's walking for the first time without assistance.
For others it's wearing their prosthesis all day long.
And yet for others, it'...
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October 1, 2025 • 30 mins
Let's Get Real
You've been through a lot. You had an amputation, you've healed, you've gotten fitted for your first socket.
Today you go in to put it all together and walk out the door and on with your life, right? Easy Peasy!
Yes! It's the most exciting, most freeing day in an amputee's life, for most people, however it doesn't end there, and it doesn't just magically take you back to "normal".
Managing expectations and...
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September 24, 2025 • 25 mins
Taking Action During "Construction"
We are all a work in progress. That's life, right? We all have those moments where you feel you are working on something in your life. Your health, a career, or relationships, you name it.
But what do you do in these moments? How do you continue to grow and better yourself during the construction?
It all starts within you. We begin by working on ourselves.
Right now, while I would rath...
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September 17, 2025 • 30 mins
A Journey of a Thousand Miles Must Begin With a Single Step
-Lao Tzu.
Traveling is exciting but can also be stressful. Packing the right clothing for the weather, the events, and what makes you feel amazing. You try to pack neatly and concisely so you can pack everything you want and need.
As an amputee, things become a little more confusing and worrisome. What will you need? What MUST come with? What if this happens or that...
Mark as Played
September 10, 2025 • 31 mins
Setting Goals & Thinking Positively to Live The Life of Your Dreams
Successful people know how to succeed and what it takes to succeed.
So what is it? What do they know that you don't?
Everyone knows that hard work pays off and that practice makes permanence.
But what separates you from someone who is doing the very thing you want to do, too?
Now, of course there is DNA involved in some of that, talent can be passed dow...
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September 3, 2025 • 33 mins
Healing Physically, Adapting Mentally and Emotionally
Amputation isn't just the act of amputating a limb.
It isn't just surgery, heal, and walk.
This is a process. It takes time, money, patience, and a whole lot of grit!
Unfortunately, most patients that knowingly go into amputation surgery can't comprehend the struggles to come. For those who didn't choose or prep for amputation, they have no idea of the life that's ahead ...
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August 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Knowing Who and What To Ask About Amputation
Becoming an amputee is so surreal. Electing to have it done is a choice I never thought I would have to make.
It brings about fears, anxieties, questions, and so much uncertainty.
How do you know life will be better?
What if I can't wear a prosthesis?
Will I walk again or will I be in a wheelchair the rest of my life?
How long does it take to heal from an amputation
Do I ge...
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August 20, 2025 • 18 mins
This has been a weekend!
Everything was set up perfectly. A family getaway for a long weekend, before our youngest goes back to college, and bringing the dogs to see the ocean for the first time. I couldn't be happier!
We got to Carlsbad, California Friday late afternoon and took our pups for a walk. Dinner came and we fed them as normal but around 9:00 pm my year and half old pup started acting really weird, almost drunk. She...
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August 13, 2025 • 29 mins
That is the Question
Amputation is a difficult road, one that can change direction quickly, even after you heal.
For many amputees the surgical side of their life isn’t over. Many of us end up needing a TMR surgery or even a revision, while others will have to amputate even higher! Going from a below knee to an above knee amputation is life changing because one amputation is completely different from the next. What is required o...
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August 6, 2025 • 31 mins
Amputation is a tough road. If you make the decision to amputate or if your limb is taken from you by accident or disease it's a bumpy ride, right from the get go.
Most people assume that once you get through the surgical part and physically heal that you are back to life as usual. that couldn't be farther from the truth.
As an amputee with 6 1/2 years of experience I can tell you that once I healed and was able to get fitted with...
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July 30, 2025 • 37 mins
Letting Go and Leaning In
I have been an amputee for 6 1/2 years, but before that I had a taekwondo injury that took me through 5 years, 10 surgeons and 10 surgeries, plus a blood clot to decide it was time to start living again and make the biggest decision of my life.
Alone in the decision, I was not. I had an amazing support system with my husband, two boys and my family back home. I had friends rallying around me and a ch...
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July 23, 2025 • 25 mins
We Need Each Other
We are creatures built to live in community.
This gives us a safe place to celebrate in great times, gain support in the bad ones, and everything in between.
Talking with people, sharing our journeys and stories, our ups and downs with others, plus listening to our friends and community during their moments is a beautiful symphony of give and take that allows us to feel valued and to give value to other...
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July 16, 2025 • 38 mins
The AMI Procedure and Magneto Micrometry
This week I was honored to have back on my podcast, Dr Hugh Herr.
Hugh is a bilateral below knee amputee and a professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT.
He directs the MIT Biomechatronics Group and Co-directs the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics.
Time Magazine coined Hugh the 'Leader of the Bionic Age'.
He has also authored and co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts and pa...
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July 9, 2025 • 26 mins
Life after Revision Surgery for an Amputee
I must have been crazy, right? To CHOOSE to revise my amputation! To go from being uber active to starting over?!?!
Golfing on Kauai
Having fun catching waves
At the beginning of this interview process, to be eligible for the AMI procedure, I was very interested in the idea of being a part of something so "cutting edge" (pun intended) and chose to continue through the seve...
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July 2, 2025 • 25 mins
Starting Over Isn't Easy
Who would choose to take a harder road, isn't life hard enough?
And who would decide to start over after working hard to be high functioning?
What would possess someone to put that sort of challenge in front of them?
Last October I was approached by Dr. Carty's office, in Boston, if I was interested in doing a study with them. I decided to learn more and had an hour long phone interview with his ass...
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June 11, 2025 • 65 mins
AMI Procedure and The Future of Amputations
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital
"For 200 years there has been no real difference in amputation; it's technique and how it's done."
Do you know anything in our world that hasn't evolved in 200 years? No!
This was a statement that Dr. Carty stated today in our conversation and I was in disbelief. How could that be?
With so many engineering marvels happening at an exorbitant ra...
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May 28, 2025 • 26 mins
Setbacks to Comebacks
Life is full of ups and downs and as an amputee we must realize that we will face many more challenges, past the amputation itself, years later.
For one, our sound side becomes extremely important to us. Taking care of our good joints while still trying to live a full and healthy life yet protecting what we have left becomes a balancing act and can be very scaring when things go wrong.
We also struggle ...
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