Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way

#1: Don't pattern your life around somebody else if you're not going to be with them forever. You'll regret it, especially if you changed your life around to what would be "best" for the two of you.


#2: Don't dismiss your dreams/goals in order to make somebody else happy; because, in the future, your dream/goal may not be a possibility anymore.

If I could do it all over again

I don't know that I would.

There are things that I still get frustrated about that make me wish that I had never lost my leg. At those times, I think, "If I had done this instead, then this would have never happened." For instance, if I had gone military then I wouldn't have been in that place at that time. Of course there's, if I'd never gotten a motorcycle..... I also had not been planning to get my bike that day because it was a brisk 44 degrees (I remember)... but I was too excited to wait. Anyway....

My point is that,  I get frustrated about what I can't do, but then some days it just dawns on me how much I can do. I don't mean what I've relearned to do. I mean, the stuff that I can do because I'm amputee. The stuff that it is available to me because I'm an amputee.

Today, I got to thinking my usually deep thoughts while driving...."If I could have a do-over... I don't think I'd be any happier than I am now." A lot of things that are a big deal and frustrating to me now, wouldn't even matter to me. Like the military, that was an old dream that I decided against, because I wanted to please my father and go to college. I want a physical job involving the outdoors, but back then that hadn't even crossed my mind. I always really excelled at physical stuff, but I didn't want it to be my career.

I've learned so much in the last year and a half. I wouldn't be half the person I am if I had never had to conquer depression or self-consciousness or had never had to learn to push myself to my limit and stay positive even when everything seems completely hopeless. This entire experience has molded me into somebody else. At least now I can say that that somebody else is better than its predecessor.

On The Fast Track to Awesome

This weekend, my awesome friend, Laura, invited me to go out to the river in her brother's boat to teach me to wakeboard. I've actually never wakeboarded in my life. But, I got that XT9 knee, and wakeboarding is one of the things it says that I can use it for; so I want to get my money's worth.

Getting everything set for wakeboarding was quite the adventure. For starters, I had made some wedges to go in the boot, but they were too wide, so we used what we had (a screwdriver and hammer) to split it in half. Then the knee was too straight and too stiff. Everyone had a good laugh as more and more tools came out of my backpack, including an air pump with built in pressure gauge.

Finally, we were ready. I hit the water with Bob, Laura's brother, and we tried and tried.... and tried to get me up on the board, but with no success. I kept telling myself and Bob, "I know I can do this. I'll have it before we go home today." When I got out of the water we discovered that one of the screws in my foot had backed out and it was barely hangin on. After some leg work, loctite and a bite to eat in their parent's yacht (yea, that's right. I said, yacht), we tried a beach start. I totally got it on this one! But once I was up, I didn't really know what to do. So, I took a really long run of nothingness and was completely exhausted once I finally let go of the rope. There's a first time for everything I suppose. This time when I got out the water I discovered that the knee had turned, while the foot had stayed straight. Darn all of these rotating parts!

Mental note: Check all screws and loctite everything before doing anything!!

My legs felt like jello and I was wondering if I'd have the strength to have another go. But I came to wakeboard and I had to get a water start, I just had to! Back in the water I went. After several failed attempts and a couple really really close ones, I finally did it! I got up on that wakeboard without having to do a beach start!  After that I started getting up more consistently. On one pass, with a laugh I yelled, "Hey bob, I think I've got it!" I started getting more confident and experimented with turning and trying to get back across the wake.

When Bob had been wakeboarding, he had done a 180 then jumped the wake. I wanted to do that! On one of my last runs, I tried and was so close to getting it! I had my toes up; I got the board around, but then I fell. I'll try again next time and get it for sure! 

Maybe the old Megan would've wimped out especially since it was my first time, but the new Megan has trained herself to be fearless! Learning to walk is scary stuff. I could just see myself falling down the stairs or a ramp. But, everyday was a training day. Every obstacle was a practice run. I forced myself to do things right like I had been taught and to try new things. I even had my best friend in on it, and she would yell at me if I didn't have my weight even on both feet. Anyway, my hard work has paid off, but the need for courage hasn't ended. I've moved on to bigger and better things. I want to compete someday in snowboarding and wakeboarding. To totally rock it, I've got to be fearless!

ACA Conference

Thanks to my father, I was able to attend the Amputee Coalition of America annual conference in Irvine, CA. It was absolutely amazing! I think I came home with an even bigger head than I already have. It's only because I realized that the way I walk is actually really exception. I honestly, didn't see many other AKs (Above Knee amputee) that walked as well as me. It was the confirmation that I needed that all of my hard work has paid off. I even had a paralympic running coach compliment me on my walking. She told me that if I were wearing pants then she wouldn't even think I'm an amputee. it goes to show that you can do anything you set your mind to. 

This is Scott Bell and I. I don't know the woman on the left, but Scott did. I met him while I was sitting by the fire pit drinking a beer. He's a BK and very athletic. I have to tell him when I'm going snowboarding this winter so he can join me.

I also met Amy Purdy and Travis Ricks. They're pretty awesome athletes. Definitely an inspiration. I highly recommend checking out Amy's site: http://www.amypurdy.com/   After talking to them, my goals and dreams seem much more attainable, and I know that there are other athletes that want to see me succeed and will help me reach my goals. It at least felt pretty good to hear Travis say that I had a lot of potential after seeing me do a little side hop. It may not seem like much, but apparently that's pretty impressive for only having a leg for a year. Overall, this trip was really encouraging. I mean, I knew I was doing well, but I was just being me. I was just pushing myself as hard as I always do to do the things I've always done. Apparently "just being me" is pretty exceptional.

Oh the highlight of the trip of going surfing! We were at the beach for like 7 hours. It was amazing. My instructors were the coolest guys: Van Curaza and Dave Paskowitz. They both seemed to be a big deal in the surfing world. They actually got me up on the board too. Dave was so happy when he got me up. I think he was even more excited than I was. I just wish I had brought my XT9 with me to Cali!! When I was packing I had thought about bringing it, but I didn't think I'd have an opportunity to use it. Grr! If I'd brought it, I could've rock climbed with Travis also.  Next time!

I miss my new friends.

Rock climbing! Yea!

My friends were just as excited about my new leg as I was! As soon as my leg was ready to go, my friend Nicole took me out to a rock climbing gym. It was pretty awesome, but really hard! It did great things for my back strength tho. I was definitely  more sore the next morning than I have been in a long time. I haven't gotten to go again since then, but I'd really like to. I may try not using a leg at all, since the leg adds dead weight.

Next on my to-do list is wakeboarding. I should be in the water in two weekends. Speaking of water, I went kayaking a couple weekends ago and got to practice my rolling. I actually got it. It was awesome! If I can just keep from sticking my head up too early then I'll get it consistently. I wish I had some pictures.

It's finally here!!

My XT9 is finally here! I'm so excited! Ever since Nicole Roundy blew me away on the ski slopes in Park City, Utah last january, I've been dead set on getting one of these babies. It'll allow me to participate in sports such as, snowboarding, moto-x, wakeboarding skateboarding, rock climbing, water and snow skiing, surfing, and ice skating.

Of course, I couldn't have gotten it without the help of  the Heart of Dixie Victory Riders. They put together an awesome benefit poker run for me in March. Also a special thanks to all of the private donors and sponsors:

Half Time Sports Bar & Grill
Rocket Harley-Davidson/Buell
29 Dreams Motorcycle Resort
Humidor Pipe Shop
Artisans Salon Spa
Fourroux Prosthetics

The ones you love

While I was in the hospital last year, my little sister, Steph, came up to me with a piece of paper with a little sketch of me and my two sister's names in the shape of a heart. She asked me what I thought, and me being an artist, I instantly spouted off a couple suggests to improve it. I said, with a little tweaking, it'll be ready. Little did I know that she had already gone out and gotten it!

Regardless of it's imperfections, I thought it was a great idea. I spent a couple months looking through images and fonts. Eventually, I found exactly what I wanted and pieced it all together. As soon as my sister got home from college for her spring break, we went and got tattoos together. Steph got a tree that I had designed for her at least two years ago.   I mean really, can you think of anything better to do when you're sister has a near death experience than to go get a tattoo?