We Are Not Alone

Leaving Walter Reed and returning home was hard for so many reasons. Not only were we leaving behind close friends but we were leaving behind a community who understood what it meant to be an amputee. It's easy to return home feeling as though you're the only one for miles going through this. Then, as time goes on you realize there are a heck of a lot more amputees out there than you think.

A few months after being home I was waiting on a very nice woman at work. As she opened her wallet to pay for her merchandise I noticed her wedding picture. As I took a closer look I was shocked to notice that her husband was missing his arm. After a short conversation I learned that they lived only 15 miles away from us and that her husband enjoyed many of the same outdoor activities J.R. does. She still comes into the store and I always love seeing her. It's nice to have someone around who doesn't look at you with concern when you tell them your husband broke his arm.

It wasn't soon after meeting this family that J.R. met another student at UW Stout who is also missing his arm. I have yet to meet the other student, but I do know that they both fish.

Then today as I was walking out my bank I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a man filling out a form with a prosthetic arm.

It just goes to show that even when you think you're the only family for miles experiencing this lifestyle there really is someone nearby that understands. It's a good feeling.

As for now it's to say Happy Birthday to the Cracker Box. Today marks the one year anniversary from when I started my blog. I can still remember writing my first post in the kitchen of the Fisher House. We've come so far in a year. Here's hoping for another year of good memories and many posts.