Amputee Real Talk: Rethinking the Comments We Hear

Hey guys!

Since becoming an amputee, things I get to hear a lot and not only me but ALL amputees hear things like this more often than not:
“You’re an inspiration!” “You can still live a normal life.” “You’re so brave!” and so on!

I know that most people do not mean any harm by it. It's the other way around—it can still be cumbersome to hear. BUT I want to rethink this and see it with new eyes!

So, let's GO!

“You don't look disabled.”
Well, thank you! I have worked extremely hard every day for the last couple of years just to not be “disabled.” I have never even looked at myself as a disabled person since I believe we can do anything if we put our mind to it. Sure, when I was in a wheelchair, not being able to get out of the house, I felt a bit disabled but having talked to people permanently in a wheelchair they usually say the same thing – that they don´t feel disabled. It´s so much a state of mind and a way of living.

“You’re an inspiration!”
Wow, that’s so sweet of you! Well, this must be the most common compliment I get, and probably all amputees get. It can absolutely be tiring hearing this all the time, but instead, I try to think of it as this person wants to say something nice to me. They have probably never met someone with a prosthetic leg or prosthetic arm before and do not know what to say. It is still a nice thing to say. 😉 AND some people DO feel inspired! “If this person can do this, I sure can do this” and so on.

“I didn’t even notice that you had a prosthetic leg!”
Please don’t say this when I’m wearing shorts because you definitely noticed my prosthetic legs! 😛 I can understand that when I’m wearing jeans, people do not notice it as easily. I, myself, can sometimes forget about it when I look in the mirror, haha!

“You walk normally, like anyone else!”
THANK YOU! I worked so hard to walk “normally” again, you wouldn’t believe! It’s been a journey, let me tell you, and it’s still a struggle to get back to “normal.” My goal has always been that when I meet people, they wouldn’t immediately think about my prosthetic legs. I want them to think of me as me, not just someone with robo-legs. So for me I feel happy hearing this! 🙂

“You’re so brave!”
You are damn right! I AM BRAVE for going through life with two prosthetic legs. I am brave facing people’s judgment every day. I am brave just wanting to live my life to the fullest. I am brave! Hint, hint 😉 why did we choose the name IsBrave? Read again.

“I’m so proud of you!”
I’m glad to hear this from my family and friends, but I heard this just recently from a person I had never met before. To be honest, that was a bit strange 🙂 “Thanks, but I don’t know you, and you don’t know me.” Maybe skip that one, even though it was also said to me in a nice way.

“You can still live a normal life.”
You bet! I can still do most of what I did before, with some compromise, but I do not look at my life as limited or not “normal” at all.

“I bet you’re glad you don’t have to do this ‘activity' anymore.”
It can be anything, but you can be sure that if there's anything I want to do again, it’s THAT activity! But it´s also nice to have an escape for the things that I don´t want to do and no one can ever question it 😉

“Can you still drive a car?”
I sure can! I did not customize my car one bit. It’s automatic, and I worked on getting the gas and brake pedals to feel smooth again. I can’t feel the pedals with my feet, but I feel it in my leg instead, as pressure, so it works great! This is way different depending on if you have below-knee or above-knee amputation, as I´m below knee it´s really not a problem driving and it works great for me.

So normally I am not offended by people’s comments. I believe most people just want to be nice to me. How you look at life and your situation makes a huge difference in your life. If you choose to be offended by people just trying to be nice, instead of just saying “Thank you!” and moving on, it will be difficult for you in the long run, I believe. And also how we communicate and hear things is totally different for person to person, these are my own opinions and that´s how I think.

This is just my two cents—if you see me on the street! 😉
Rob

Rob

Rob is a bilateral below-knee amputee who writes to share his journey, blending honesty, humor, and hope to support others facing amputation. While still coming to terms with his own experience, he's committed to helping others feel less alone as they navigate life after limb loss.