I Can Do That!

Megan, Sam and Michele,

You did it! ( I Can Do That! came true)

Your site has been recognized as one of 30 sites out of 500 to make the finals!  Honorable Mention is very honorable and I am very proud of the work that you did.

I am ready to take the challenge on again next year because NEXT YEAR, we’re going to ThinkQuest Live!  Set  your goals high.

 Mrs. Brandon

Hi Girls,

Thank you for getting in touch with me.  What a fantastic forum. I think I learned a new way to tie my shoes!

I just wanted to encourage everybody who might come to this web site to believe in what is possible.

I grew up missing my right hand. It was not always easy, or very fair. But my hand taught me important lessons growing up.
I learned that you can find different ways of doings things, and do them just as well. (Like tying your shoes or switching a baseball glove on and off!)
I learned that it is our responsibility to do the best we possibly can, with what we have. To make the most of what we have been given.
Most importantly, I learned that you must believe in yourself, no matter what circumstances come your way.

If you can do these things, I truly believe wonderful things can happen!

I was lucky enough to play in the Major Leagues. I am very proud of that accomplishment, but I know that I had an incredible amount of support and help along the way.
That’s what it takes, encouragement, and opportunity.

In that spirit, I want to wish everyone visiting this blog the best of luck.

I hope you too will come to believe that life is full of wonderful possibilities, and there’s nothing you can’t do!

My Very Best Wishes,

- Jim Abbott
Join Jim Abbott’s on-line discussion group for our friends and fans
http://groups.google.com/group/jim-abbott/

Having an amputation is often frustrating. People do not understand. Can start to feel bad about themselves at times. Humor often helps alleviate some of this negative feeling. One way to add in some humor is to tell some “stories” about what caused your amputation. I’d only suggest this as a last resort, though. Here is my story where, although I was young, I was using my head. (Just a note- this is the same story I share in my podcast on the ThinkQuest website.)

Since I was a little girl, I have always enjoyed going to the town pool during the summer. One day, when I was about four years old, I had a rather interesting encounter. A little boy about my age saw my arm. He asked me what had happened. I told him, “It’s just the way that I was born,” as I had told so many before. This answer didn’t work for him, though. The little boy did not understand or accept that fact that I had been born differnetly. He followed me around the entire pool. He repeatedly asked the same question. It started to bother me after a while. Looking back, I wonder how I put up with it for so long. Finally, I couldn’t stand him anymore. I looked over and the deep end of the pool and smirked. “See the deep end overthere?” I said, “There’s a shark there! And it BIT MY ARM OFF!” Believe it or not, the little boy believed this response! He started to cry and ran to his mother. After that, I have to admit that I never saw him at the town pool again, and I went there a lot. To this day, I’ve never seen the little boy! I must have terribly scared him. In a way, I feel a little bit sorry for my reaction. Mostly, though, I feel that I did the right thing. He wouldn’t accept the truth, so I just told him what he wanted. Maybe he learned that the first answer is usually the one you want to hear!

What are some funny stories that you have to share?

As children get older, they inevitabely need to learn to tie their shoes unless they want to wear velcrow (which is a good solution for many). Here are to methods on how to tie your shoes as a below the elbow or barely above the elbow amputee.

METHOD #1- The Easier Way
(new shoe laces are required)

1. Put both laces in one hand and pull.
2. Cross the laces over to opposite sides. Put one lace over, around, then under the other to make a loose knot.
3. Put pressure on one side using the amputed arm. Pull with the other hand. Now you have a tighter knot.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 again. You should end with two knots.
5. Take the tip of the lace from one side in your hand. Thread the tip through the knot. Do the same to the other lace.
6. To make this so that it won’t fall out, tie the loops in a knot. Do this by folding one knot in, taking the other loop over it, then through the gap between the two loops. Tighten the knot as you did with the laces in step 3. You have tied your shoes!

METHOD #2- More complicated

1. Perform steps 1-3 above to make a knot.
2. Using your full hand, on the side of the amputation, make a loop. Hold it in place by putting your amputated arm on top of where the lop starts, pushing the laces into the shoe.
3. Make on loop on the other side and hold it.
4. Cross that loop over the origanal loop. Hold both loops in place using your amputated arm again.
5. Take the origanal loop in your hand. Wrap it over the other loop and pull it through the space between the two loops. You should still be holding the laces with your arm.
6. Now readjust your arm so that it is pressing against the loop of one side. Grab the loop and lace on the other side. Pull. It is now tightened! You tied your shoe!
7. To make this last longer, make a double knot by follow step 8 of method 1.

Tying your shoes may be difficult at first, but anyone can learn. It just takes practice. Don’t give up. Remember- practice makes perfect!

Many girl amputees feel that they are unable to paint their nails because they only have one hand. This is not true. Here’s one way a amputee can paint her own nails.

1. Sit on a surface which is allowed to get nailpolish on it. (This is unlikely to happen, but it may)
2. Roll up your pant leg that corresponds to the arm which is amputated. (ex- Missing your right arm- roll up your right pant leg) Or, you can just wear shorts.
3. Open up the nail polish container.
4. Bend your corresponding leg so that your foot is flat on the ground/surface and your amputated arm can easily reach your knee.
5. Place the nail polish brush on your knee, then put your amputated arm on top of the brush to hold it in place.
6. In order to paint your nails on the other hand, move your nails into the brush. In other words, instead of painting your nails by moving the brush, move your finger and hand that is being painted.
7. When you need more nail polish on the brush, dip the brush into the nail polish using your full hand, then replace the brush.
8. After much practice, one will be able to do this flawlessly. At this time, you can start to draw SIMPLE designs on your nails with thin brushes by changing the angle on the nail to the brush, etc. It is difficult, but with practice, it’s possible. Letters are often the easiest. I’ve drawn the New York Yankee sign and writen the letters of my school’s name on my fingers for Spirit Day.

Painting your nails with one hand is possible, but as with most things, takes much practice to perfect.

There are many taks that people with amputation have trouble with. I know this from my personal experiance. One task that I used to struggle with was putting up my hair. Here is how I do it as a just below the elbow amputee.

1. Grab hair at the base of the neck and twist the hair completely.
2. Spiral the hair around into a bun shape tightly in the center of the neck where you would like the pony to be.
3. Put pressure at the end of the hair in the bun with the amputated arm.
4. Put the ponytail holder on top on the bun completely.
5. Reposition the amputated arm on top of the ponytail holder to hold it in place around the bun
6. Twist the pony holder once and put it around the bun again. (depending on the size of the ponyholder, you may need to repeat this step)
7. Pull the hair out of the bun starting near the end of the hair. This is the hardest part. It takes practice to get this just right.
8. Separate the hair in half with your good arm. Put one half under your amputated arm (front to back). Hold onto the other half and pull to tighten the pony.

You’re done!

As with many things, different people will have to do things differently. You must adapt yourself to be the best and most capable person you can be!

I am a teenager girl with one hand. One thing I was never able to do was my hair. From the time I was a little girl, my mom always had to brush my hair. I usually wore my hair up in a pony, so I would have to sit and let my mom put my hair up. Many people might tell me to just let my hair down, but there’s a problem with that. You see, I’m a ballet dancer. For this reason, I am required to put my hair up in a bun. This, too, my mom always had to do for me.

As I got older, I started hating this more and more. When I would go away, other people had to do my hair. I despised having to go to middle school while not being able to put my hair up. For this reason, I started working to find a solution. Step-by-step, I gained more and more independence. I started out brushing my hair, then I was able to put my hair into low pigtails. Soon I was even able to put my hair in a ballet bun. I could clip my hair up on my head and even manage to create a messy bun. Still, I could not put my hair up in a pony. Until yesturday.,

My aunt was over, and I was standing at the kitchen counter with my hair in a messy bun. It was starting to fall apart, so I took a piece of hair and pulled it. By chance, the hair that I pulled came through, and in a split second, my hair was in a pony tail. I wasn’t trying to do this. It just….happened! I showed my mom and she was very impressed. I finally overcame my biggest obstacle. To be honest, though, I was afraid that it was just a fluke thing. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to do it again. This morning, I put my hair in a messy bun….pulled….and ta-da! I did! So now I can finally do my hair by myself. If you work hard enough, anything can be done!

I was born an at-the elbow amputee due to amniotic band syndrome. When I was younger, I had many prosthetics. When I was three years old, I got a myo-electric prosthetic. After much occupational therapy, I was able to wear my prosthetic all the time. One day in preschool, the battery died. I came home and was very upset. I told my mom, “I don’t need anything anymore!” And that was that. I never wore my myo-electric prosthetic for an extended amount of time after that.

 In fifth grade, I wanted to be able to play the violin with school. I got an adaptive prosthetic made, enabling me to hold the bow. Since then, I have continued to excell at the violin. I am still improving all the time and work hard.

 Prosthetics are great devices. They help perform certain tasks, such as playing the violin, and enable amputees to do activities that they might not have been able to otherwise do. Yes, prosthetics are not perfect, but depending on the person, the prosthetic may be very benificial- or not. It depends on the person. For me personally, a prosthetic was not always the best route. Different people are able to adapt differnetly. Prosthetics are very helpful, but they just aren’t the actual thing.

This blog is intended  for those who have been affected by amputation or their parents. It is an extension of a thinkquest.org site that deals with the issue of amputation. We are interested in having other amputees participate in this blog by joining in and sharing their experiences. If you wish to be part of the blog, please email lbrandon@lakelandschools.org and you will be provided with a user  name and password. Note that no posts will be published without the approval of the moderator (Ms. Brandon).