『Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior』のカバーアート

Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior

Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior

著者： Angie Heuser
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今ならプレミアムプランが3カ月 月額99円

2026年5月12日まで。4か月目以降は月額1,500円で自動更新します。

概要

 Breaking through mental and physical barriers to becoming your best self, living your best life.©2021 Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior Podcasting 衛生・健康的な生活
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  • Statistics and Realities of Limb Loss

    Statistics and Realities of Limb Loss
    2026/04/01
    Life Behind the Numbers of Amputees and Limb Difference April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, and this year on the podcast, I’m doing something that means so much to me. Instead of focusing only on my own story, I’m opening the door for other amputees to share theirs. That has become a tradition for me over the last five seasons, and this year I’m building the entire month around one powerful theme: Survivors to Warriors. I truly cannot wait for you to hear these interviews, because the young adults I have coming on embody courage, resilience, grit, and hope in a way that will leave you inspired. Their stories are raw, real, and deeply moving, and I’m honored to call each of them my friend. As I prepared for this month, I wanted to begin with something eye-opening: the statistics. Because the truth is, before I became an amputee seven years ago, I hardly ever noticed amputees around me. Maybe once in a while I’d see someone, but it felt rare. Now, just like when you buy a certain car and suddenly see it everywhere, I notice amputees much more often. Even so, the numbers tell me I should be seeing even more. And that is what really stopped me in my tracks. Worldwide, someone loses a limb every thirty seconds. There are tens of millions of people around the world living with limb loss, and what absolutely breaks my heart is that up to ninety percent of them do not have access to prosthetic care. Ninety percent. That number is staggering. And it hits close to home for me because I know what it feels like to have the hope of mobility threatened. Amputee Coalition Statistics used on American Endovascular & Amputation Prevention site, April 25, 2022 Before my elective amputation, I was told everything would be covered. I did my homework because I knew prosthetics were expensive, and I needed the reassurance that if I moved forward with surgery, I would have access to the leg I needed. Then, about a month after surgery, we filed the insurance paperwork and I was denied. I can tell you without hesitation that those four weeks were some of the hardest weeks of my life. In the grand scheme of seven years, it may look like a blink. But in the moment, it felt like everything. I had dreams, goals, and visions of what life could be after amputation, and suddenly an insurance company was telling me no. So I fought. Every single weekday, I called. I kept climbing the ladder, talking to the next person and then the next. I refused to sit back and wait for someone else to decide my future. That season demanded every ounce of emotional and mental strength I had. I had to advocate for myself when I was exhausted, scared, and uncertain. And when I think about the reality that so many people around the world never get that access at all, it is heartbreaking. Amputee Coalition Statistics used on American Endovascular & Amputation Prevention site, April 25, 2022 The leading causes of limb loss are also telling. Vascular disease, including diabetes, makes up the largest percentage. Trauma is close behind, including accidents and injuries. Then comes cancer, though at a much smaller percentage. My own amputation came after years of surgeries following a karate injury, and eventually I made the deeply personal decision to amputate. Elective amputation is not an easy road, and whether amputation happens in an instant or after years of medical struggle, both journeys carry their own kind of trauma. That’s the part people do not always see. Yes, limb loss is physical. It is visible. But the emotional and mental toll can be just as life-altering. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, fear, isolation, and loss of confidence are very real parts of this journey for so many amputees. People may see someone walking on a prosthesis and assume they are doing fine, but they do not always see the inner battle. They do not see the fear of falling, the anxiety of being watched, the struggle to trust your body again, or the grief of trying to figure out who you are now. Amputee Coalition Statistics used on American Endovascular & Amputation Prevention site, April 25, 2022 Physiopedia: The 5 Stages of Grief and Loss; Axelrod, J. September 26, 2018, https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/ Prime Care, Blog by Eddie Zepeda. Published, January 20, 2025 And then there is phantom pain, something many amputees know all too well. Phantom pain and sensations can range from mild to absolutely overwhelming. It can feel like burning, stabbing, cramping, stinging, or relentless discomfort that comes out of nowhere and hits like a truck. It is one more reminder that the amputee journey is layered, complicated, and often invisible to the outside world. That is exactly why this month matters so much to me. I want these interviews to shine a light on the real lives behind the statistics. I want you to hear from young adults who have endured the unimaginable and are now learning how to rise,...
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    25 分
  • Brokenness to Masterpiece

    Brokenness to Masterpiece
    2026/03/24
    The Canvas of Courage What if the very thing you’ve been trying to hide… is actually the most beautiful part of your story? This week on the BAWarrior Podcast, I found myself sitting in reflection after a weekend of rest, sunshine, and quiet moments here in Arizona. As spring starts to show up and life begins to feel a little lighter, I couldn’t help but think about something deeper, the parts of ourselves we often try to cover up. The broken pieces. The scars. The moments we wish never happened. The Beauty in the Cracks And I asked myself, and now I’m asking you, what if that brokenness isn’t something to fix or hide… but something to honor? As an above-knee amputee, my brokenness is visible. It’s physical. But what people don’t always see is the emotional journey that comes with it. The uncertainty, the identity shifts, the moments of feeling completely lost. Even though my amputation was a choice after years of surgeries, I still didn’t know what the outcome of my life would look like. I didn’t know who I would become on the other side of that decision. It felt like my life had been rerouted-like I was on one track, moving forward with a plan, and suddenly everything shifted. A new direction. A new identity. A new path I didn’t ask for. But here’s what I’ve come to realize: that “mess”… that disruption… that brokenness… it became my canvas. This week at church, I heard a phrase that stopped me in my tracks: the mess becomes the masterpiece. And I felt that deeply. Because there have been so many moments over the past seven years where I felt like an absolute mess. Not put together. Not polished. Not “figured out.” But what if we’re not supposed to be? What if the process; the struggle, the rebuilding, the redefining, is actually where the beauty is created? So often, society tells us to fix what’s broken. Heal quickly. Move on. Or if we can’t fix it, hide it. Cover it up so no one sees. But I want to challenge that. Because those scars, those cracks, they tell a story. They show where you’ve been, what you’ve survived, and who you’ve become. Honoring my scars, not hiding them And I don’t see mine as something to hide anymore. Every scar on my body represents a battle I fought and didn’t quit. Every challenge I’ve faced has shaped me into who I am today. I am still here. Still moving. Still growing. And that, to me, is something to be proud of. Next month, as we move into Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, I’ll be sharing more stories, because I believe so strongly in the power of storytelling. Every single person in this community has a story. And while they may look similar on the surface, the strength, the resilience, the warrior spirit behind each one is completely unique. That’s why I named this podcast BAWarrior. Because I truly believe that’s what we are. But being a warrior doesn’t mean life is easy. It means we fight. Daily. Sometimes hourly. We rise, even when the waves crash over us and try to pull us under. We find a way forward, even when it feels impossible. And every one of those battles… every one of those cracks… becomes part of the masterpiece. There’s a beautiful form of art, Kintsugi- a Japanese art that repairs broken pieces of pottery with gold! It symbolizes resilience, embracing imperfections, and the beauty of a repaired life. The cracks aren’t hidden. They’re highlighted. Honored. And in the end, the piece becomes even more beautiful because of where it was broken. That’s us. We are not less because of what we’ve been through. We are more. So if you’re sitting here today feeling like a mess—good. That means something is being created. That means you’re in the middle of the process. And masterpieces take time. They aren’t rushed. They’re layered. Built stroke by stroke, day by day. And here’s something I’ve learned along the way—when we take the focus off ourselves and begin lifting others up, something shifts. There’s healing in that. There’s purpose in that. When you help someone else rise, you rise too. So this week, I want to give you something practical. Name your cracks. What is your brokenness? Write it down. Then ask yourself—what meaning have I been giving this? And how can I rewrite that meaning? And then—use it. Use your story to help someone else feel less alone. Share it. Speak it. Own it. Because when you do, you’re not just healing yourself—you’re becoming a light for someone else who might be struggling in silence. Stop covering your cracks. Start honoring them. Stand a little taller in your story. Smile when people look your way. Let curiosity open doors for connection. You are not something to hide—you are someone who has overcome. And if you’re a woman walking this amputee journey and you’re looking for a place to grow, to be seen, and to be supported, I invite you to join our Amped Women virtual ...
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    20 分
  • Finding Your Place Again After Limb Loss

    Finding Your Place Again After Limb Loss
    2026/03/18
    “The Name on the Bottom of My Foot” Do you feel like you belong? That’s the question I want to start with today. Because if you’re an amputee, or walking alongside someone who is, you’ve probably felt that quiet, unsettling shift… that moment where life no longer feels like it fits the way it used to. Welcome back to BAWarrior Podcast, a space for resilience, healing, and living life amplified exactly as you are. I’m your host, Angie Heuser, and I’m walking this journey right alongside you as an above-knee amputee. This past week, I did something playful… but it turned into something deeply meaningful. I was outside, barefoot in the Arizona warmth, and I had my prosthetic off because I was using my running blade. And for whatever reason, I grabbed a marker and wrote the name “Andy” on the bottom of my prosthetic foot. If you’re a Toy Story fan, you already know the reference. Andy writes his name on the bottom of Woody’s boot, and later Buzz’s foot, as a symbol of belonging. It means those toys have a place. They matter. They are part of something bigger. And as soon as I wrote it… it hit me. Isn’t that exactly what we’re all searching for after limb loss? Because here’s the truth, amputation doesn’t just change your body. It changes your identity. It changes how you see yourself, how you move through the world, and how the world sometimes responds to you. For me, seven years ago when I chose to amputate, it felt like I was on a train that suddenly switched tracks without warning. I wasn’t going where I thought I would anymore. And the first real question became: Who am I now? Because I didn’t feel like I belonged in my old life the same way. Yes, I was still a wife, a mom, an athlete, but I also stood out in ways I never had before. From wearing gym shoes everywhere because of my prosthetic limitations, to navigating how people perceived me, to questioning where I fit socially… it shook my confidence and my identity. And what I’ve learned through talking to so many amputees is this: The surgery isn’t the hardest part. Learning to walk again isn’t even the hardest part. The hardest part… is figuring out where you belong now. That’s the piece no one really prepares you for. And that’s where this idea of Andy’s name became so powerful to me. Because in Toy Story, those toys aren’t afraid of being broken, they’re afraid of being forgotten. Of not having a place. Of not belonging anymore. And isn’t that what we feel sometimes too? But here’s the shift. Here’s where the warrior mindset comes in. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” I started asking, “What can I do with this?” That mindset changed everything. I began to see this journey not as an ending, but as a reinvention. I set goals. I pushed myself. I proved, to myself first, that I was still capable of living a full, meaningful life. And in that process, something bigger started to unfold. This podcast was born. Then the women’s amputee chat group. Then stepping into research, working with incredible teams at MIT and Harvard, participating in studies, surgeries, and innovations to help move our community forward. My Community, My friends who always have my back! I found purpose. And I realized something important: Belonging doesn’t come from going back to who you were. It comes from building who you are now. Our adversity creates our strength. Our identity evolves. Our scars tell our stories. And our community creates our belonging. That’s why community matters so deeply. Because sometimes, you won’t find belonging in the same places you used to. And that’s okay. We outgrow spaces. People come and go. Life shifts. But there is a place for you. Your new “toy box,” if you will. A place where people understand you. Support you. See you, not in spite of your journey, but because of it. That’s why I created the women’s chats. Because I saw how many women were struggling with identity, friendships, relationships, confidence… all of it. And they needed a space where they could just be real. Because you don’t have to do this alone. So here’s what I want you to do this week, your call to action. I want you to mark yourself. Not necessarily with a tattoo—but with something meaningful. A word. A symbol. Your name. A reminder. Put it somewhere you’ll see it every day—your mirror, your prosthetic, your journal, your car. Something that tells you: I belong. I have purpose. I matter. For me, it was “Andy.” It made me smile. It brought me back to special, warm memories with my kids. It gave me a sense of lightness and meaning all at once. But yours can be whatever speaks to you. Because on the hard days, and they will come, you need something to ground you. Something to remind you that even though life looks different… You are still part of this story. You are not forgotten. You are not alone. You are not ...
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    18 分
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