Saying goodbye to the various nurses, doctors and other hospital staff who had spent the last few months looking after me was actually quite emotional. Perhaps because of the small team that worked in the unit I had been kept in, we had all gotten to know each other very well.
Author Archives: The HopScot
Have You Ever? Part 9
How do I drive with one leg?
Are there any feet with movable toes?
Have I ever taken a drink from my prosthetic leg?
How I Lost My Leg: The Forest Fire
During the summer of my eighteenth year, we were experiencing an uncharacteristically hot spell. A group of us had just left the shop after buying cold drinks and a box of ice lollies. We planned to make our way into the woods to a nearby picnic site. It wasn’t secret per se but it also wasn’t obviously marked in any way so you could usually guarantee it wouldn’t be full.
As we trekked through the woods a groaning sound suddenly erupted from the back of the group…
Three Years Of Being The HopScot
Back in 2020 when my first post was published, I thought that I would be able to keep this up for probably around six months, maybe a year at a push. As this post proves however, The HopScot is still very much around and I like to think that in the last three years it has evolved beyond its original purpose…
Suns Out, Stumps Out!
In heat like this, it becomes a struggle to stay comfortable wearing the prostheses, especially considering that this kind of weather encourages people to be more active and spend time outside.
BA 13: A Stunning Weekend
I was heading to London to take part in an event hosted by the British Heart Foundation. The Weekend Stunner. It was a three day residential event that would allow us to take part in activities and…
Have You Ever? Part 8
Has the whole experience left me with a stronger “mind over matter” attitude?
Do people who have prosthetic limbs still wear knee or elbow pads?
Have I ever managed to successfully disguise myself as a lamp?
PA 13: What Happens Next?
I was starting to feel a whole lot more human again and although I was still being monitored for several things (I can’t remember what they were and am not absolutely sure I knew even back then), my doctors were very happy with the progress that was being made…
7 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Being An Amputee
What’s happening to all my door frames? Do I need to start wearing different underwear?
Once I was let out into the big wide world it became clear that there were a number of unexpected (and often ridiculously simple) issues that I would now be needing to consider.
BA 12: What We Did In The Shadows
I walked into the ward they had assigned me for my first day and stuck my head into the office, asking if anyone knew the whereabouts of the doctor I was due to be shadowing. A nurse led me quickly to a room near the far end of the ward.
The doctor looked like a deer in the headlights…