Need inspiration? Who doesn’t? Well, today I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Wendy. She blogs over at “One Exceptional Life”. While her faith and attitude are what makes her exceptional, the fact she has no hands or feet is what will make you want to read this interview.
Me: What led to the loss of your hands and feet?
Wendy: In 2011, flu-like symptoms worsened, and my husband, Mike, rushed me to the ER. Thankfully, the doctors were able to diagnose I had contracted a flesh-eating bacteria relatively soon. Even so, this rapidly-moving bacteria of unknown origin, started shutting my body down. I lost all the blood flow in my extremities. In order to save my life, doctors were forced to amputate both hands and both feet.
Me: How long were you in the hospital?
Wendy: this crisis resulted in a three-week coma , and 3 month hospital stay.
Me: What was your initial reaction?
Wendy: I remember them waking me up out of a medical-induced coma, to tell me they were going to have to amputate. Aware it was a life or death situation, I knew I wanted to live for my family. We needed each other. In spite of the heavy medication, I remember my 1st prayer asking the Lord for strength, courage, and the ability to live an independent life, even though I wondered how I’d live my life with this new body.
Me: How did you cope?
Wendy: My family and their prayers saw me through. Doctors gave me 0% chance of surviving, but I believe the Lord healed me thanks to the faith and prayers of my family. their faith never waivered. Plus, hundreds of people across the country also prayed. During long times of grieving, I still knew I needed God more than I ever needed Him before. He gave me hope, and could give me the strength and courage I would need in the days ahead.
Me: Who took care of your teenagers?
Wendy: Family members took care of my three teenagers while my husband took care of me. They even helped our oldest complete his college entrance form. They were a well-oiled machine.
Me: Coming home, what support did you have?
Wendy: Our friends, our church and our family took care of everything needed for my return home. Everyone chipped in to help. My husband and kids cooked and cleaned and cared for me, while a local women’s service organization fed us daily. Extended family and our church family were always available. My husband was my main caretaker in the hospital, never leaving my side, and has continued ever since. This strain has only strengthened our marriage.
Me: You always talk about counting your blessings, did you receive any?
Wendy: More than I can count. We were blessed with an overabundance of support in many ways. Mike was on the family medical leave act so his employer allowed him to take the 3 months off of work, plus made a financial contribution. My home business also donated, along with people from all over the country. Friends and family collected money, too. When we returned to normal day-to-day living, we had absolutely no debt . . . all through the glorious grace of our wonderful God.
Me: What adaptations did you have to make?
Wendy: I only use prosthetic legs, as the ones for my arms were too heavy and cumbersome. I do more with less. My main tools are a stylus strapped to my right wrist and my cell phone strapped to my left. My stylus allows me to text, write, dial the phone, change the channel on the television, turn pages in a book, and grab things a finger would pick up. For eating, I slide a cuff over a sock, and fasten with Velcro. It has a slit to insert a fork or spoon, and it swivels. Works well. I slide my arm through loops dangling from cabinets and drawers, to open them. I have minimal accessories on my car – mostly extenders for the seatbelt, window buttons, and the gear shift. A tripod attaches to my steering wheel to hold my arms for steering. I slide my arms through rubber loops to open my door . . . inside and out.
Me: This isn’t the only life challenge you’ve had. How do they compare?
Wendy: In 1999 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was non-functional while going through chemo, but my husband was able to take off during chemo treatment weeks from his long-distance truck driving. With cancer, the fear of not surviving, and leaving my husband and kids without Mom, loomed over me. With my crisis, the fear disappeared once the virus was gone. I did have to figure out how to live a normal life without hands and feet, but my family rallied together to just make things work.
Me: Do you find people afraid to approach you, or staring because you are different?
Wendy: I’m pleasantly surprised at how often people approach me. I prefer questions over staring any day. I find staring very rude. Many times parents will pull their children away when they know the child has questions. They try to shut down their curiosity. I think, at least for me, that they should let the child be curious.
Me: What made you decide to start blogging?
Wendy: I started blogging 2 years ago, after my daughter decided she wanted the 2 of us to go tubing down a local river. After a couple days of panic and wondering why on earth she wanted to take her mother, who didn’t have hands or feet, in a tube down the river, I agreed to go. Having fun opened my eyes to know I was far more capable than what I had imagined. My daughter saw it, but I was still doubting. Until then, I hadn’t figured out what my new place in the world would be. I hadn’t replaced my previous time or purpose. So many people had told me that I should share my story, and what better place than a blog.
At first, I shared my amputee adventures, but when I began sharing articles designed to inspire other people through their struggles, it took off. The Lord showed me why this all happened and what my new calling was. I haven’t looked back. Creating my blog was also a huge part of my healing. It gives me an opportunity to help others. I have learned serving others takes your mind off of your own problems.
Me: Do you have advice for Those Struggling
Wendy: Challenges can be overcome by leaning on the Lord and counting your blessings. I believe Faith, prayer, gratitude, kindness positivity, and serving others are necessary in order to overcome whatever challenges we face in this life. It doesn’t matter if you lose your hands and feet or you stub your toe, everything can be overcome through these.
Don’t let negativity and doubt take over. Give your burdens to the Lord, have faith, and don’t waste any time feeling sorry for yourself. Our actions set the example for others. As a child of God, our best witness for Jesus Christ, is to show our faith in Him.
Me: Thank you, Wendy, for your candidness. Truly inspirational, and I believe you were reading my thoughts on the last question. You summed up overcoming perfectly.
We’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, then share this to encourage your friends and family. Thanks for taking time to read this longer-than-normal post. Be blessed!
Wendy Wallace is a wife, mom, Christian Inspiration blogger and author. She is also a quadruple amputee. You can find her at One Exceptional Life, where she blogs about overcoming challenges through faith, gratitude, kindness and positivity. Overcoming challenges is easy when you include gratitude in the mix. Grab your Count Your Blessings Gratitude Calendar on any page on my blog.
Social media channels: Facebook
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