Flamingoing is a thing!
Dancing, Singing, running around… these are the pinnacle of joy for me. You will very seldom see me just sit still. I am someone who always loves to be doing something cool new and fun. So, when I was in an industrial accident in March 2018 I wasn’t going to let it stop me. This accident lead me to being Aunt Peggy and to coining the term “Flamingoing”.
Starting out on crutches because doctors believed my lower left leg was the only thing effected. They diagnosed me with RSD (Regional Sympathetic Dystrophy) and I tried to carry on with my life the best I could. Standing on one leg, sitting and leaning on things whenever possible just so I could still be part of the action. It got to a point that my family and friends started joking and teasing about it. Laughter is the best medicine and they could tell when the pain would start getting to me because I would begin standing around like a flamingo. Walk to one spot, stand on one leg, hop to another and stand on one leg. You get the idea. After a whole year of flamingoing at every occasion I wanted to attend it was finally spring and I had been approved to be part of a Pain Clinic that offered Physical Therapy and specialized in RSD.
It was here that I got the sad news that I actually had CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as diagnosed with the Budapest Criteria). While undergoing therapy; I learned a lot of new ways to do things so that although I was still in pain, I could continue to live my life. As soon as I started to become active again, I had disc herniations and they found that I had injured my L4-L5-S1-S2 in the accident as well. The herniated discs landed me in a wheel chair for a while because the nerve damage was affecting both my legs but that didn’t stop me. A few surgeries later and I had a DRGStim in place.
I was able to walk again back to the original pain of just the left lower leg. I spoke with so many doctors to try to figure out what to do next. No one had any answers as to where to turn next. I kept up with my therapy and tried to live life the best I could.
Not sure how to say my leg started to die without it being gross…
After my below knee amputation, I have had a few more complications but all in all I am on my way to my new “One Leg Life” and I am ready for it. I still find my self standing on one leg like a flamingo even though I don’t need to. It makes me smile every time I catch myself doing it.
So now I’m Aunt Peggy Strong. My story may include an injury and loss but I see it as a story of resilience.
Aunt Peggy Strong 