I had no story before I lost my leg. Now don’t get me wrong, this has been an incredibly tough journey, but it has also been the most fruitful life-changing experience I’ve ever had the grace to go through. The Caitlin before wasn’t a risk taker. She had no idea she had the power to live her life and still be able to positively impact others. The Caitlin before the accident was sleeping.
It was the day before my 24th birthday when we decided to go for one last ride on our Harley Davidson motorcycle. We had so many heart wrenching moments happen around that day. My brother had passed away in the Fall and just after we got married in the Spring, and my mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage four liver and colon cancer. We were on our way to go eat with his mom when it happened. The one moment that easily changed our lives forever.
A girl was texting-while-driving and didn’t see us on the motorcycle. She crossed two lanes of traffic from a center turn lane and tried to beat the oncoming traffic. The impact of the car caused a 75% partial amputation of my leg. My husband (ex-husband now) flew one direction with the motorcycle and I went the opposite direction off the back of the bike. The car was white, the road was spinning, and suddenly the left side of my face was all the way down to my left ankle which was burning. The pavement was hot that day but after sitting up and seeing my foot turned horizontal to the ground, I knew it best to lay down.
I was life-flighted to the nearest level 1 trauma center, my ex was brought to a different hospital by ambulance. I immediately went into lifesaving surgery as I had severed a major artery in my leg. I woke up at 2:02 am with my family by my bedside and no understanding of how long I had been under. The nurse walked in and immediately informed me that I was also 4 weeks pregnant. I was shocked and traumatized from the accident. We were trying to have children but didn’t expect it to play out quite like this. My ex had severe injuries as well. I kept my leg for two weeks. After 6 surgeries with little anesthesia, antibiotics, or pain medicine, I decided to amputate. I didn’t feel that my foot defined me as a person, and I wanted the baby to be safe. To this day, it was the best decision I have ever made.
Since losing my leg, I went on to not only deliver a healthy baby girl, but began to learn what I was capable of. I had to watch my mother-in-law die slowly from her cancer then my own mother died from Leukemia just two short years later. Our marriage fell apart (don’t worry, we are friends now) and my life was turned upside down. I had to learn how to stand up for myself and push myself. A lot of my strength came from focusing on my daughter as well as from surrounding myself with amazing people. I started playing sports which was shocking because in my youth I avoided sports like the plague.
My prosthetic company, Baker Orthotics & Prosthetics, found me in the hospital and has taken care of me ever since. They've handled my unhinged requests for new sporting legs left and right, and I was also their first pregnant patient. They were the ones to introduce me to the Challenged Athletes Foundation grant and helped me get my very first Össur Flex-Run sports prosthesis. It was at that moment I realized I could even consider myself an athlete. Once I started learning to run, I decided I wanted to try everything possible. I didn’t know what I would be good at so I knew I needed to experiment.
The sports I’ve tried and even competed in are triathlon, cycling, swimming, track and field, air rifle, figure skating, obstacle course racing, boxing, cross-fit, skydiving, and now speed skating. I have records in boxing, track cycling, obstacle course racing, and speed skating is next on that list. Living life as an active amputee has been a beautiful journey. A journey in which I’ve humbled and been humbled. It used to be hard to talk about my limb loss journey, and some days I still struggle, but not without knowing that I’m not alone. I have an incredible support system and now have my own non-profit called Be More Adaptive. I don’t have any animosity toward the girl who hit me. She had a pretty difficult life journey last I checked on her. I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through the amount of heartbreak and suffering I had to endure, but I also recognize the importance of overcoming negativity in life.
This life is so beautiful but only because I have allowed it to be. I could have let it take me down a different path, but I chose to take the path filled with light and laughter, with learning and adventure. Some mornings I hate waking up to put on a prosthesis, others I want to see where it will take me. The important thing to remember is that each day is an adventure waiting to be explored and that no matter your ability level, you deserve to be an explorer.