I want to make life a little easier for those who need or want the knowledge I have from my loss! My name is Robert, but my friends call me “Big Red”. I lost my left leg 16 years ago (June 1997) due to a motorcycle accident. I was hit by a teenage driver that ran a red light at 60 mph. When the cops arrived, they put the teenager in their car and left me laying on the side of the road bleeding to
death. A lady in a car who happened to be driving by stopped, removed her husband’s belt, tied it around my leg, and then sat on my leg to help slow the bleeding down. I call this lady my Guardian Angel! My leg was gone above the knee, with no hope of saving the limb. I stayed in ICU at Sinai Grace Hospital, in Detroit for 4 days, and then was transferred to a regular room for the next 10 days. I then was transferred to the RIM (Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan) Center for 1 month. While at the RIM Center, that is where I met Kurt Schlsu, prosthetic specialist. He gave it to me straight and didn’t sugarcoat the truth, “my life is now a life with a prosthetic”. He and I came to an agreement since that time, to never separate, the only way that we will not be partners is death! Kurt is my left leg! My passion is for riding motorcycles and the doctors all told me that I would never ride again. Well 8 months to the day of my life changing accident, I was again riding my beloved motorcycle. In order for me to ride my bike, some slight changes had to be made. Glenn from Steven’s and Cycling fabricated a shifter for the right side of the motorcycle which allowed me to use my good leg to shift the gears. Over the course of the first year of losing my leg, I fell 13 times, before learning to properly balance myself. I struggled to learn how to do everyday tasks that everyone always takes for granted. Learning for example how to take a shower, and to remember to put my walker next to my bed at night, so that I could get up and out of bed without assistance. My home became my biggest obstacle course, nothing was handicap accessible. I struggled with my emotions, “How do I live without my leg”? “Will women still want me?” “Am I a monster now?” “Can I live the life that I want?” “Will I lead a happy life?” These are the questions and thoughts that ran through my head non-stop! It became a downward spiral that I refused to allow myself to fall through. I put my energy into getting my motorcycle endorsement. This was not as easy as it sounds. Upon arriving for my road test, for my endorsement, the instructor realized that I was an above the knee amputee, and refused to allow me to take the test. I tried talking to the instructor and when that did not work, some screaming and yelling began, with the threat of a lawsuit due to discrimination, the instructor finally took me to the road course to take my test. The instructor was impressed that I could not only ride a motorcycle with one leg, but that it was a 2-wheel motorcycle. Needless to say, I passed! I then began writing letters to then Secretary of State, Candice Miller, to get handicap plates for my motorcycle. After going to several Secretary of State Offices and being told no, “we don’t have those” or “no, you can’t ride a bike because you’re handicapped”. I made it my mission to get my Handicap Plates for my motorcycle. My letters to Candice Miller were answered. She had replied that “Yes, handicap plates are available for motorcycles. That I was the first to request those plates.” It wasn’t a common practice for handicap persons to ride a motorcycle. One day, I happened to be reading the newspaper, and came across an article about a 14-year old boy who had lost both of his legs in a train accident. I went to the hospital to talk to him, getting his parent’s permission first. I wanted to let him know that he could and would still have a life. That losing a limb or several limbs is not a life ending event. I went to help this boy, and in some strange turn of events, he actually helped me. He helped me to be able to talk and share my knowledge and struggles; I was able to relate to someone for the first time since my accident. Not realizing that this was my first act of becoming a “Peer Visitor”. I started to have major accomplishments after my visits with the 14-year old boy who helped me. I’m featured on posters for Wright and Filippis, pamphlets for DMC Hospital, Interviewed for Horse Magazine, September 1999 issue, and Interviewed on the TV Show, Disability Today that is shown on PBS. In 2004, that downward spiral finally got me. I lost my job, my wife left me, and I began to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. When I felt pain, I popped a pill. When I’d hurt, I would drink it away. I fell into a deep depression gaining extreme amounts of weight. I was obese, my weight topping out at 414 pounds. I had a hard time finding work, a hard time wearing my prosthetic leg, and a hard time getting around. My weight made my already difficult life even harder. After 2 years of depression and downward lifestyle, I met a woman who helped bring me back to life. She helped me to pursue getting modification done to my house, getting a case worker to help me with the insurance company, who then put me in contact with Doctor Tamler, Amputee Specialist. Changes for the better began to take over my life. I started to become more active, I was eating healthier, and I quit smoking ci******es in order to have gastric bypass surgery. I lost a total of 200 pounds! Now I am able to ride a bicycle, exercise, walk more, and wear top of the line prosthetics that fit me properly. I had to re-learn how to walk a prosthetic that actually fit me. I had to do physical therapy all over again t get rid of all the bad habits I had with the ill-fitting prosthetics. Here it is year 2013, and I’m happily married, I have my CDL license that allows me to drive a school bus. I actually ride my motorcycle every chance I get, and I have the need to help every-day people with their struggles of losing a limb. I want to help motivate and encourage people with handicaps. I want people to know that life doesn’t end after losing a part of them. Those obstacles will always be there, but you can and will overcome them. I want to help make the next person’s struggle a little easier. An Amputee Motivational coach is what I’m meant to do with this new life of mine! It’s an Amputee world and you’re just in it!
