Removing my prosthetic leg terrifies me

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I am a recent amputee. My right foot was removed below the knee about 10 weeks ago. I have known since the beginning of the year that I would be losing the foot at some point. I had thought that it would mostly likely be sometime in 2023 but things worsened. I started watching this channel back in March when I started researching life as an amputee. This channel has been an amazing resource. The videos here have helped me prepare for what it would be like to live as an amputee and the kind of things to expect. Also, watching this channel has given me confidence in living with my disability. For example, I am not self conscious about my bare "nub" because it is a part of who I am. A part of what has helped me have this attitude is watching this channel! So a big shout out to Jo for helping me deal with what could have been a very stressful thing. Thanks so much!!

I feel so heard/seen. I am not an amputee but I have chronic pain from an autoimmune disorder. I walk like normal and act like I’m fine but inside I’m in pain. I don’t want to be perceived as an easy target. I also carry a taser everywhere I go. Thank you for making this video. I’ll suggest this video to new people in my life so they understand me better.

Yes, exactly! As someone with narcolepsy, being in certain environments can be really scary, particularily if I'm feeling more drowsy than usual. Being on medication to help me stay awake has helped tremendously, but I still might forget my meds or have other things going on. It's terrifying to try and fight an involuntary sleep response, knowing that if I fail I will be left completely vulnerable in a situation where I don't feel totally safe or comfortable.

I'm terrified of having my leg off if I'm out in public. Part of it danger, and yes, part of it is pride. I salute you, you show me a stronger way to look, seem, and be, and it's much appreciated. I'd sell my soul for a day in a coffee shop with you. Half learning about each other, half talking it all over. I'd like that a WHOLE lot.

I really admire how you didn't even hesitate about being a sexual assault survivor and how that affects your way of thinking/defense in any situation. You are just a wonderful person!! Thanks for sharing!!

I’m not an amputee, but I do have physical disabilities, along with prior traumatic life experiences and I relate a lot to always analysing your surroundings. I’m always a few steps ahead; am I walking somewhere, do I need to stand for longer periods of time, is my water bottle filled, can I sit down, etc. It adds an extra layer of effort to everything you do, in a way that non-disabled people can’t really fathom. Great video!

I relate a lot to this as an ambulatory wheelchair user. At my home I am comfortable most of the time not using my wheelchair because it's a safe space, I can easily sit down if I need to (on a chair, my bed, the floor, wherever). But out in public I rarely leave my wheelchair because I don't like the attention it draws, or the vulnerable place it puts me in should I need to get away from a situation quickly. I also have CPTSD, so this impacts my anxieties in public spaces a lot. It takes a lot more effort and planning to do anything out in public because of my disabilities.

I'm a left BKA. In the summer, I usually wear shorts when out in public. As you said, I also walk 'with intention'. I usually get questions, mostly from children, or I'll hear them tell their parents "That man has no leg!" I'll always stop, bend down to their level, smile, and talk with them (and keep one eye on the parent to make sure I'm not overstepping my boundary). I've educated many, many people this way, and consider myself a 'goodwill ambassador' for amputees everywhere. In winter, I wear jeans, and I call it being in "Stealth Mode"! 😎😎😎

I really needed to hear this. I have PTSD about multiple things including a tumor I had on my shoulder that caused the worst pain in my life after it got punched. Turns out it was cancer and I had to get it removed. 3 surgeries and many panic attacks later here I am cancer free but still not able to do everything I used to. I really hope you can read this, Jo bc I look up to you so much. I’m 15 and still figuring things out but please let me know if you read!❤

I feel this so much. I experienced a lot of trauma prior to my disability (cervical spinal cord injury on top of EDS), and thought I was ...pretty okay. Had lots of therapy, et cetera. And previously, I was kind of a bad-a$$. I was very strong. I could fight. I'd knocked out guys twice my size (I'm a pretty small woman, in general, though). I worked in an industry (chef) for 25 years where I was constantly surrounded by aggressive male energy and held my own. But boy-howdy was I not prepared for how freaking vulnerable disability makes me feel (and actually makes me), and how much I depended on my "I could take that guy" abilities previously. I require massive leg braces and platform crutches to get around at all, and going fast is not an option. I have the grip strength of a toddler. I tire out with the smallest activities, and fatigue makes all kinds of weird stuff happen (spasticity, massive drop in dexterity and balance). I even looked into weapons training, but spasticity and firearms don't really go together, and I can't grip hard enough to hold a knife. On top of that, for the last 3 years, I have constantly been in various stages of spinal surgery recovery, during which you have to be SO careful while hardware and bone grafts and scaffolds and spacers heal. A minor fall or fender bender is pretty much a one-way trip to QuadTown. Needless to say, currently getting a LOT more therapy (and my therapist is also disabled with a spinal cord injury, so that's pretty cool, actually).

I was born without most of my left hand, and I'm always uncomfortable having my good hand full with carrying or holding something. It took me a long time to figure out that's because it basically removes my ability to interact with anything, be it a door, getting keys out of my purse, or anything else that might need to happen quickly. I wouldn't say I have any significant trauma surrounding those sorts of things, but safety is still always in the back of my mind all the time.

This is another showcase of why visibility is so important. People will always look when there is something unfamiliar to them (even for mundane things like dyed hair), but if we have all gotten used to what an amputated limb looks like on youtube or tv, then it won't gather the same amount of stares.

I am able-bodied, and always look for fire exits and bathrooms in a new environment. I totally understand the safety thing.... Also, my grandfather was an amputee. I always visited him in his own home, and never saw him without his prosthetic on. We never talked about it, but it was there. Your channel has taught me so much about what he was going through and never talked about.

I have vitiligo and am on the swim team. It was terrible at first, not many people cared but my anxiety didn't care. I felt so much pressure to be the best because if you're wierd, its better to be wierd and talented. My heart goes out to anyone with similar insecurities

You aren't over reacting! Like you, I am a survivor with a disability, who is a full time wheelchair user. It's scary as heck to be separated from my chair because it is my legs and I've been in vulnerable situations like in a bed or tub where trauma has happened and people have no issue with moving my chair so I'm not able to access it!

I relate to so much of this. My disabilities are not visible. The mental energy required to feel safe/prepared for any number of situations is deeply impactful.

I can really relate despite having two flesh legs, I think many of us trauma survivors do things for safety that may not strictly be necessary and cause discomfort (even if not nearly comparable to your physical discomfort caused by the prosthetic). I am pretty sure everyone with a larger bust who has ever pondered not wearing a bra out in public has gone through the exact same thought processes regarding comfort vs. perceived vulnerability and avoiding attention.

I'm not disabled but I do have a few long term chronic health conditions that cause me daily pain and discomfort. I recently spoke with my therapist about the mental exhaustion that comes from just having to be prepared for every situation and the anxiety that can come from something as simple as eating out at a restaurant, or going for a drive. It is a fact that isn't often discussed and it really should be

I have chronic pain and a severe sensory disorder and the end of this video really resonated with me. It takes me so much energy to know if I'll be able to use the chairs without worse pain, or if I'll be able to tolerate the smells or sounds of the environment, or if the lights will be too bright or too harsh, or if I'll be able to eat any of the food or I need to bring my own? Etc. It is absolutely exhausting.