The scariest reaction to someone seeing my leg
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- Опубликовано: 29 ноя 2022
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#Storytime #Disability #Amputee
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MY STORY //
Fourteen years of pain and failed ankle surgeries brought me to 2018, when I made the difficult decision to become a twenty-seven-year-old below-the-knee elective amputee. This channel has documented my journey adjusting to life with a visible disability as an amputee, and continues to be a haven to discuss physical and mental health!
MY PROSTHETIC LEG:
I use the Ossur ProFlex XC Torsion foot/ankle with a direct socket with passive vaccum suction.
MY AMPUTATION STORY:
Why Did I Lose My Leg? • HOW I BECAME AN AMPUTE...
How I Said Goodbye To My Leg: • COME WITH ME ON A GOOD...
Seeing My Amputated Leg for the First Time: • Seeing my amputated le...
Day in the Life of an Amputee: • A Day in the Life of a...
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i love how jo feels the need to explain why some of these interactions are uncomfortable as though she's not telling us some of the weirdest goddamn shit i've ever heard
😆😆😆😆😆
@@FootlessJo It's kind of funny how something that is adorable when done by a child is so creepy when done by an adult.
What I still want to know is what happened to the cat from the hopping without a leg video.
@@HariSeldon913 Context is everything. And if you think about it, almost everything deemed adorable when a kid does it get progressively creepier the older they get. It has to do with the "ought to know better" factor. It is the same reason some look at the developmentally challenged as big kids, their "ought to know better" factor replaces their physical age, which some get weirded out by guys with Downs Syndrome wants to have kids.
Have you ever thought about getting a prosthesis using osseointegration?
I know that it takes another surgery, but apparently it's a really awesome solution.
@@OscarSommerbo Except that she's not saying "it's ok because they don't know better", she's saying "adorable". If an adult yanks on a dog's tail that's bad behavior, but if a small child yanks on that same dog's tail it's bad behavior that they need to learn is inappropriate, it isn't adorable.
There just aren't a lot of situations where walking up to someone and saying "I've always wanted to touch one of these" is going to end well.
So true!
You'd think anyone over say 15 years old would have figured that out but its clear many so-called 'adults' have not.
Ooo a police officer's firearm! I've always wanted to touch one of these
Maybe if they're holding a cute kitten :)
"ive always wanted to touch one of these" can only safely apply to cute animals
Have a story for you. When I was a kid, my parents were friends with a man that had lost his leg in a farming accident and wore a prosthetic (think 1970's). One day he got out of his truck at a local restaurant and a screw fell out of his prosthetic (his leg looked like a plastic version of a natural leg if memory serves). He hopped into the cafe to ask the lady at the counter for a screwdriver, when she asked why he said that his ankle was broken - she looked down and saw his foot hanging at a disturbing angle and promptly fainted. When she came to, she explained that she thought he was in shock from badly breaking his ankle and just didn't feel the pain, but the angle did her in. He said that he was so sorry for traumatizing the poor woman, but every time he told the story he chuckled. I asked him once (maybe 7 years old) if it hurt.... he was honest and said the accident not so much because of shock but that "Stumpy" did somedays, but that it was ok - because he was still able to get up and do things. He was my first experience with a person that had a prosthetic, he made it not scary for a little kid and answered questions in a way that I could understand. I hope you're feeling better soon, much love to you and the pups.
Today is actually the 1 year anniversary of when I lost my leg to a staph infection. The best interaction I've had has been with this little boy at church. Starting back before the prosthetic, he would always come up to me in my wheelchair to say hi and ask how I'm doing. Super curious about everything. The first time he saw me back on my "feet" he was so excited, exclaiming "You're all better!". I lifted my pant leg to reveal the prosthetic. "You've got a robot leg!!!" He just thought it was the coolest thing. 😄
Aww that’s so sweet!!!!
Kids are the best!
Oh that's so wholesome! 🥰
What a sweet kid. He clearly cared.
So I use a service dog for mobility, I am not blind, but lots of people assume I am either training the dog for that I am blind. An elderly woman approached me in a store, one time, and very genuinely with so much love told me, ‘my dear, it breaks my heart that you cannot see how beautiful you are.’ And it’s that same thing, it came from such a place of love. I didn’t know what to do because even though it was terribly offensive, she was a sweet old lady, so I pretended to be blind 😂.
My favorite interaction with a child happened when I was working in Death Valley. I was swimming laps on my day off when I saw something strange happening on the pool deck. A little girl, around 3 or 4, had my leg and she was trying to give it to a man (her dad) who looked very terrified and trying to get away. I assumed correctly that the man was her dad and that he was horrified to see his daughter had "stolen" someone's prosthetic leg. He knew some amputee was going to show up and he would be really embarrassed.
I decided I had better just go ahead and make her dad's terror come true. But there was a problem. The child did not speak English. However, once her dad realized I wasn't angry he relaxed and was happy to translate.
She had found my leg on the pool deck and taken it to her dad, because she wanted her dad to hurry up and find whoever forgot their leg and give it back before they fell over.
She was a very sweet child and I explained through her father what had happened, I even got out of the pool so she could see and touch my stump.
After it was over she came up and patted my head, saying something that made her dad laugh. He explained she had said, "You poor man. You are missing a leg and you also can't talk."
I normally don't accept sympathy over the loss of my leg, because I don't see it as a terrible thing. It didn't really change my life. I lost it when I was three and have no memory of having two legs, so my life has always been this way. But this kid was so sweet and innocent I could not be upset with her.
I dated a guy (above elbow amputee, no prosthetic) and people would ask "Did you know him before or after the accident?" I used to get so mad. My mom wanted me to help him do things. I had to explain to her hes capable and that's insulting.
Ya its like how you dont help someone back into their wheelchair unless they ask for it. You standby and wait for them to ask for help if they do need it
Ooh. I relate to this one. My husband is a below knee amputee and I've had people tell me I'm such a wonderful person for marrying someone "like him." As if I married him out of pity or charity and not because he's a wonderful person.
@@alyssataylor2338 Jesus Christ that's so bad! People who say that are reducing him to solely being his amputation. Rather than him just being a normal person who also happens to be an amputee 😬
My grandma is a wheelchair user, and she LOVES when little kids are interested in her chair. She even lets them use the hand control sometimes to make it go forwards (always on the slowest speed, haha). She’s had some really sweet interactions. And it’s usually the little boys who are into cars and trucks who stare open mouthed in amazement, and she just loves their curiosity and joy.
I can just imagine what the car/truck kids think seeing a human with wheels 😂
I am a manual wheelchair user. My little nephews are 2 and 5 and autistic. The oldest nephew was playing with cars on a track while I cheered his cars on and made zoom noises for him - after a while he asked if I wanted to race. I thought he meant with the toy cars, turned out he meant with my wheelchair! So we spent like half an hour doing laps around the house with him "pushing" me while I gave instructions "go go go go, stop, turn around, go go go go..." forever, we had a blast
@@Larki13 oh my goodness that is so sweet. What a special memory!
As a 4yo I had to stand on public transport and my feet were hurting. Then I saw a guy in a wheelchair. I loudly exclaimed " I wish I was in a wheelchair too, then I wouldn't have to stand". My kindergarten teacher was embarressed as hell, but the guy in the wheelchair couldn't stop laughing.
I've known several people with missing body parts, deformed parts, mental disabilities too. A friend who has one leg and uses a wheelchair, was told people like him should not be seen outside. I've had extensive surgery to get rid of PMP cancer, and have a very big scar from my breastbone to my pelvis, and a c section scar too. I sometimes go swimming in a bikini, because it is their fault if they are uncomfortable, not yours.
Stay strong, and I hope you get better soon.
My sister is a cancer pacient and in one of her surjuries, they have to open her breastbone. (It was an emergency, they were doing a laparoscopy, but in the last moment they touch a vein and they have to open her to avoid her bleeding out) After that, considering it was quite a traumatic experience and that she couldn't prepare herself mentally before it happened, I was worried that she would feel bad about showing the scar, but fortunatelly that has not been the case, she wears a bikini and she shows some cleavage just like before. I'm so happy for her
I love this so much. I need to look at things like this too. Thank you
I got shingles when I was only 13. Doctor said I was the youngest person she saw get it. Apparently it can be caused by stress. Never understood why I was stressed out so much until I finally learned I was autistic just a couple years ago.
Someone I dated got Shingles when they were 11. It's definitely possible.
I had a friend get it in jr high, which is the only reason I know shingles exists
Omg me too! I got it when I was about 10 or 11. I didn't know about the stress thing. That makes a lot of sense for my story as well
I got it the first time at 38. A new friend was having some mental health issues, and there was a week or 2 where I was confronted many times with figuring out whether I needed to call 9-1-1 or what. Obviously worse for her, but still stressful enough I developed shingles.
I also got shingles when I was 12. Not the most pleasant experience but stress was certainly a factor.
Those kids all saw your prosthetic and went “If not friend, why friend-shaped?” The kids are alright.
There's only one good reason to intentionally aggressively touch someone without their permission - you're giving them CPR (because they need it). Aside from that, ask before touching someone. Offer a handshake. Offer a hug. Don't just touch.
I have Tourette Syndrome and I've had people just come up to me and tell me I needed vitamins ... or Jesus. I was just like, "Thanks, I think I'll go with what my neurologist recommends." Fortunately I haven't had any hate directed at me. That "robot b*tch" lady would have scared the pants off of me. Yikes! So glad you got out of that one safely.
The woman who was screaming at you and being nasty probably has some serious issues with herself. No, I'm not excusing her behavior. She shouldn't have done that. I hope she realizes how horrible that was. Thank you, Jo, for sharing these experiences with us. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
I love how genuine little kids are! They don’t have all the baggage or preconceived notions that adults have, so they just accept.
I relate to a lot of these stories, especially the first one about people coming up and touching without consent. I'm not disabled, but I do have a birthmark on my face. I've had people in the past, without any warning, reach up and touch my face to "see what it feels like." It makes me incredibly uncomfortable, and it baffles me how some people have no concept of boundaries at all.
The thing that connects all these stories is that Jo handled them with poise and grace.
those stories with the kids were all so cute! kids are the frickin' best, they're so curious and so sweet. I love that the one kid decided to educate her friend, that's super cool, especially because she genuinely cared enough to remember the details accurately. man, that story with the woman shouting all that horrible stuff at you sounds terrifying though, some people are just awful.
I had shingles when I was 31. People don't get how much it HURTS. I hope you have a speedy recovery!
My mom got it last year and was absolutely miserable. She called me telling me to go get the vaccine and all I could tell her was I'm not eligible for it at 33. I could tell how disappointed she sounded because she really didn't want me to have to go through it.
I've always been curious; does it also itch like crazy?
@@JonesNate mine itched when it first came in, and I realized something was up and stopped scratching. Then the itchiness disappearred and it was just pain.
I got it last year and it was horrible! Wouldn’t even wish it on my worst enemy. It was in the left side of my abdomen. I’ve heard the pain varies by location. I’m in my 40s and frustrated to not be vaccine eligible. I heard from so many people who had it even much younger, multiple times. Including people who had it as teenagers!
Yeah, what got me to get my shingles vaccine (50+M) was listening to a NPR show (Fresh Air) where the guest was speaking about the "Notorious RBG" (Justice Ginsberg) and how she had suffered greatly from pain from shingles late in her life. I didn't realize it was that bad. So I got the shot and will need a booster in January. Let me warn others--it ain't like a flu shot; it hurt.
My worst interaction as a little person was when I was 18, my parents and I were on vacation, seeing all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's homesites. At the first site, there was a little girl who looked like she was 8 or 9, normally if I'm getting stared at by children I'll interact with them to make it less uncomfortable, but this little girl gave me the weirdest feeling. We were in a museum of things that Laura Ingalls Wilder owned in her life, I think they had first editions of the books and other things, but as I'm going around the museum and reading everything, I noticed this child following me, close enough that I could feel her breath on my shoulder. I felt so uncomfortable that I skipped a few things and walked over to my mom to try to see if she could get the girl to leave me alone, this child was just staring and following me and not saying anything, so I subtly get my mom to notice her and she asks her for her name to try to get this girl to talk, and this girl just says "Why does she have a cell phone and purse?" my mom tells her I am an adult and she continues with the following and staring, her parents saw her and did nothing, even though I was very clearly uncomfortable.
I've had similar experiences. I'm blind in one eye because of a rare birth defect, and that eye is noticeably smaller and also wanders from time-to-time. Many people treat me differently because of how I look, but some people are downright rude and awful.
Joe, I am blonde and work a guard, dog, and have been a guide dog handler for nearly 40 years now and it’s wonderful. I love doing presentations in schools because if I can get to the kids they’ll get to mom and dad. One such incident was in the spring of 2008 when my late wife and I were in Walmart and I was following her through the store and this lady just Starts petting my dog while my hand is on the harness handle very distracting and her son who was about 10 in front of God and everybody at the top of his lungs, was like mom don’t you know you never pet a working dog in public you could get that man hurt, and he could see you. I was grinning from ear to ear and when my wife turned around and said, where were you she saw the smile on my face and as I explained, she said you love that talk to you? Of course, I love that because someone got to that child with a different service, dog and hot ham etiquette around a working service dog which I proudly have been doing for 38 1/2 years. I have been told I am in desperation by some people that minute out of the goodness of their heart and others who are just trying to be well they were just trying to be.
That second story about the woman feeling up your leg is exactly what some black folks go through whenever someone sees our hair. They just… touch it, like it’s a toy they’ve never seen before and not attached to a human being?? Lol all that’s to say: I hear you, that’s icky, and I’m sorry that you’ve had that experience! I hope that never happens again
I wear niqab (Muslim face veil), and although it’s my choice I really identify with this video having gone th many similar interactions. Kids are always the best. Side note I’m invisibly chronically Ill, and although I didn’t used to talk about it much. I’ve started trying to more to help spread awareness and information.
Maybe because I grew up around a lot of war veterans or because of my very practical Irish mother, I have always seen prosthetics as a sign life tried to beat me but I survived. Kinda like a badge of honor that life hasn't killed me yet if that makes any sense.
I find the reaction varies by the kids age. Usually I give them straight forward answers to their questions and try to be as honest as I can. I had a friend of my great niece who wanted to know about what happened, the surgery and how it feels to wear a prosthetic. This was from a early teen girl. I told her that I lost my leg due an infection of the bone we couldn't get me over. That is was better to lose my leg below the knee, or else it might be higher or even life ending. I told her I was put under anesthesia and don't remember much more than going to the OR and the Doctor giving me the anesthesia and my waking up in recovery. I also told her that for me my prosthetic leg usually feels like wearing a shoe. I also explained to her about having phantom pain so overall I think it gave her an idea of what is involved in being differently abled.
I - _finally_ - got my white cane about a month ago and other people's reactions to it have been...interesting. Ignoring the people who push my cane out of their way in public or at grocery stores, and those who shoulder check me like I'm a linebacker, kids reactions are always the cutest. I've noticed their curiosity is always entirely on the mobility aid, asking what it is, and why they don't have one too.
I'm hard of hearing and use hearing aids.i was staying at my sister's recently, and her granddaughter is used to seeing me with them on. She woke me up in the morning, and I kind of stumbled out of bed and downstairs, where I sat on the bottom step. My great niece came and gave me a hug (gotta love hugs from two year olds) and she brushed my hair back from my face, and asked, "Where ears?" It was so sweet; I think she believed that the hearing aids were actually part of me. But it starts with the little bits. Once they believe that disabled people really aren't different from anyone else, because, in spirit, we aren't, that will be the start of a society that sees each person for who they are, and not what the outside looks like.
From one robot b to another (my robot parts are all inside-- 5 joint replacements in my 20s) sending all my love and thank you for speaking out on this topic :)
edit: *from kim
(why do I have a random user handle now on youtube instead of my name, sigh)
You can change the handle.
I suddenly noticed my name being back to a username I havent used in like 8 years.
@@TheSpeep how?! I tried... but I cannot figure it out for the life of me :)
*user-random-numbers-and-letters
aka kim
@@flychickadee hmmm you should have gotten an email from RUclips about that a month ago.
@@flychickadee Your Google Account name seems to automatically be your RUclips name . check if that's the case ? or do u have multiple Google accounts and your logged in to RUclips from a different one , I know I do that I have like 5 xD
@@CrimsonAkato thank you!
My son was born with cerebral palsy and has used a wheelchair since he was 3. We have lots of similar interaction stories. Just like you, the best are the kids. Plenty of uncomfortable ones as well. Fortunately, we have managed to miss the outright scary ones, but they exist. Now that he's a young adult, the parent in me always worries a bit about the time when one of those scary encounters happens - particularly because with his growing independence, I may not be there to help.
This is true, and they might just happen one day. My best advice as a fellow disabled person is to both prepare and equip him for this situations. Make sure there is a plan. That is the best you can do. For me having a service dog with me was a huge help, allthough you might get more annoying interactions, she definitely keeps some of the scary ones away. Slightly more practical, having phone numbers of trusted people, and emergency services under speed dial also helps. And sometimes a member of the public suddenly jumps to your aid which is amazing.
@@laartje24 Aid from the public has been amazing. When he was younger, we were visiting some road side attraction. And he was enjoying the independence of a motorized wheelchair, which we encouraged. He drove off of a curb and fell over into the road. Almost before we could get to him, a couple of good Samaritans got his chair back upright (not an easy task with a 250 lb wheelchair) and were checking on him. Fortunately, there was no traffic in the road - that was my biggest fear. And he was fine, just shaken up a bit and a scratch on his elbow.
Ive just never understand how people can be mean to other people like that. But the adorable little kids were so hartwarming to hear about
kids are great! no judgment just pure curiosity and then once their questions are answered they literally could not care less:))
I got an add for a prosthetic leg liner on this video, I'm not even an amputee, guess I've been watching a lot of your videos 🤣
Hahahahaha amazing!!!
I got an ad for a liner sanitizer lol!
I'm traveling with an amputee right now. We stopped at a gas station and these two little boys were fascinated by his prosthetic. One of the boys asked him what happened, so he told the boy squirrels chewed it off🤣
I don’t understand why someone would come up to anyone just to attempt to invalidate that person’s existence, what the actual hell is that?! The experiences you talked about with the kids made me so joyous though. The little girl who gave you a leg hug sounds utterly adorable! Also, when it comes to breaking down hate, discrimination, stereotypes, etc, starting with children is so key. The fact that you nurtured one child’s curiosity which in turn enabled her to nurture her friends and to spread that kind of positive education is endlessly wonderful. Seeing that beauty trickle down from you must have been a really great experience 😊. And yay for Jo Discord!! I love your videos and I love the community that you’ve cultivated, I’m so excited to get the opportunity to have an even bigger experience of you and this community!!
On the "invalidation", an older word for function variation is "invalid", which is exactly as bad as it sounds. Physically disabled people wasn't "real human" they were invalid.
Those type of people (the scary weirdos) are far too common. I'm a trans guy. I absolutely have dealt with and continue to deal with these kinds of people. Coming out was eye opening to me. Gave me a lot more context for empathizing with other people who experience othering. I just really don't understand why some people care so very much about others in actively negative ways. Must take a lot of energy to hate that much and that often.
@@OscarSommerbo That’s an excellent point. It’s absolutely insane to me that people ever thought that way, the fact that they still do in our ‘civilized’ society is despicable. No one is invalid and trying to make someone feels as though they are is unfathomable to me.
@@MeganKugs I agree, it is indescribably evil to relegate a human into a box of "not worthy of life", and there are people are out there thinking like that. I used the term "invalid" when I was nine or ten, and got a lecture why it is a horrific term. I have never used it since. My only defense is that English isn't my first language, but I knew enough English to understand the term when I got it explained to me.
@@CorwinFound I’m so sorry that you’ve had to deal with so many of these ignorant people. Transphobia, as well as homophobia, ableism and misogyny, are not only disgusting, it’s way too normalized in a lot of places. To treat a person badly because they don’t fit into the box you want them in is utterly unacceptable. Also the way these people don’t understand the simple facts that 1) gender and sex and two entirely different things and 2) that trans men are men and trans women are women, period, absolutely blows my mind. They refuse to educate themselves and that’s also unacceptable. I agree with you, it must be exhausting to be so awful and to be in active hate mode nearly all the time. I’m very glad that you’ve also had good experience too though. You spoke about how coming out gave you a deeper understanding of and empathy for others who have similar experiences. That’s wonderful, even if the bad experiences (that should never happen) are awful, they give you insights that many people don’t have. You’re awesome for not letting those kinds of ingrates keep you down, for not letting them stop you from sharing your experiences with others and I hope that you’re proud of yourself.
The liberty certain people feel they're entitled to is absolutely shocking sometimes. But it's a testament to your maturity and grace in how you handle their rudeness.
If you've had chickenpox, you can have shingles. I had a "mild" case, and it was horrible. I hope you have a quick recovery.
I didn't have chickenpox as a kid BUT I got the vaccine therefore exposing me to it. So earlier this year(mid 30s) I got shingles. That stuff is ROUGH! I was told it was the worst case they'd ever seen. It wasn't ideal. 😅😬 I have a lot of scaring and still waiting to see if the nerve damage is long lasting. 🙃
That last story reminds me of an interaction I had with the neighbour girl. I was about 13yo at the time and she was about 6yo and our families had be friends for years. I went trough a bit of a goth face in highschool, I really liked the aesthetic, it was fine. So I come cycling home one day and the neighbour girls is playing in front of her house with a friend, and the friend looks up an exclaims with a bit of disgust in het voice: 'She is a Goth." On which the neighbour girl jumps up and immediately defends me saying: "No, she is not a Goth because she is kind." It was both so adorable that she jumped to my defence, but als had me in stitches because she missed the mark in such a sweet and genuine way, I will alway remember it.
You honestly give me hope for humanity. A lot of disabilities aren’t something you can directly see, which is true for a lot of people, kind of like me. I don’t like saying I have a mental “disability” or anything but I do have a disorder. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and adhd when I was about 6. I’m still journeying through myself and what my mental health means with me, but obviously I you can’t SEE it when you meet me, because it’s a part of my body on the inside, not the outside. Some people, like you, have very visible “disabilities” that interfere with life on a daily basis, but I think that people don’t realize that struggle is mutual. I don’t need a prosthetic to walk or function, but I do need to take medicine for my anxiety. I struggle with mental health, and other people struggle with amputation health. You can’t say that people have more or less of a struggle then you, because you don’t know what they are going through, and they don’t know what you’re going through. I think that everybody should just be kind, and accept everyone, especially “disabled” people and neurodivergent people. Thank you everyone for coming to my Ted talk.
I'm in a power chair due to a back injury and trying to relearn to walk. A few months ago I was in a store and there was a dad and a 4-5 year old boy in front of me. The little boy turned and went wide eyed at my chair and blurted out "Wow!! Cool chair! Are you ok?" I told him I am, I hurt my back and I have to use this until I'm better. He shotgunned so many questions about the chair and how I was. He had a stuffed frog and said that whenever he feels sick, the frog makes him better, so he got his frog to give me a high 5 to help me get better. As he and his dad left he kept saying get well soon, he and his frog will pray for me and he made his frog wave goodbye as they went out the door.
When you mentioned the interaction with the toddler, it reminded me of when you talked about how some adults wanted to take your videos down because they thought you'd traumatize children. No, children are more accepting than adults.
Some people hold a special level of both sheltered and entitlement - sheltered from seeing anyone with disabilities and entitlement to like... Feel like we don't deserve to exist. I've run into it too with my fixed ankle orthotics (the big plastic legs that are L shaped and my ankles stay still). An absolutely unhinged man in a CVS started trying to get me thrown out for "being fake" and having "plastic legs" and eventually just started screaming that I shouldn't be out in public with "whatever I had."
He has to have been mentally ill.
As a follower of yours in social media, I’m in awe of your strength and positivity. I’m sorry our society has such uneducated, inconsiderate people willing to harass you.
Perhaps the woman in #3 knew someone who had something similar who didn't take that change so well.... and she told you the things she wished she could still tell the other person.
That last one with the two kids, so cool! ❤️
As a disabled writer, I’m always curious about other disabilities and things like that. But I don’t always look the most visibly disabled, which had gotten me into a lot of funny situations. Every once in a while, I get really invested in asking people about their disabilities before realising it sounds very strange. Literally I was at a party last night:
“I have no ear canal,” -someone at a party
“Woah, really?! We’re you born that way?” -me
“Yep.”
“Thats so frickin cool.”
Yeah most people don’t call other people’s disabilities frickin cool. I do always preface afterwards that I’m disabled and love learning about new disabilities. I’ve never had a bad interactions doing that tbh, strange but never bad. I really feel like it’s not hard to not be creepy when asking questions!
Im partially paralyzed and love to talk about disabilities with other disabled people.
Its nice meeting someone else who "gets it", even if their personal situation is different than mine.
Well, I'm glad the kiddos were nice at least! The adults on the other hand, that sounds so frustrating 😞
The ad before the start was amazingly appropriate for this. It was for a sterilizer for the part that goes on your leg(forgot term).
Praying for a quick recovery. I'm so sorry that people have been rude about your leg.
I am glad you can see the heartfelt way some of these people meant what they did, and accept it as intended. Sometimes people don't realize how their well intentioned words can affect someone, or how they can be taken.
even if i can do everything someone that is not physically disabled can do i am still disabled and i do feel like people in society dont care about me at times and i have to even educate some of my friends that i cant work due to heavy PTSD issues from my school
I'm diabetic and work at a school. The sweetest things are when kids ask what my medical devices are and ask if I'm all better when they're hidden by clothes the next time they see me. Haha. They're so sweet and innocent and curious. I love taking time to explain it to them.
Hi Jo. I am an amputee this year and just got my first prosthesis. THANKS FOR YOUR Video's about your experiences. I am currently in PT learning how to walk again. Y9ou videos are teaching me so much about life with this new appendage. New subscriber. Rock on.
Best of luck with your new prothesis. I hope you will rock it.
Hugs to you, Jo. I had shingles when I was almost 26 and I still remember how painful it was, even though it was 17 years ago. Wishing you a speedy and uncomplicated recovery.
disableism is very real. it's not just disregard for disabled people, people are awful sometimes. I'm sorry you had to go through that
I have a special needs friend and there are people who think she should be locked up in an institution. A number of people try to micromanage her life telling her what she needs to do. I'm glad you still get out in spite of bad interactions.
Hi Jo and puppies. My husband got shingles days before turning 60. At the time you had to be 60 to get the shingles vaccine.
What really helped the pain was acupuncture. I hope it helps you too.
I used to teach self-defense for women. One of the best things you can do Is figure out ahead of time how you’re going to handle a situation. You did a great job with all the scenarios, especially the robot lady. I imagine your Ju Jitsu training helps you think on your feet (foot?) and handle any situation.
Women who don’t know how to react will often freeze and fall into the trap. I suggest she scream NO as loud as she can. It gets her breathing and empowers her.
My PSA for they day. Keep up the good fight.
My now 13 year old nephews both have epilepsy. Both have service dogs. They’ve had both good and bad interactions with other people. Some people don’t believe in service animals or that they really serve a purpose. Some people still believe in the stigma that if a person has seizures it’s because they’re possessed. And possessed people shouldn’t be allowed in public. Gross attitude I know. It breaks my heart to see and hear some of the things people say and do regarding disabilities. But I love it when people who are genuinely curious and ask questions. Especially when it comes to their service dogs.
Dear Jo. In my late 20's I had shingles across my lower back. It was so painful I could hardly breathe. A hot bath brought some relief. I wish I could help relieve your pain and really trust that you will get better soon. You are one of the most complete human beings out there with wisdom, whit and emotional state of mind. Thank you for your honesty and integrity, you make a difference. Regards and love from a fellow incomplete human.
I hope your shingles clear up soon, I had a neighbor who suffered through them, and it's not something I'd wish on anyone. Big *gentle* virtual hugs!!
I liked the stories, but I admitably spaced out a bit because I noticed your dog napping in the background. Really cute.
That striped "nubbin sock" looks like a great puppet sock! 🙂😁
Children are the most delightful in interactions about uncommon stuff. Like sure, they can still be little shits, but they generally are just wholesome and funny.
Shingles are rough, glad yours are at least starting to improve. Gratz on the Discord sponsorship ^^ Hearing about the children was great, I didn't think my heart could swell any more after the little girl who hugged your leg, but hearing someone educating their friend (and so accurately!) actually made me tear up a lil bit. Glad you were able to get out of the situation with the crazy yelling person. Frankly she should have had the police called on her (by a bystander, you were obviously right to focus on your safety and getting outta there), though I doubt they would/could have done much unless she escalated even further. Blegh. But the kids tho. 11/10 those are some very solidly adorable interactions.
Oh my goodness. The kid stories are so sweet. And I love how you encourage kids interactions.
Hi Jo. How are you doing? Sorry to hear about the sickness. Proud of you for taking a shower today! Lol My brother had shingles in HIGH SCHOOL! Before that happened, I thought the same as you. He agreed with the PAINFUL sentiment! Thanks for being here! 💚
I'm glad you told the last story.
One thing being in a wheelchair has helped me with us social anxiety. I have a service dog and had him before I got really sick. Everyone stares. Everyone. I was so worried people were looking at me like a freak most of my life. When the pain became unbearable all the time I stopped caring what people thought. It is a weird positive of this whole chronic illness life.
So the chair and doggo just make it kind of amusing now. I know people stare but in a way they don't see me just the chair and dog. I can joke about no one being able to miss me and what not. I just stopped caring.
I mean I'm still socially anxious... But the staring doesn't bother me much anymore.
The kids? Totally makes sense & is adorable. The grown ass adults?! Good lord. I just cannot imagine having the audacity to walk up to a complete stranger and ask them about their body/yell at them for existing/pray for them/whatever. Like what goes through someone's head to make them think that ANY of those things are okay?? It's completely wild and incomprehensible to me - well-meaning or not - that people do this shit. I'm so sorry you had a stranger scream at you and I'm impressed by your willingness to put up with people being invasive etc - I'm not nearly that patient. Hope you're feeling better after the shingles!
I love it when strangers say you are strong and they're proud of you...as if they actually know you.
It comes from a good place but it's just weird.
I got Shingles when I was 41, Jo. You have my sympathy. Stress is a big factor.
Regarding the stories… Children have this genuine openness, which adults lose over time. Sometimes, children say things which can be difficult to process, because it is unfiltered honesty, but when adults say it… Ouch! And then there are the psychos. 🤦♀️
I am trying really hard not to have a pity party right now!!! I have an open spot on my stump and have an infection in my stump!!! I lost my leg because of a wound that got infected, so this is very frustrating!!! I am glad you are healing from shingles!!!!
thank you for sharing your pity parties. it's really helpful to know that others struggle sometimes and it's normal and frankly probably healthy and just watching your demeanor shift through this video as you talk is really a gift
That was the most fun pity party I’ve ever been to!
Feel better, doggos love you, so everything just has to be okay.
Jo, the first thing I thought when you said that you were feeling like a side show, is I'd buy tickets to see you talk (and see your puppies) Jo. That would be amazing! Those two kids at your gym were awesome.
Thanks for a few laughs Jo and I love how the little girl was so keen to teach her friend, it means there’s change happening and the fact that you’re able to teach them in a fun and engaging way is so awesome and I would have loved that as a kid, being able to freely ask questions and know I want going to get a ride or annoyed answer and just ask everything I wanted to ☺️.
Love your channel! I am disabled due to an auto immune disease called scleroderma. Most of my joints are affected, my hands are contracted and I’ve lost the front of both feet due to poor circulation. As you can imagine this makes getting around difficult. Most people are very accommodating however one time, when I was using a handicapped spot, I had a gentleman yell at me across the parking lot “you don’t look very disabled!“ It was extremely rude and disconcerting. I share this to ask folks to remember that some peoples disabilities are a bit more invisible and you can’t see pain. Love this community.
I was working with an immigrant and they asked me if I knew anything about chicken pox. I told them to immediately isolate from family members or risk getting painful shingles for the rest of their life. I was pretty miffed that they were at work. A few weeks later their son had contracted shingles. Second bout of chicken pox equals shingles. Thankfully they did not infect me.
I'm blind, not an amputee, but this is my favorite kid interaction about my disability: I've worked in preschools, daycares, and summer camps all my life, and one of my kids was this remarkably sweet little girl who sat next to me and drew a rainbow, stopping to explain what each color was.
“This is red, and that's um the color of apples, and cherries, and um, strawberries.”
It was so much fun to play along and go “My mom told me that some birds are red. Is that true? Okay, what color comes next? Orange? Like the fruit? No way!”
I love your shares, Jo, but today you were upstaged by the sleeping pup! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
From what I consider reliable sources>> Younger people are getting shingles because they've had the measles vaccine. Exposure, but no disease outbreak, so they are get shingles later. Unfortunately, shingles vaccines are still kinda hard to get unless you're older.
Feel your frustration!
I’ve got shingles, too… unfortunately. Immune system literally shut down and gave up on me, refusing to fight it.
Shingles is the worst! I had it on my arm two years ago and can't imagine how much worse it would have been if it had been on a load bearing limb. Here's hoping you have a swift recovery.
Glad you were able to get away from the creepy lady. But “Amputee uses jujitsu to subdue attacker” would have gone viral !
Fortunately no one has ever had a negative reaction to mine. But I love when kids ask, then the parent says it's rude, not nice, something along those lines, I want to teach them about it and it's ok to ask.
Abled people really do be telling on themselves for their ableism 😬😬😬
It makes me smile that all during the making of your video, the puppies are just snoozing away!
Love your enthusiasm in all things.
You seem more put together than most full limbed people i know.
And you probably kick my ass in a foot race.
For as awful as that woman in #5 was... "Robot Bitch" does sound kind of badass. I could totally see a wrestler, or a roller derby player, or even a character in a deadpool comic going by it.
Your mission is beautiful. There are so many people who need to hear you. People don't think much about what other people go through. I've been using a rollator for almost 3 years due to Stiff Persons, and that results in some outings ending with me on the ground because of spasms. It's not the same, but I've loved all your videos. You inspire me to keep moving forward. I'm working to be able to walk again with maybe a cane (don't know if I'll have to wear head protection).
January 2020 I had shingles... on my 27th bday too!!! I was like im not old WTF?!?! But I was told its rare to get it young. it was AWFUL!!! So i feel ya!
I'm glad to see you cheerful even though you had a crazy life
Shingles are a bitch. Due to the stressors younger people have these days, they (we? I'm in my 50's) are now getting it. What people don't understand is there are long term issues after it clears up in some people. Nerve pain that stays around. That is why, I feel, the shingles immunization should be available to younger people.
Feel better!!!!!! I'm sorry you are not ok at the moment. You will get through this because you are so strong! Thank you for sharing your story. You are amazing 😍
I feel you, I got shingles when I was in my thirties it sucked.
It's nuts to me how some very capable adults haven't learned to keep hands/words to themselves by now! Also, my boyfriend had shingles as a teenager...super unusual and unfortunate but at least he got some cute scars. Hope you're recovering well! PS nubbin sock looks cute and cozy🤎
"They love each other... most of the time"
The change in your voice in the middle of very telling 🤣
That lady was so out of line. You did the right thing by not engaging 👏
My most uncomfortable experience as a wheelchair user was when a person came up and walked towards me, not looking at me at all but at my little dog in my lap. She was wearing a bright yellow vest stating that she was a service dog in training. Note that I was using a manual wheelchair, and it's not super unusual for people to literally walk into me because they don't look down (don't even want to imagine what happens to children who are in the way of those people!). This person obviously must have seen my wheelchair, but it was as if they didn't see me, and they were quite tall and bigger than me physically, so it felt really threatening that they just came up and started reaching their hands out to pet my dog - still without looking at me or saying a word. I loudly said "NO YOU CAN'T PET MY DOG, SHE IS WORKING" and this person jolted and seemed to realise that I was there for the first time. It was just so bizarre. Thankfully they didn't become aggressive or insist, and I could leave without further engaging.
Even if you see a cute dog, don't ever just pet it. Ask the owner, and listen to their answer. A lot of people engage when I'm out with my dog, I understand that, she is adorable! But they engage with me or with us, or they might just say to their companion "oh, what a cute dog" and smile at my dog. It's all fine, I'm happy to engage and answer questions. But coming up and looming over me, just reaching for my dog, that's not ok.
I hope you feel better soon. I was at Bunnings Hardware (Home Depot in USA) and the father of a young family stared and pointed at my prosthetic leg (rude). I walked by him, smiled and said “G’day mate”. What else could I do?
Ugh I had shingles in my 30s too. It was on my torso. Wearing a shirt was nigh impossible! I’m sorry you’re suffering through that. Gentle hugs
I really got an ad for a prosthetic leg liner cleaner, lol