My name is Dale Emery, and I had my amputation in 1996.
I've learned that it's a big challenge, and I think it's made me a stronger person, so I've learned a lot about myself since my amputation.
My relationship with my prosthetist is more like a partnership. I almost feel like part of a family because I think it's really important to have a good relationship with your prosthetist.
There's a reason that I'm able to do things that I used to be able to do before I had my amputation. It's a great relationship, and they've taken very good care of me.
There's a lot of things that I've accomplished. Again, it's been a lot of years. Last year, I did one thing that I always wanted to do. I really feel proud of the accomplishment of being a part of the 5K walk that Bremer was in.
It's a pretty challenging experience. I think for me, it really humbled me. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't went through it, but I never knew until I experienced it that you grieve the part—it's like losing somebody who's close to you, when you lose a part of your body.
Getting through that grieving process takes time, and it's something you have to go through. I think it's made me stronger. It's probably one of the biggest challenges I've ever faced in my life, and I made it through it with support and having good prosthetic people to work with.
