Lately, it has been hot, so I decided to do something that would make life a little easier. I cooked a bunch of different meals in the crock pot, put them into containers, and froze them. That way, when the weather is hot, I wouldn't have to do much cooking. Then a flyer came in from the local Mexican market. They had pineapples, plantains, mangoes, watermelon, cucumbers—fresh fruits and vegetables at really good prices. They also had beef shanks. So after the gym, I had my caretaker take me to the store. I already had plenty of food at home. I had meals in the freezer, food in the refrigerator, and everything I needed. I wasn't going to the store because I was running out of food. But when I got there, something happened. I felt happy. The store was colorful and full of fresh food. I could choose one of this, two of that, three of something else. I wasn't limited to whatever quantity happened to come in a package. I could actually look at what I wanted and decide what I wa...
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Waiting for Help That Never Comes
This morning I woke up with a realization I didn't want to have.
Nobody is coming to save me.
Not the insurance company.
Not the disability office.
Not the attorneys.
Not the government.
Nobody.
It's been almost nine months since my accident.
Nine months.
One day I was photographing beautiful events at luxury hotels for successful clients. I was studying to expand my skills and explore new ways of helping people. I was planning for the future. Living my life.
Then everything changed.
Since then, I've spent months waiting for systems that move at the speed of a glacier.
Waiting for paperwork.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for decisions.
Waiting for people who don't seem to understand that while they're shuffling papers, real lives are hanging in the balance.
Yesterday I called my law firm for a status update.
A few weeks ago, I was told my case was finally being filed.
Yesterday I learned it wasn't.
Apparently there was a communication breakdown in the office.
Maybe that's understandable from their perspective.
From mine, it's another few weeks lost when I don't have weeks to lose.
I've also been waiting on disability.
Appointments.
Evaluations.
More waiting.
The strange thing is that the people evaluating me don't see what I see every day.
They don't see the fear that comes with wondering how you'll pay next month's bills.
They don't see the sleepless nights.
They don't see the reality of living with injuries that remain long after the accident is over.
They don't see a woman who spent years building a life and a business, now wondering how she ended up fighting just to stay afloat.
And here's the truth.
I'm scared.
Not because I'm weak.
Because this is hard.
Harder than most people will ever understand.
But this morning, after all the frustration and all the waiting, I realized something else.
If nobody is coming to save me, then I have to save myself.
Not by pretending everything is okay.
Not by forcing positivity.
Not by ignoring reality.
But by getting up one more day.
Making one more phone call.
Writing one more blog.
Creating one more opportunity.
Taking one more step forward.
Even if it's on one leg.
Maybe that's what resilience really is.
Not feeling strong.
Continuing anyway.
And if my body can't do what it used to do right now, then I'll have to lean on something else.
My mind.
My experience.
My creativity.
My voice.
Everything I've lived through has taught me something. Every challenge, every setback, every hard-earned lesson has value.
Maybe this next chapter isn't about what I can no longer do.
Maybe it's about discovering what I can still become.
Today, I don't have all the answers.
I don't know how this story ends.
But I'm still here.
And today, that's enough.
I'm doing everything I can to rebuild my life after losing my leg in a devastating car accident, but recovery doesn't stop the bills from coming. If my story touches your heart and you'd like to help me keep a roof over my head and continue my healing journey, please consider donating to my GoFundMe or sharing it with others. Every act of kindness truly makes a difference.
disability waiting process, catastrophic injury recovery, amputee survivor, financial hardship, disability benefits delay, car accident survivor, medical trauma, resilience after trauma, GoFundMe support, navigating social services
After losing my leg in a catastrophic accident, I'm still waiting on disability and struggling to survive while the bills keep coming.
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