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Compatible Parts Inc exists to support, inform and provide social networking to amputees, their families and friends. Our non-profit status is pending.
Winter Letter
Dear Friends ~
Tonight I accidently deleted the entire front page of this site while simply trying to just add another photo. Do please forgive me if you had hoped to read my opening letter. I am still a novice webmaster but plan to become more versed in this endeavor as time goes by.
It is the 19th of December and Christmas will be soon. I've been thinking much about wintery things... the lovely smells of my kitchen, snuggling down on cold winter nights, the crisp laughter and joy of playing in the first snowfall, as well as what it means to be an amputee dealing with the onset of bad weather. It certainly can make life more exciting... or difficult, as the case may be.
Because life does not allow me to completely hibernate until the winter months pass me by, I must take care to find ways to overcome the sometimes treacherous obstacles which confront me. This can be both daunting and frightening. Being strong is important. So is being cautious. I work hard at being both... with varying degrees of success.
For those of you who don't know me, I am Mary-El Salunek, the divorced mother of a wonderful 15 year old son, with a below the knee amputation, right side (also known as R/bka). My surgery was seven years ago.
Before the surgery, I could not envision a single second of living without my leg. Walking, particularly walking great distances, had always been very important to me. I was an avid dancer. Yet the doctors were telling me the time had come for them to take my leg. To be honest, I was horrified at the very notion! How could such a thing be? Oh, I knew the choice before me: it was my leg or my life and I had a very young son to think about. However rational the decision seemed at the time, when I actually signed the consent form for the surgery, it felt like the most insane act of my entire life. All these years later, it still strikes me that way, for I gave a doctor permission to take off my leg! My WHAT?! And truthfully, I had no idea of how I would then live.
But live I did. Through a coma which went on for weeks, several cardiac arrests, and respiratory failure. Through the doctors giving up hope for me and my priest giving me Extreme Unction. I believe I lived because I was surrounded by people of goodwill who cared about me and my son and never let go of us through their prayers and heartfelt intentions that I would come back to be with them and little Maxi again. And I did come back, to the surprise and delight of everyone!
The surgery was October 2003 and by January of 2004, I was ready to meet the prosthesis. That was a painfully trying day for I hated the very sight of it! A titanium pylon jammed into an artificial foot stuck into my sneaker -- and that pylon shining lime green! It was unthinkable to me that I should have such a horrible thing holding me up for all the world to see. I tell you: I'm vain. Fortunately, my prosthetist agreed to keep the leg for another week to do the cosmetic enhancements so I could have the courage to go out in public with it on.
And so I learned to walk again. To ride a bike, to play ball. I've even danced a time or two. And now, seven years later, I no longer care, exactly, what the leg looks like. I sometimes think if a stick could help me live my busy life I'd be glad for it too. But I am fortunate because John Donovan at AtlanticProCare not only takes the time to build me a leg which fits perfectly and feels integrated with my body when it's on, but he goes the extra distance to make me a handsome gam I can be proud of.
So it has been a journey that I am pleased to be able to share with so many others. When I am working at my strength training or stretching to become as capable as I can be to do what must be done, I think of all the wonderful people who participate in my life. During this Advent Season I've been able to give thanks that I have not had to walk alone.
The very first walk outdoors my son and I took with my first prosthesis in March of 2004, we encountered a large section of badly broken sidewalk. I stopped walking and looked at that dangerous pathway and decided I couldn't do it. I told my son that we could not make it to the dollar store and the ice cream shop; I told him we would have to go home for I could not cross four feet of crumpled concrete. My 7 year old son took my hand and said "Believe in yourself, Mary-El Salunek and I will help you across!"
How could I possibly fail with such goodwill being given to me from such a loving heart? So I took a deep breath and holding Maxi's hand, I slowly made my way across that ruined sidewalk. We made it all the way to the dollar store and ice cream shop and home again without any disaster.
So you see, I have been quite blessed to have such mighty people in my life who continually inspire me to go forward. In these cold and shortened days of winter as you settle in to keep warm, I invite you to think of all those who share your journey too. Compatible Parts Inc would love to participate in your daily passage through time and tempest, storms and sunny days. Feel free to contact me any time.
Looking forward to the next adventure together,
Mary-El
Winter Letter
Dear Friends ~
Tonight I accidently deleted the entire front page of this site while simply trying to just add another photo. Do please forgive me if you had hoped to read my opening letter. I am still a novice webmaster but plan to become more versed in this endeavor as time goes by.
It is the 19th of December and Christmas will be soon. I've been thinking much about wintery things... the lovely smells of my kitchen, snuggling down on cold winter nights, the crisp laughter and joy of playing in the first snowfall, as well as what it means to be an amputee dealing with the onset of bad weather. It certainly can make life more exciting... or difficult, as the case may be.
Because life does not allow me to completely hibernate until the winter months pass me by, I must take care to find ways to overcome the sometimes treacherous obstacles which confront me. This can be both daunting and frightening. Being strong is important. So is being cautious. I work hard at being both... with varying degrees of success.
For those of you who don't know me, I am Mary-El Salunek, the divorced mother of a wonderful 15 year old son, with a below the knee amputation, right side (also known as R/bka). My surgery was seven years ago.
Before the surgery, I could not envision a single second of living without my leg. Walking, particularly walking great distances, had always been very important to me. I was an avid dancer. Yet the doctors were telling me the time had come for them to take my leg. To be honest, I was horrified at the very notion! How could such a thing be? Oh, I knew the choice before me: it was my leg or my life and I had a very young son to think about. However rational the decision seemed at the time, when I actually signed the consent form for the surgery, it felt like the most insane act of my entire life. All these years later, it still strikes me that way, for I gave a doctor permission to take off my leg! My WHAT?! And truthfully, I had no idea of how I would then live.
But live I did. Through a coma which went on for weeks, several cardiac arrests, and respiratory failure. Through the doctors giving up hope for me and my priest giving me Extreme Unction. I believe I lived because I was surrounded by people of goodwill who cared about me and my son and never let go of us through their prayers and heartfelt intentions that I would come back to be with them and little Maxi again. And I did come back, to the surprise and delight of everyone!
The surgery was October 2003 and by January of 2004, I was ready to meet the prosthesis. That was a painfully trying day for I hated the very sight of it! A titanium pylon jammed into an artificial foot stuck into my sneaker -- and that pylon shining lime green! It was unthinkable to me that I should have such a horrible thing holding me up for all the world to see. I tell you: I'm vain. Fortunately, my prosthetist agreed to keep the leg for another week to do the cosmetic enhancements so I could have the courage to go out in public with it on.
And so I learned to walk again. To ride a bike, to play ball. I've even danced a time or two. And now, seven years later, I no longer care, exactly, what the leg looks like. I sometimes think if a stick could help me live my busy life I'd be glad for it too. But I am fortunate because John Donovan at AtlanticProCare not only takes the time to build me a leg which fits perfectly and feels integrated with my body when it's on, but he goes the extra distance to make me a handsome gam I can be proud of.
So it has been a journey that I am pleased to be able to share with so many others. When I am working at my strength training or stretching to become as capable as I can be to do what must be done, I think of all the wonderful people who participate in my life. During this Advent Season I've been able to give thanks that I have not had to walk alone.
The very first walk outdoors my son and I took with my first prosthesis in March of 2004, we encountered a large section of badly broken sidewalk. I stopped walking and looked at that dangerous pathway and decided I couldn't do it. I told my son that we could not make it to the dollar store and the ice cream shop; I told him we would have to go home for I could not cross four feet of crumpled concrete. My 7 year old son took my hand and said "Believe in yourself, Mary-El Salunek and I will help you across!"
How could I possibly fail with such goodwill being given to me from such a loving heart? So I took a deep breath and holding Maxi's hand, I slowly made my way across that ruined sidewalk. We made it all the way to the dollar store and ice cream shop and home again without any disaster.
So you see, I have been quite blessed to have such mighty people in my life who continually inspire me to go forward. In these cold and shortened days of winter as you settle in to keep warm, I invite you to think of all those who share your journey too. Compatible Parts Inc would love to participate in your daily passage through time and tempest, storms and sunny days. Feel free to contact me any time.
Looking forward to the next adventure together,
Mary-El
On the left: Maxi and I at the University of Maryland, June 2010. It's hard to tell which leg is which, isn't it then.
On the right: Me in the parallel bars after walking my first ten steps, January 2004.
On the right: Me in the parallel bars after walking my first ten steps, January 2004.
