I’ve been a little bit sick the last few days. Fatigue associated with my amputation has been a big issue, and I have needed to balance my days with brief naps. On top of that, I’ve had an upset tummy associated with my diabetes which has resulted in some unexpected vomiting.
When you live with chronic conditions or are navigating life after a major change like an amputation, your relationship with energy completely changes. You quickly realise that energy isn’t an infinite resource; it’s a strict daily currency. Some days, the bank is full. Other days—like the last few—you wake up already in overdraft.
People looking from the outside often don’t realise that amputee fatigue isn’t just about being a bit tired—sometmes it’s a massive, physical drain. When you lose a limb, your body loses its built-in efficiency. Walking with a prosthesis can actually require anywhere from 20% to over 100% more energy than natural walking.
Without an ankle or natural muscles to help push off, my hip (replaced by a fracture last year), core, and back have to work overtime to compensate. On top of that, autopilot is turned off; I have to constantly concentrate on every step, scanning for uneven ground or obstacles. When you layer diabetes on top of that—which already messes with how the body processes energy—the physical toll compounds. Your body is essentially running a low-grade marathon just doing basic tasks.
Navigating a rough patch like this has made me incredibly grateful for my current work setup. Luckily, I have a job that I can do entirely from home. Even better, I have a work arrangement, which means if the fatigue hits hard or my tummy acts up, I can log off, take a necessary break, and simply make up the hours later when I’m feeling up to it.
I know just how lucky I am. Others are not as fortunate, and managing chronic health issues while being tied to a rigid schedule or a physical workplace is an immense challenge. Having this flexibility has been a total lifesaver for preserving my health without sacrificing my livelihood.
Even with the benefit of working from home, living through a rough patch requires a lot of brutal prioritisation. I’ve had to look at my usual daily to-do list and start crossing things off without a shred of guilt.
Choosing to postpone certain things isn’t laziness—it’s survival. By saying no to the small things, I’m actively choosing to save up enough energy for the essentials.
It is incredibly easy to feel frustrated when your body forces you to hit the brakes. We live in a world that constantly tells us to keep moving, keep achieving, and push through the pain. But pushing through when you are dealing with the physical toll of an amputation and the unpredictability of diabetes is a fast track to burnout.
I didn’t expect this to be my reality, but it is. And acceptance has become my biggest strength.
These last few days, a “productive” day didn’t mean ticking off ten different errands. It meant successfully keeping down a light meal, managing a 20-minute nap that actually helped, getting my work done in comfortable blocks of time, and listening to my body when it told me to sit down.
If you are currently managing your own health battles, pacing yourself, or dealing with an unexpected flare-up, consider this your gentle reminder:
It is okay to pause. Your worth is not measured by how much you can endure without breaking.
Be kind to yourselves, conserve your energy where you can, and remember that taking a step back to rest is often the fastest way to move forward again. I’m taking things one slow, deliberate step at a time, and that is more than enough.
Resting up and missing some things now hopefully means I’ll have the energy for a few major events in the next few days, including attending the Australian Audio Awards on Thursday, the James Valentine Memorial on Friday, and interviewing an amputee who runs a gym in Western Sydney. Updates to follow.
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