Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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3 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J U N E 2 0 1 5 • After the amputation. I worked hard at rehabilitation to overcome the limitations the experts said I would have. I was told about all the things I wouldn't be able to do, simple things like tying a tie. I'll never forget this well-meaning hospital volunteer who was also an amputee telling me in my hospital room that you can't tie a tie one-handed. "You'll never be able to tie your tie again. It can't be done one-handed. Believe me, I've been trying for 25 years," he told me. "You'll need to use a clip-on." In 2 months, I was tying my own tie one-handed. I'm also an avid runner and enjoy golf, 2 of the things people told me would be impossi- ble after my surgery. • Consistent persistence. The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. If you combine that belief with consistent persistence, somewhere deep down you have the gumption, you have the courage, you have the fortitude to make things better. Don't quit on anything unless you try it 3 times. You might not reach that goal, but you'll come a lot closer than the average person if you contin- ue to go at it. • Overcoming obstacles. As a result of losing my arm, I've got this tremendous opportunity now of going around the country as a motivational speaker. I get to talk to people about overcoming obstacles. If I can help people see that there's light at the end of the tunnel, and that sometimes bad things happen that result in very good future endeavors, then I want to get that message out to everybody. Whatever your obstacle, believe you can overcome it. Set a goal and do some- thing every day to get closer to reaching that goal. So many people feel like they're victims, and they're waiting. Why wait? What are you doing to better yourself? • Remember the 4 F's. Faith, family, friends and fortitude. The human spirit is tougher than anything that can happen. Why do we wait until a crisis situation to call on the spirit that's in every one of us? Tough times don't last. Tough peo-