Some amputees are born missing a limb, others lose their limb
because of life threatening disease, and a smaller number have
had accidents leading to amputation. In fact there are millions
of amputees out there and the reason you may not have noticed
them before is because most do not draw your attention. They
look and are just like other people, and they can do everything
they want to do. The difference is that most have had to
rearrange their lives at some point and change some of the old
ways to find new meaning and create an adjusted image of
themselves. They may also do things differently from those who
have all their limbs, but most of them can do everything that
they want to do. You might initially feel you are alone, never
having known another amputee. You might also be frightened at
the turn your life has taken. After a while though you will
realize that you have joined a strong community, and although it
is not a community you wished to join, it offers great support
and involves diverse people from