A lot of people have asked me why I don’t wear a prosthetic arm.

The truth is, I used to wear one. I still have a bag of prosthetic arms in my closet. The smallest one is sized for an infant, and the largest is from elementary school. The earlier models are less advanced and look more like claws than hands. The newer models are much more realistic, and you can even paint the fingernails. I can’t imagine how much more technologically advanced prosthetic limbs have become since then.

But, I hated wearing a prosthetic arm. In second or third grade, I started putting my arm in my desk when I got to school. One time, I even left it out on the playground at recess. My teacher told my parents during a parent-teacher conference.

I thought they’d be mad, but they just wished I’d told them sooner how much I disliked wearing the arm. After that, I never got another prosthetic.

For some people, prosthetic limbs are life-changing. They have a lot of benefits, cosmetically and physically. A prosthetic limb can be the difference between walking and needing to use a wheelchair.

So, please hear me: this post is not meant to denounce prosthetics. It’s only meant to explain why they weren’t for me. And here are five reasons I’d rather let my little arm be free.

1. My prosthetic arm was heavy.

I have a problem with textures. I won’t wear sweaters or other materials because they irritate my skin. For me, a prosthetic arm had the same effect. It irritated me. It was heavy and I didn’t like the way it rubbed against my little arm.

2. It got in the way.

My prosthetic arm was cumbersome. I didn’t like carrying it with me on my arm, or even in my backpack. It got in the way of doing things.

3. I’d already learned how to do everything with one arm.

Even though I’d always had a prosthetic arm, when I was at home, I didn’t usually wear it. I learned how to do everything with one arm, not with two arms. I always say I don’t know what I’d do if I had two arms, and this proves it: even when I wore my prosthetic arm, I still did everything with my left.

4. Even if I wanted to use it, my prosthetic arm required too much patience.

I know prosthetics have advanced a LOT since I was in elementary school, but my prosthetic arm took way too much time to use. In order to open and close the hand, I had to put pressure on two different buttons on the inside of the arm. The hand opened and closed in what would basically be considered slow motion. I’m sure I could’ve used more practice with patience, but this drove me crazy.

5. I can do more without it.

At the end of the day, I don’t use a prosthetic because I think I can do more without it. But every person is different. What works best for me doesn’t necessarily work best for the next girl with one arm.

Whether you have two arms or one, whether you wear a prosthetic arm or prefer to go without, never forget this simple truth: you are a onederfully created child of God.

Love,
Becca