what you are about. And when you know who you are, then you can embrace it.” Does that mean Amy felt grateful for not having a stomach? Of course not. She missed her body and the sense of normalcy she’d previously taken for granted. She also learned to appreciate her ability to heal—her body’s ability to overcome. Besides, what’s normal? “You realize you are normal when you realize that no one is normal,” says Amy. Instead of letting the absence of something stand in her way of happiness, Amy turned to what she did have: the desire and talent to make something good out of her experiences. Also, confidence. Even more confidence than she had before. “Once you know who you are, you can do anything you want” is the philosophy that Amy chose to live by,
T HE PERPETUA L YOU
When we connect with others, we find commonality.
instead of waiting and wondering if she was still capable of having the life she’d dreamed of as a little girl. There’s a fine line between learning from your experiences and sitting around waiting for something else to go wrong. Ultimately, compassion is about letting yourself move on. Embrace yourself; know yourself; trust yourself, and “be gentle with yourself,” says Amy. “If you really listen, you’ll know what you are ready to do.” Amy’s first chance at connection came sooner than you’d expect. While in the hospital recovering from one of her post-op surgeries, she had a nightmare, then woke
up in a dark room with an eerie feeling. Realizing she was going to go “insane if I don’t do something,” she created a match.com profile out of “desperation” for connection. Because of that decision, she met Brandon—her husband, who is now a critical part of her support network. Along with her extended family, which she describes as “amazing and supportive,” Brandon has encouraged Amy to find out who