An energetic Sicamous woman who recently had an above-the-knee leg amputation is already preparing to ride again with support from her motorcycle community. Jackie Paul, 63, is seen doing physiotherapy in a pool in this submitted photo.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Jackie Paul

An energetic Sicamous woman who recently had an above-the-knee leg amputation is already preparing to ride again with support from her motorcycle community.

Jackie Paul, 63, had her leg amputated at Royal Inland Hospital after a six-week medical ordeal last fall that she described as "horrific," returning home on Dec. 1, 2021.

Paul said she battled emotional and physical stress upon returning home, but her passion for life and fierce grit helped her get out of bed every day. She has put on muscle and much needed weight this past month. She will be fitted for a prosthetic in Kamloops this week.

READ MORE: Sicamous woman survives 'nightmare' medical ordeal that resulted in leg amputation

“I am going to walk again on Thursday,” Paul said. “I can’t believe it. I was so weak when I got back from the hospital, emotionally and physically. Every morning I would wake up and look at my wheelchair and reality would set in again. Every day I had to accept it and move forward.”

Paul has been working with a physiotherapist in a pool to build up strength and balance. Yesterday she waited for her therapist to go before jumping in and attempting a swim on her own.

“It was amazing and I felt very free,” Paul said. “I love swimming and paddleboarding and will get back out there. This is the start. It is a wonderful feeling to build up muscle again. I can still do what I love to do.”

Paul has been working hard emotionally as well.

“I don’t know if other amputees go through this,” she said. “I felt I should return to the way I was prior to the amputation. I understand now that I am just another version of me and had to let go of the idea of what I feel I should be.”

READ MORE: Third patient waited too long for an amputation at Royal Inland Hospital

Paul has been riding a motorcycle for decades and her biggest dream is to get back on her bike, a Victory King Pin she calls Pearlgirl.

She is a road captain every summer for a Shuswap group called Bikers Are Buddies. She said the biking community is a large, supportive family, and many members want to help her get riding again.

“The question right now is whether I should ride my bike or move to a trike,” Paul said. “If I go on two wheels, I have to have faith in the prosthetic to do the job of holding that bike up. I have to know how much weight it can take. I might switch the shifter to the handlebars.”

Jackie Paul's motorcycle is a Victory King Pin she calls Pearlgirl.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Jackie Paul

Paul’s first prosthetic is one she will practise with, and as she adjusts to it, a certified prosthetist will take her input and hopes for a more advanced one. Paul wants one that is flexible and waterproof enough for her to get on a paddleboard. Prostheses costs tens of thousands of dollars.

“Both of my (prostheses) are only partially covered by the government and The War Amps,” she said. “The advanced prosthetic is going to be really expensive, and they don’t last forever, you need to replace them.” 

When asked how the public responds to her missing a leg, Paul said her friends help alleviate any self-consciousness.

“My friends have given me funny shirts to wear in public,” she said. “One shirt says 'If you have to ask it was a shark.' Yes people look at me and it can be uncomfortable, but generally people are good, and I have a loving circle of people around me.”

When asked for advice on how to pull through in tough situations in life, Paul said there is always a solution.

“You have to have hope and faith you will find the answers and the way forward,” she said. “And you have to do the work. A door is always open somewhere. Every day you have a choice to pick self-pity or hope.”

Paul’s friend Megan Kitagawa has been collecting donations to help pay for the prosthetics.

"Jackie is an inspiring character who lifts others up with her humour, loving heart and courage,” Kitagawa said. “This journey has truly just begun, and we get to witness Jackie begin down the path to freedom."

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