My article, “A Few Quick Tips on How I Heal” was recently published on Spinalcordinjuryzone.com
You can check it out here:
http://www.spinalcordinjuryzone.com/info/11368/a-few-quick-tips-on-how-i-heal
The Spinal Cord Injury Zone website is a not-for-profit Spinal Cord Injury educational knowledge base. The mission of SCIZ is to archive important Spinal Cord Injury news and information for education and awareness. It’s my second article in the publication.
Inspired to write this some weeks ago, I wanted to share how I got better with tips in hopes that others would follow my example and gain some recovery. Positive feedback of how I helped someone through my article is heartwarming for me. It makes me happy.
I hear similar stories of people who deep down really believe they can walk. And get up on that walker, or eventually take steps on crutches. But sometimes they are not encouraged. The other problem is not having enough insurance or no insurance. Or even the option to partake in intense physical therapy. The idea is still fairly new. Intensive recovery for people with SCI to reach their maximum potential is still not common. I can only think of four or five places in Michigan that have this type of program.
I must admit, I also wrote this out of years of built up frustration from being told my limitations. Physical therapists sometimes release patients from physical therapy too early, my physical therapist and I were talking about it. They tell them their recovery has plateaued. In fear patients will be given “false hope,” sometimes we are not given much hope at all. It happened to me. I was told I “plateaued” at different times and was released from PT.
This month is eighteen years post injury, and I’m still making progress. I’m practicing with one cane, something I was told I would never do. It’s the least amount of assistance I’ve ever needed to walk. I want to tell people, they don’t have to give up on hope for recovery. I wish for no one to be told their injury is “complete,” and their hopes for walking are dim. What is wrong with false hope? It’s better than no hope.
notwithoutgod.net 