that I can be quite stubborn and obstinate, and they are right. And while those characteristics may be beneficial in some circumstances, they can—and in my case did—hinder recovery. As an example, using a wheelchair for mobility requires a certain amount of patience, attentiveness, and planning that I did not have before my injury. I was stubborn, though, and for a long time I refused to make even the simplest changes in my attitude and planning. This caused me a great deal of frustration and difficulty adapting to life post-injury.
WHEEL WORLD NEWS
August 2018
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It is that patience, attentiveness, and planning that has really been the biggest change in my life post-injury. Pre-injury, I was not much of a planner and, like other young men, did not pay close attention to my overall health and well-being. My spinal cord injury changed that, and I now pay attention to things that I would have never considered prior to my injury. For example, I am now much more aware of surfaces and activities that may be harmful to my skin and result in skin breakdown. Whenever I know that I will have to deal with those surfaces or activities, I come prepared with the appropriate cushions and/or medical devices and limit my exposure. I also regularly check my skin for any breakdown and, if it develops, treat it and patiently wait for it to heal. While I initially resisted the need to be prepared, and remain vigilant, in
something so exasperatingly annoying as “skin breakdown”, I soon realized that the extra patience, attentiveness, and planning simply allowed me to stay active and keep doing the things that I wanted.
The best advice that I believe I can give to newly injured individuals is to learn and understand all that you can about your injury and then get on with living your life. The injuries and trauma that our bodies have