8
My advice for a newly injury person is to be an advocate for self and not gie up.
The pros and cons of being injured back in the ’80s are that even though much of the technology that is available today that help stabilizes a reduce the severity of acute injuries were not around yet, however, back then you got to actually go to inpatient rehab for several months. I feel that is a real key time to help both you and your family and loved one's transition to this new way of life.
Some of it was frustrating for me since I was a paralyzed 16-year-old in a facility that was basically full of geriatric hip and knee replacement patients. I took it upon myself to remedy the situation by bringing in my own weight bench to augment the strength therapy, and often during the times I was supposed to be in occupational therapy doing tasks that may of the stroke patients were doing, instead, I had friends come break me out so we could go out and do real world OT!
Discharge from rehab was both an exciting and scary day. The prospect of freedom and returning home and to “normal” life was palpable; however, the reality of functioning without the help of others in my newly paralyzed body, and heck, to do most things independently, was a daunting task, to say the least. That was probably the most challenging of times, and to do it all in concert with friends and family that all had the best intentions and concerns created a fine balance that took years to smooth out. But smooth out they all did, as these things tend to do.
For me, the transition into “normal life”, and what I have always considered to be the great equalizer for those folks in my situation, was sports. I played basketball when able-bodied so it very natural that within 3 months of my injury when I was introduced to a local basketball team, I jumped right in. Those early years playing basketball was also some of the best “rehab” I experienced. Basically, spending time with guys in chairs that were injured for many years not only gave me great excitement and optimism for the future, but you also learn all those “tricks of the trade” and real-life lessons and techniques that you do not learn in rehab or hospitals.
The sport was also the vehicle for me which has led to almost every positive aspect and life transition I have had in these past 30 years. Playing basketball opened up the opportunity to move from a small town in Pennsylvania and attend college at Temple University in Philadelphia where I played basketball and earned my undergraduate degree. I got involved with wheelchair racing and that gave me the opportunity to travel the country competing in national events. When my years of racing competition was through, I began riding hand-cycles for recreation since that sport allows you to ride side by side with your able-bodied peers for long and fast rides, just like before your injury. Of course, I was driven to be successful in that sport and to be competitive. I decided I needed to live in a warm climate, so I moved across the country to Arizona in order to train year round, but also used graduate school as my “landing pad”, and earned my Master’s degree in Neurophysiology at the U of A.
Continued...