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Contributing
As I’ve grown up, I’ve felt this growing urge to contribute, to be an adult, to be responsible. I finished college and completed my Master’s degree and hit the terrifying world of job searching. As a disabled candidate, the market is somewhat limited.
People First
Last week I had the chance to visit several people involved with disability. I met with gracious doctors and therapists from a leading rehab hospital, I spent time with the self-giving mom and caregiver of a young man with quadriplegia, and I met some new people too. All positive experiences for which I am grateful.
The Voice of Experience
Tom, looking at the responses from the Christmas blog, one realizes how just being able to write a few lines about situations that pertain to living life to the best you are capable of; blesses and encourages others immensely.
Christmas Reflections
You know that Christmas is a great time for family and friends to get together. In Julie's and my case, we cannot have family or friends with children in. The Christmases that we’ve had the children and grandchildren in, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. So, we have to have the family in only when the weather is warm. I am not sure how this affects the other quadriplegics, but some of my difficulties could be with my age.
Being Like Everyone Else
This is the time of year we reflect on being thankful, in fact I am writing this on Thanksgiving day. I reflect often that I am thankful for a lot. Even with a spinal cord injury the number of things I can do is more than the number of thing I can't do. I live independently and find ways around obstacles. Fortunately there are laws that try to reduce the obstacles we have to confront.
First Words
We've been working with a new family. Billy had a brain-stem stroke back in December of 2010. His disability is so severe that none of our technology worked for him. I talked with our clinical experts and there doesn't appear to be any equipment available – anywhere – to help him. This guy is hard. Really hard.
Small Wounds, Big Problems
I want to share an experience and information about a wound. Approximately two years, I received a fistula (skin tear), on my right inner thigh and buttocks area from a Hoyer sling. The fistula was treated by the wound care nurse at the VA, and also by a civilian doctor off and on. But it was only being treated when it would bleed. All the treatment did was treat the surface area and get it to close. My wife, who is my caregiver, even pointed out that there appeared to be a knot with the fistula.
The Importance of Every Day
So let’s talk about what every day means to you. Well to me, every day is a new day; it’s a surprise, it’s something you don’t want to miss.
Who I’d Be Today
Recently, I’ve been reflecting over my life due to reaching the 10 year anniversary of my injury back on May 19th. I’ve never seen this accomplishment or anything I’ve achieved so far as spectacular or miraculous. I agree I have done a lot and seen a lot throughout this journey, but at times, like all people I suspect, I tend to wonder what could have been.
Learning New Things
You know, we sometimes limit ourselves of the things we know and can learn because of race, ability, or just the will to learn. So I'm here to let you know that there is nothing wrong with not knowing how to do something or asking questions.
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