Before therapy and after therapy.
Today was a very good day compared to the last couple of months. Everything has seemed to just go wrong for my family and I, from four family members dying to finding out I have a severely broken dislocated hip. (One of those family members happened to be my momma.) Of you follow this blog you have read through all of my struggles and my sorrows, it's time to start looking forward instead of backwards. I'm so ready to see where this life leads me and my story of courage, strength, and faith. So as of today I'm going to be turning the page.
The town that I live in today is a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business. The population is around 3,400 people, it may seem like a lot but I promise you it's not. There's only two people who have a spinal cord injury Sommer and myself. As with most small towns the physical therapist is not trained to deal with such a high injury level nor do they have the right type of equipment to be able to properly handle a quadriplegic such as myself. I go to physical therapy twice a week for an hour or so depending upon the schedule. The only thing they normally do is stretch me, put me on my elbows and do some minor arm exercises. It's okay for now because I really need to be stretched right now, everything is tight from no therapy for the about three years I lived in Missouri.
The town that I live in today is a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business. The population is around 3,400 people, it may seem like a lot but I promise you it's not. There's only two people who have a spinal cord injury Sommer and myself. As with most small towns the physical therapist is not trained to deal with such a high injury level nor do they have the right type of equipment to be able to properly handle a quadriplegic such as myself. I go to physical therapy twice a week for an hour or so depending upon the schedule. The only thing they normally do is stretch me, put me on my elbows and do some minor arm exercises. It's okay for now because I really need to be stretched right now, everything is tight from no therapy for the about three years I lived in Missouri.
Such a cute face ?
Today was different in therapy for unknown reasons, I could tell that something was going to be different. I can't tell you the why and reasons I felt that way other than God. We got me on the mat and done our usual stretched and getting on my elbows while on my stomach. I was beginning to think that I was wrong to think that this day would be any different. That's when it happened, Taylor got a good idea. Let's sit me up on the edge of the mat and work on my trunk some. Sure, I have done it before with them but I was always kinda awkward doing it. I could do it but for very short periods of time. Today I was able to sit up unassisted for about thirty minutes! I was able to keep my balance as I put my hands out in front of me one at a time. I could lean back some then be able to sit myself back up without help. I honestly wish I could have had a camera going to be able to document my therapy today. It was awesome. I was able to move my torso around in circles and not loose my balance.
I have so much potential to regain control over my body compared to all of the other C3 quadriplegics I have seen. I have so much sensation through out my body, it may not be the same sensation as a person without a spinal cord injury but it's sensation. I know that the sensation that I have that my signals are getting through my spinal cord even the damaged parts. I know one day I will be able to stand up out of this wheelchair and say I defeated my paralysis. It may take years but I know one day I will succeed, with help from God.
I know that this therapy place cannot give me the kind of treatment that I truly need but with everything that's going on and going to happen it's a start. I know that when I get my hip fixed it will be a small setback because any surgery has setbacks but once everything bad healed and I'm ready to go again I can branch out to find the kind of therapy that I truly need. It's a start in the right direction anyway.
I have so much potential to regain control over my body compared to all of the other C3 quadriplegics I have seen. I have so much sensation through out my body, it may not be the same sensation as a person without a spinal cord injury but it's sensation. I know that the sensation that I have that my signals are getting through my spinal cord even the damaged parts. I know one day I will be able to stand up out of this wheelchair and say I defeated my paralysis. It may take years but I know one day I will succeed, with help from God.
I know that this therapy place cannot give me the kind of treatment that I truly need but with everything that's going on and going to happen it's a start. I know that when I get my hip fixed it will be a small setback because any surgery has setbacks but once everything bad healed and I'm ready to go again I can branch out to find the kind of therapy that I truly need. It's a start in the right direction anyway.
I have decided that to further document my progress as well as my story I will go ahead and purchase my camera. I was already going to get the camera for my photography but I never have a camera when I need or want one. I have so many ideas to do with my photography so why not just go ahead? There's going to be so many events coming up in the near future that I'm going to want to document from the baby shower to every milestone in the baby's first couple of months. I don't want to miss unable to document them for future reference.
I have been through so much throughout the seven years with this paralysis and over came those things that I want to share them with everyone; the good, the bad, the ugly and my pain, my sorrows and my joy. I know that someone out there can relate to the things I'm going through and if I can help one person all this will be worth it.
I have been through so much throughout the seven years with this paralysis and over came those things that I want to share them with everyone; the good, the bad, the ugly and my pain, my sorrows and my joy. I know that someone out there can relate to the things I'm going through and if I can help one person all this will be worth it.
The young woman I was becoming that cold February morning died that day. I was becoming a brat that was going to be trouble in her future. I honestly believe that if I had stayed on the path I was heading I would be a teen mom. Our God works in mysterious ways. He took this tragic accident and turned the tables around for me to be able to blossom into this beautiful young woman I've become. He has set up my life to help someone else dealing with these same struggles I'm going through. I'm grateful for God for allowing me to live to serve him and to be able to share my story with the world.
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