Life From a Sitting-Down Perspective

I remember thinking that my life was over because I was paralyzed. I thought that because I was in the chair I would not be able to go anywhere or do anything without it being a huge chore, let alone have a successful and happy life. I have since learned that things are a bit more difficult due to the paralysis, but it is by no means a life-ender!

Honestly, if I could go back and change anything that happened in my past I would not. While I don’t like all the stress and heartache my family and I had to go through, if I had not gone through all that I have I would not be who I am today. I have grown very much as a person through all of my experiences. Most of all, as I said before, I feel that I have learned what is truly important in life and how to best enjoy it. Moreover, I would not have been able to write this book and hopefully help many people through it.

Many things I have learned over the years that I would like to share, and that I hope will help:

There are many medications that come with paraplegia, depending on the level and the severity of the injury. I now take an overactive bladder medication every day as well as an antibiotic to prevent any bladder infections. Without these medications, I could become incontinent. I also take two different types of pain pills every day: a painkiller and a muscle relaxer. I also take vitamins every evening. In tip number eleven I have my medication list and explanations.

Pill packs are very helpful in pill organization and scheduling. There are many different types available, separated both by days and by times of the day, depending on how many sections are needed. I also keep a small bottle of various pills in the bag on my chair in case I ever need extra while I am away from my house.