I had a woman adapt a house for me and all. I screwed it up and wouldn't commit because I was a 24 yr old quad at the time and things were good. I had no idea what the yrs would do to me as I age. Oh well, we got to to the best we can with what we have. Everyday is a blessing in some way. I do agree with ol Don on one thing, the ability to be happy or sad is within ourselves. How we deal with our challenges determines a lot of things. Although life isn't fair and we all started the race of quadum with different support, levels of function, income levels, age at onset, therapy received and family . There is no way you can compare one person to another because we have no idea of all the factors involved. Basically the same as walking individuals cant really compare each other in any fair manner. The way I see it is take each day one by one and try to do something productive each day and it will usually build into something. Any quad that gets past the 20 yr mark has done something right.
On Thursday, May 29, 2014 9:26 PM, Larry Willis <[email protected]> wrote: Don, your reply is eloquent and passionate, not to mention brave. It is very easy to fall into despair as a quad, especially as we grow older and see friends and family members pass away and others become disabled or crippled with pain. Those of us who were injured in our teens were likely cared for by parents. Now those parents are themselves disabled or passed away. Those of us blessed to find a mate have someone to love and lean on. Sadly, many of us do not, and we lose hope and purpose at this point especially if we have been a quad for 40+ years. My mother and wife both have physical problems that make me weep. My wife, Melissa, has heart and blood pressure problems plus edema and recurring pleurisy that hangs over our heads like a dark cloud. I am causing pain and physical damage to her as she rolls and tugs me around. She can barely walk for the back pain. My mom is nearly 81. She still gets around, but I can see a difference in her nearly every day. And all I can do for both is be an added burden. I know life is precious, and I have been blessed with two beautiful kids and a 31-year job as a teacher. But at age 62, things just seem to be all downhill. Would Dr.Pausch have struggled for each new day if he knew the suffering would continually worsen and there was no end in sight? What if he faced another 30 years of suffering day-after-day the pain and misery of pancreatic cancer? I have no answer to the meaning of life much less an answer to suffering. I love my wife and family and treasure my time with them. Sometimes I just become overwhelmed with the endless problems of quadom. Then I have to blow steam or explode. Thanks to all my quad buds for letting me blow some steam. Love and blessings to all of you. Larry
