Hi Natalie, No, I'm not in a wheelchair now, though I have been in the past, and will probably be there again at some time in the future. I think that you're friend is right---you have to give yourself time to adjust to it. I was so happy just to be mobile on my own, that it never really upset or bothered me. It did take me a while to learn to control it though. At rehab, we were allowed, in fact encouraged, to wheel ourselves outside. I had gone out one afternoon, and put on my parking brake. Everything was just fine---or so i thought---and i just sat there enjoying the sunshine. Whenever it came time to go back inside, i released the brake, and....... started to shoot down the drive towards the main drag. Natalie, all areas of Pittsburgh are congested on a good day, no matter that you're in the suburbs on a weekend. I was screaming and terrified. A young man who had just had back surgery tried to grab me as I went by, but he was not strong enough to hold onto me and stay in his own wheelchair at the same time. So, I did the only thing that I could---I turned my wheels hard to the left, and tipped over sideways. My very first *wreck* and none the worse for wear. Nothing was hurt except my pride. My little nurses and aides started to tease me about being Evel Knievel. I begged them not to tell their superiors as I feared being confined inside, or worse, ruining the outside time for the other patients. Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself, eh?
Hugs, Grace > > > *"Grace M." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > > Hi Kevin, > > Whenever I first got sick, I lost my deep reflexes. My diagnosis is > Devic's, but of course it was the spinal lesion that paralyzed me, just as > in cases of idiopathic TM. I now have what is referred to as a *brisk* > kneejerk reflex. Not sure exactly what that means. Am going to go and look > right now. > > Grace > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________ > > > PeoplePC Online > > > A better way to Internet > > > http://www.peoplepc.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > Got a little couch potato? > Check out fun summer activities for > kids.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48248/*http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&cs=bz> > >
