A milestone passed

A milestone passed recently and most never knew. I was disabled fifty years on December 2, 2017.

On that morning I wasn't feeling well and had been on tranquilizers for a couple of weeks. I had an appointment with the family doctor to try to get off of them. The tranquilizers caused a dizzy spell at work and I almost fell.

That morning, I was washing up before my appointment. When I finished, I picked up the dirty clothes from the floor and put them in the hamper. When I stood back up, I got dizzy and fell. My right shoulder hit the bathtub, but I was okay. I stood back up. But, I got dizzy and fell again backwards. My head hit something before I hit the floor.

I lost consciousness and had an out of body experience. A white light was in front of me and someone asked if I wanted to come with them. But, I kept looking at the floor where I was lying. The voice said to either come, or go back. When I didn't answer, the voice asked again whether I wanted to come, or go back. I finally said, "Go back", and instantly I was back on the floor and again conscious.

I couldn't feel anything or move any part of my body. My speech was slurred and it sounded like my mouth was stuffed with cotton. It sounded like I'd had a stroke.

My father and sister assisted me to my feet and lifted, and dragged me to my bed. I still couldn't move or feel anything. I was taken by ambulance to the local ER and then to a hospital in the nearest larger city.

In the ER x-rays were taken, and my head was sutured. Then, I was put in ICU for seventy-two hours. I laid there wondering what happened, and how bad I might be hurt. ICU was lonely and I could only see my parents fifteen minutes every four hours.

I spent ten more days in the hospital, a week of which was spent in bed. Because of the head injury, I was not allowed to get up. Tests were done and I rested in bed..

When they finally got me up, I could step and walk with my left leg. I did my best to pull my right leg along as I went. I made trips up and down the hall whenever my parents helped me.

My father scheduled a day to come to the hospital and talk to the neurosurgeon. Though my dad waited all day, and neurosurgeon never showed. The neurosurgeon, felt I had brain swelling that was causing my paralysis and speech problems. He thought the swelling went down, I would improve. Though I wanted to believe that, I couldn't.

I went home to a house with stairs, and no wheelchair. I had no therapy and neither my parents or I knew how we would handle the new me.

I started walking holding onto furniture. Six weeks later the neurosurgeon admitted he was wrong about my diagnosis. He decided I'd suffered a spinal cord injury and sent me to an orthopedic surgeon. I went through a right leg brace, a right hand splint, physical therapy, occupational therapy, walking, and twice a day physical therapy done by my parents.

Somehow I made it up the stairs and down for the next five years. Then, we moved to a one floor house. I walked better, but never well, and never fast.

For fifteen years I walked unsteadily and slowly.. I stopped because trying to walk caused me to fall,, hit my head, and have too many concussions. I decided I wanted to keep the mental faculties I still had.

I used a wheelchair and stood to do things in between. Walking was minimal and pretty much confined to home, or walking with a family member, friend, or caregiver.

I've spent the last twenty-one years plus in three different nursing homes. A month ago this third nursing home told me I could no longer stand to transfer with assistance. Since then, a Hoyer is used to transfer me.

Even though the fifty years were challenging, I've learned a lot about myself and the people around me.