Disabled But Healthy
By Gary Karp
September 25, 2003
The period immediately after acquiring a spinal
cord injury is anything but a time of robust vigor. It might
be marked by surgery, secondary complications, significant
dependency, debilitating treatments like chemotherapy, or the stupor
of heavy sedation. From that perspective, the notion of being healthy with a disability
sounds pretty outrageous if not entirely impossible. But spinal
cord injury is a relatively stable condition particularly compared
to the clearly progressive nature of the likes of multiple sclerosis
or ALS.
Once stable, then what's possible? How strong can you make the
muscles that you can control? How much balance can you achieve?
How healthy can you be in the context of a spinal cord injury?
Big questions. The big answer is, Far more than you can imagine
from the perspective of a recent disability.
Thanks to managed care (read with facetious tone) and the complexities
of the current insurance environment, inpatient rehab stays are
much shorter now than only ten or so years ago. Many people arrive
there soon after their injuries, often before they're medically
stable much less psychologically ready to commit to the focused
work of rehab. It used to be the place where you optimized your
strength and ability. Now, it's barely a start in that direction.
I have stretch marks on my shoulders. I'm sort of proud of them.
I got them in rehab, where they took the skinny eighteen-year-old
Gary and worked my arms and shoulders so intensely that my skin
couldn't keep up with the expansion of my muscles.
The seven weeks I spent in rehab was enough to seriously pump
me up. I also spent six weeks in acute care before rehab, eating
candy, basking in the support of visitors, and watching the Senate
Watergate hearings. Now, a T12 paraplegic like me is typically
HOME in four weeks. Thirteen weeks in 1973, four weeks now.
So when you get home from rehab, know that there is an immense,
untapped world of potential ahead of you. Much, much more capacity
to refine skills like dressing and transfers, or learning to manage
accessibility and personal assistance. These things expand your
independence, your ability to get back to the quality of life you
had before your injury or better.
So don't let the process stop just because they booted you out
of rehab. Don't let your potential go to waste because life with
a disability looks like it's going to be as horrible as you feared.
It'll only stay that way if you let your pursuit of health and
optimal strength grind to a halt.
And by the way, our mothers were right. When we brush our teeth,
drink enough water, get in the sun, eat a balanced diet, and don't
abuse sugar, alcohol, drugs, or chocolate (that's a tough one!),
life is better. It's just as true if not more in the context
of your life on wheels. |
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