Saturday, January 26, 2013

Trouble with colds and wheelchairs

I started this blog with the intentions of helping those better understand what life for someone with paralysis is, or at least have a better understanding of what my life is. That being said I think a huge misconception (one that I had before the wheels) is that if you are paralyzed it only means your legs don't work, but that is far from the truth. I believe I have touched on this before in other blogs but what I don't think many realize is the tiny things that have changed for me.


For instance last week I had (still have) a sinus infection and with that comes the sore throat, coughing, stuffy nose, and so on. Let's start with coughing, coughing is no big deal right? Well when less than half of your abs work coughing becomes a much bigger deal. See since my "level of injury is T8" that means that all muscles below my belly button don't work and the ones above my belly button are slightly weakened as well. So when I go to cough I can't get the ab contraction like everyone else to give a good solid cough. Mine all sound like a 2 year old coughed and since my abs don't work other muscles have to take their place like my neck muscles. This causes a whole new problem for me because after a week of coughing those muscles are pretty dang sore. I know most of you probably didn't even realize how much of a role your abs played in coughing. It is really incredible how important muscles that you would think have nothing to do with certain action really are.

Now on to probably the most annoying part of being sick and paralyzed is not being able to blow my nose. I am not sure if this happens to everyone but for some reason I can't put the force into blowing my nose. Any time I try to blow as hard as I can and nothing will ever come out, and sometimes it even causes me to get light headed because I blow so hard. So for the past 6 years anytime I have had a stuffy nose I just had to tough it out. For the same reasons as the coughing I can't blow my nose because of the lack of abs that I have. Sometime it can be, who am I kidding it is always incredibly frustrating to be 23 years old and unable to blow my nose. But this is my life...

I guess I am writing this not just so people can have the knowledge to know just how life changing becoming paralyzed is but also why it is so frustrating. Why we get angry and lash out at those who we love or even begin to hate who we may hold responsible for us becoming paralyzed. It is just so much to deal with and most of the time it is the little things that we can no longer do that hurts the most. Like no one told me I would no longer be able to blow my nose it was something I figured out years after the accident when I got sick. In all this is a hard life to adjust to so just give us some grace most of the time we come around and stop being so angry at the world.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

2012 Top 5

Well it is that time of the year. time for me to recap the Top 5 events that took place in 2012. Luckily 2012 was much kinder to me than 2011, so coming up with the Top 5 this year was much easier than last year. Time to jump right in it then...

5. Courage Award
   Receiving this award was a huge honor. For those who don't know refer back to my post HERE about the courage award. It is hard to explain how it feels to be honored for the work you do in the community (and truly enjoy doing). Not much more to say about it other than receiving that award will be a special moment in my life always.




4.Going to Hawaii
   Yes, going to Hawaii makes the list! I mean come on, that is a once in a lifetime type trip. I can't even begin to express what a dream it was for me to make it to Hawaii. I wish everyone could make it there at some point in their life. The pictures just don't do it justice. It truly is a paradise and if you ever have a chance to go, make it happen. The only bad thing about going there is you never want to visit another place. Not to mention it was pretty hard to get on the plane to come back home too. And now I want to go back right now..

3.Gramma being a fighter
  Who would have thought that the worst event in 2012 would make the list for best things in 2012. Well it has everything to do with the fighting spirit of my Gramma. Now hands down my Gramma's accident was the worst thing to happen but I am so thankful that she pulled through and is completely back to herself. It was one of those moments where you are reminded how fragile life is, also just how special time spent with loved ones is also.

2.Graduating
  These next two events were hard to choose between. Graduating from college, I am so proud of myself for all the hard work I put into my 5 years at Lourdes. It is hard to believe that I was able to achieve a college degree as quickly as I did with all I had going on in my personal life but some how I managed it. Because of that hard work I officially can say I am a college graduate. Although graduating means I now have to enter into the "big girl" world and that is scary. However, I solved that problem fast enough and decided to go back to school (hopefully, still no word from any schools). All in all graduating was pretty awesome and so was the party :) Find out what I am doing now HERE

1. Getting engaged
   Thats right people, getting engaged (just barely) was better than graduating from college. I don't want to gush over it too much but it was awesome. And continues to be awesome. I am a very lucky girl to have found someone so great for me. I am an even more lucky girl for getting engaged in such a perfect way too (read the post HERE). Now I just need to hope that making the number 1 spot on my list two years running won't go to Jared's head too much.


Well that is my year and as I think back on the year a big smile goes across my face. Not sure the last time that happened but it sure feels good. Hope your 2012 was just as good and hoping 2013 is even better! I know 2013 will be an unforgettable year for me.