mystoryisnotoveryet

Four years ago today I woke up, and I was paralysed from the waist down.

Now I don't mean my legs were asleep. I don't mean I had a really bad case of pins and needles. I mean I was paralysed. I couldn't move my legs at all. I couldn't feel or do anything that required control of ANYTHING below the belly button.

Cue the beginning of the most terrifying 24 hours ever for myself and my wife. I screamed. I screamed like a terrified child. Liss came to me, called an ambulance and made me feel a whole lot calmer. I was taken to hospital at about 8am.

By 3pm I was wheeled into surgery. I woke up many hours later asking for my wife. I was given a lemonade popsicle and told to wait. I kept asking, I couldn't wait. It turns out she'd been calling for news for more than an hour while I was in recovery before she was put through to me. I don't remember what we spoke about but I remember being comforted hearing her voice.

After we spoke I passed out again and was wheeled to neurology. It turns out that I had massively fucked up my spine on multiple levels but the next morning I had some movement back in one leg. Since then I have progressed through needing to be hoisted into a shower chair to do ANYTHING to where I am at now.

Four years on I'm able to mobilise using a single crutch for the most part at home, and only need to use the wheelchair for shopping trips and visiting friends just so there is somewhere high enough for me to sit.

The muscle weakness, nerve damage, and neurological pain have continued (the pain worsening meaning either the nerves are healing or I've potentially damaged them further through not being adequately cautious).

I've also lost just shy of 30kg since January and am continuing to lose more. My mental health is an ongoing struggle, but then again it always will be.

Here's hoping I make even more progress in the next year.

#ChronicPain #SpinalCordInjury #FootDrop #MentalHealth #mystoryisnotoveryet #Depression #PTSD