Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!105!41.15!Adrienne.Barhydt From: Adrienne.Barhydt@p15.f41.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Adrienne Barhydt) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: dealing with life in a chair Message-ID: <15941@bunker.UUCP> Date: 28 Nov 90 17:07:15 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Adrienne.Barhydt@p15.f41.n105.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:105/41.15 - Busker's Boneyard, Portland OR Lines: 52 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 12029 [This is from the Spinal Injury Conference] In a message of , Allen Marker (1:105/14) writes: AM>Hello. My name is allen Marker and i am a para. with a c6-7 fracture. I AM>was a guitar player in a nimber of bands and also had trained and taught AM>martial arts for 16 years. i fell off a 45 foot balcony and nailed my AM>neck on a speed bump in the parking lot. Since then i have had a hard AM>time dealing with not being able to do all the things i used to do. I AM>kind of feel like i died there because i cant play professionaly anymore AM>nor can i teach to be able to realy defend myself or others. i'm not AM>looking for pity just wondering how people can find other things to take AM>the place of everything that you had. I have never confronted this and if AM>i hadnt seen this board i probably never would have. any help or feedback AM>would be listened to and hopefully i can benifit from it. thanks for AM>listening. AM> allen hello allen, i thought i'd say hello and mention some of the ways i've been dealing with my disabilities. i hope this will be of some help to you. I am learning to focus on what i can do rather than what i can't. if i think about it, there is still far more that i CAN do than i will have time for in my entire life. I am also trying to give myself credit for my accomplishments based on my current capabilities, instead of old standards that no longer apply. I am sorting out what is most important to me and finding new ways to do those things. the past is over. i have mourned many loses but it does me no good to dwell on how things used to be. you don't mention how long it has been since your injury. i can only speak for myself but it seems like acceptance and adjustment don't happen over night and it does take an effort. but it can be done. AM>--- Opus-CBCS 1.14 AM> * Origin: Busker's Boneyard (1:105/14.0) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ are you in the portland area? i am in milwaukie. i am a point off of busker's boneyard. adrienne -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!105!41.15!Adrienne.Barhydt Internet: Adrienne.Barhydt@p15.f41.n105.z1.fidonet.org