Therapy

Writings from the wheelchair, subject of the day is therapy. Whether you are recovering from an illness or a traumatic injury, the start of your road to recovery will begin with therapy. Whether you are expected to make a full recovery or are going to be left with some limitations therapy will have a direct impact on the end results. Keep in mind the individuals that you will be working with in speech, occupational, or physical therapy have been to school for lengthy periods of time and have had much training in their specialty. Personal experience has shown me they have your best interest and recovery in their hearts and on their mind.

In the beginning of the recovery from my automobile injuries I had lots of questions. I began my road to recovery doing therapy on an inpatient basis. I started off the beginning of every therapy session ahead of my therapist. My physical therapist was trying to get me to learn how to walk with a walker and I was asking when we could try walking with a cane. My speech therapist was having me do vocal exercises and eating ice chips I said just give me a glass of water and I will drink small amounts at a time. When the occupational therapist had me putting pegs into holes I was asking for the pencil so I could write. Now don't get me wrong, I was not just being hardheaded, I was recovering from a traumatic brain injury and was not living in reality.

The long and short of it is in the unlikely event you find yourself having to go to therapy. Do yourself a favor, listen to you therapist and follow the directions. The therapist has the education, training and experience to help you get the most out of the recovery.

Common Sense

I was online reading as usual and I stumbled across an article about a man in a wheelchair being hit by a car in Sacramento County in California. The article said the man was outside the marked cross walk in the wheelchair that had no reflectors and could not be seen by the driver. Being the inquisitive person that I am I typed in my search engine man in wheelchair hit by car, you would not believe the amount of results that turned up. In St. Petersburg, a man in a wheelchair was hit and killed by an on-duty police officer. It mentioned in the article that the man was wearing dark clothing and could be seen by the police officer. The police officer was riding in the southbound lane and the man in the wheelchair was on the shoulder of the road going in the same direction.

I use a wheelchair and in the beginning stages of the recovery from my TBI I used to ride my wheelchair in the dark on the road.   At that time I did not have any reflectors on my wheelchair. It is a miracle that I was never run over. As time has gone on my recovery has progressed, I have gained common sense that for so long eluded me. I sport reflectors on my electric wheelchair now and stay off the road when it is dark.

People who use wheelchairs should not expect preferential treatment on or off the road. If you're going to ride your wheelchair on the road you should obey all the rules and laws that a pedestrian must abide. Whether you are walking, riding a bicycle or using a wheelchair a little common sense could save you from a serious injury, the loss of your life or being the cause of a debilitating or fatal accident for another person.