Now we are talking! You have every right to be bad, frustrated, and upset! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img] Your world has been ripped apart and turned upside down. Pain is not the main issue. This is a war you will not loose. Other issues? What are your battle plans?






6/30 - 1.5 mi. in 18' 10"

7/06 - 1.5 mi. in 20' 35"

 

I think there's a way to keep your current policy. It will cost you more though. I'd check into it.

 

LW is right, you must do your exercise, but at this point in your rehab, you need to take it easy. the goal is to maintain flexabilty and tone, but not build muscle yet. Just keeping as much of your ablilty to move, bend etc is your goal for now. In time you can increase the workouts for endurance.
As far as insurance companies. I put them right there on my list.. right behind lawyers. Talk about scum sucking bastards. they take your money for years, and when you have a catastophic accident, they drop you like a hot potato. They sure didn't have any problem finding uses for your premiums up to now.
It is REAL important that you maintain insurance coverage. If you have a lapse for any reason, you will find it impossible to get coverage EVER until you are medicare age. I have diabetes caused by an antibiotic treatment I recieved.. that pretty much cancels me for any possibilities of getting insurance ever again. thank Goodness I am covered as a retired veteran.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]Bitchy
I had a similar experience 35 years ago, when I was about 30. The only
difference was there were no quads then, but there were snowmobiles. The
situation is similar though, going to fast and not seeing a stump. I was in
pain for a number of years. I sold the snowmobile the next spring, and
have rode some since but rarely. Mostly to go ice fishing. Moderate speed.
The reason they are all too fast, and if I happened to have a few beers I
know I would push the envelope. In the normal thinking mode though I
am still scared of the speed. I now have quads but when I am out on it,
and I love it, I don't jump, speed, or mud. I love to ride and look at all
the nature around me. You may have some fear afterward, and if you
don't then you will eventually injure yourself again, and it will be a long
life if you a parapalegic or quadrapalegic for 30 or 40 years. I am 65 now
and plan on atving for another 20 hopefully living that long. I hope you
do the same. Priorities change.

 

downeaster, Thanks for your imput, Yes things do change, and for me things have changed like no other this year, and I rode my wheeler this past weekend for the first time since the accident, and it was a little scary, but at the same time I am still happy I can ride it (not being paralized). I think I will forever ride a lot more cautious, and after all this I do look at life differently, I hope I never have to go threw that again and I don't want to have another injury again in my life!!!!!!
Yes insurance is up there with lawyers, they take all they can get, but don't want to ever help you out. I still have my health insurance, I just lost my job working at an auto/home agency, I'm looking for a new job, but not able to lift things over 20 lbs yet, and I have been told the first 6 months of the surgery is the most critical, so I have to keep that in mind. I don't know what else could go wrong in 2006. I know I have to keep my current health insurance so if something else were to happen it'd be covered, so with all that said LW I don't know what my battle plans are besides crawling under a rock.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Bitchy
Your head is in the right frame of mind. You now can surely visualize how the injury
affects your life in more ways, than you could have imagined. Pain, cost, love
life, work etc are all connected. The pain could last you the rest of your life, and
you may have good days, and then bad. I took no chances, I unfortunately was
in the service, and if I didn't go back to work in 60 days it meant discharge. I
went back to work, and worked in intense pain for the next year. I on the other
hand did nothing that I thought may reinjure myself again. My back healed and
I have zero pain, and am completely normal now. We do injure ourselves foolish
ly though, as I have had two broken achilles tendons and broken bicep muscles
since. Each time I was lifting something an ordinary man shouldn't lift alone.
This was my fault. You have to be careful of the same foolish mistakes us men
make. My thoughts are with you, and I sincerely hope you use a lot of judgement
calls for the next year. There is plenty of time for play once you get healed up.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Thanks for the encouragement, and I have been told many times it will get better, but for me right now, it's hard to believe, I can see slight changes for the better, but still tying my shoes are difficult, and cause pain if I try to bend over to tie them while my foot is still on the floor. Doc says I will only lose 3-5% movement which I think he's full of you know what, unless I regain a lot of movement, I guess time will tell, and I have to keep telling myself "This too shall pass" - Dragginbutt, it has became my new motto, I think about it a lot, and try to laugh as often as I can til I cry. It is bound to get better, don't think my life right now could get much worse, but I'm blessed to have the friends, family, and loved ones, and you all on here who care as much as they do about me, and are there for me every step of the way [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Thanks to all!!!!

 

Wow!!! I just found this thread and you all are amazing folks. Hang in there Bitchy!!! You have great support for sure here. In fact, I am going to pass the website and thread info to my good friend Becky because she is going through the same issues. She shattered her L2 vert in a buggy accident just before the New Year. This weekend she really was bummed out and crying because she just wants to be normal again and be off of the pain med's. We always try to keep her focused on the positives like the fact she even walks, but I'm sure that only goes so far. Reading this thread helped me to get a better insight to what she is going through in her mind and to fully understand how long this will take. She is very subborn which perhaps has lead to all of her successes to this point and will ultimately help her get to where she needs to be, but at times is her worst enemy.

Hopefully, I can get her to read this thread, you all are great and good luck!!!

 

Come on Girl, feel the love....we will get through this together. You are still having a lot of time to think about what you can't do and are asking why these things are happening to you. Try concentrating on what you CAN do, and don't look for answers. Bad stuff happens to good people too remember?. Focus on that. Remember the pain is temporary, and it does not rule your life. You bend a little, it pushes back. Who wins the contest? Did you get your shoes tied? You did baby... Hah, you beat the monster. Give it a name, hate it, you have to want to beat it every time it rears it's ugly head. One victory at a time. One day at a time.... One door closes, another opens remember? Positive..Positive Positive!
When I broke my back, I thought my world had come to an end laying there in traction, and after release, litterally months of therapy, and now years later, I am off meds, and only when I do something stupid do I get a reminder... and I can't rule out my age being the cause either... so it gets better.
Up to now, we have been trying to get you to focus on one day at a time... Now for phase two. Start looking long range. What are your dreams, wishes etc. You need to concentrate on that. Set your goals. Make them wild and lavish, dream big.. anything to get your mind off the immediate.
Sounds like work is on your mind right now. Hmm.. that is a tough one, because from an employer persepctive, you represent a high risk while you are healing. But that is just a bump in the road.. You do have to attack it with a good attitude, and don't let the perspective employer think it rules your life. WIth that in mind, you have to get to the point in YOUR mind that YOU are in control of this. Not sure you are there yet.. but you will get there. I see flashes of the real YOU coming out... You are getting there, just keep pushing and believe in yourself.
I know I am being a little harsh, and am pushing a little. I do this to get your thought processes in shape for the next phase in your life. We have to get past the part where the pain and suffering, and the past are the focus, to the point where your future and life goals are what you are concentrating on. You already know the benefits of winning the small battles that most people take for granted. Time to get focused. I promise you, that once your mind is working on other things, and you use your talents to solve other problems etc, your pain will become less of a burdon, and it will cease to run your life. Some people take a long time to learn this. Some never do... but we are right there with you all the way.

 

Faster250r, Yes try to get your friend that was in the buggy accident to get on here and read this, and if she's not signed up yet, get her on here so she can post with us. It's not at all easy to deal with a broken back, but it does S L O W L Y get better as hard as it is to believe with the pain. I have had my good day's, bad days, and worst days, and hell of days, but I try my best to keep positive and live my life to the fullest!!!!! If nothing else if she wants a girl to talk to who is in the same situation she can email me at LNS1979@aol.com, I'd be more than happy to talk to her, and try to cheer her up the best I can who knows maybe should could even give me a positive outlook on things, along with what everyone says here who have help me.
DB, I try to keep positive and you know as well as I do a few months after yours happened, I'm sure you know how hard it is to be positive. But your words, and thoughts have helped. It has made me look at my life and this world a lot different, some for the worst and some for the better.
Yes I have a lot on my mind right now, with my back, the jobs, what I can't do, what I might be able to do in a few months from now, I do see small changes as the days go by, like fasters friend I just wish I had my old body back and be able to move and be as active as I was before, I forgot how nice that was, but have to keep in mind one of these days I will !!!!!!!!

Take care everyone.