Author: MJT
Making the Most of Your Life in a Wheel Chair
Life is great, isn't it?
It is not perfect, but it is great if you choose to make it this
way. If you go looking for a person who
has been in perfect health from the day he/she was born, you will find one of
two things: (1) a liar or (3) a miracle.
The probability is much greater for the first option. In today's modern age, we have become much
more aware of the needs of handicapped and disabled persons, especially those
in wheel chairs. Sure, it would be wonderful if we were all completely
able-bodied, but it's an imperfect world we live in, and we are housed in
imperfect bodies. Life in a wheel chair
can be challenging, yes. Nevertheless,
it can also be very rewarding, busy, happy and productive. It is you that will make this choice.
In wheel chair things look different than if you were on
your own two feet. Everyone is taller
than you are. Sometimes people don't see
you and actually stumble over you. A
wheel chair ramp that's a little too steep can make you gulp. Well-meaning people want to push you or do
things for you that you can do for yourself to help maintain your sense of
independence and self-esteem. Unless you
can afford a car that has been specially equipped for those in wheel chairs,
you have to depend upon friends for rides or special public
transportation. How do you acquire your
weekly groceries? It sure would be nice
to go to the beach or the mountains occasionally. It may surprise you to know that even in a
wheel chair, you can accomplish all these things!
Focusing on What You CAN Do in a Wheel Chair
People of all ages who have been able-bodied all their lives
are understandably angry, frightened, frustrated and lose hope when an accident
or illness limits them to life in a wheel chair. Your condition may be temporary,
such as a spinal cord injury that is expected to improve during a period of
intense physical therapy and avoiding weight bearing on your legs via crutches,
casts and spending several months in a wheel chair. Of course, some conditions
are permanent, causing irreversible paralysis of the lower limbs. This is always bad news. However, the news could be even worse if you
refuse to gracefully accept your limitations and make the very best life for
yourself in a wheel chair.
Many people who live productive lives in a wheel chair
consider their physical limitations to be a physical characteristic of their
bodies, having little or nothing to do with who they really are as people. They hold jobs, they raise families, they
contribute to their community and their country, and they are as financially
and physically independent as they could possibly be.
If you are living
your life to the fullest in a wheel chair, you don't need to be coddled, no one
needs to feel sorry for you, and you can live an independent and fulfilled
life.
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