Thursday, January 16, 2014

Incredible abilities in spite of adversity!

Tonight I felt the need for a clarification.
Since although I am not paralyzed I did have the privilege of working as a volunteer at the rehab that I did go to when I needed them, thirteen times over the years, the fourteenth was elsewhere, but the fifteenth will be there again. And so in between my needing them I did go back to help them as well. While I was there I made friends with a young man in his twenties, at the time I was in my late forties. The man who happened to be a paraplegic told me how it happened to him.
He was working at the time, after attending Georgetown University and receiving his degree in his field of physical therapy and also as a trainer, he would set up programs for dignitaries in Washington D.C., which he had quite a nice clientele by his early to mid twenties; he twenty-eight when I met him.
He was still a kid, although, making a very nice income, enough to afford a condo there, and in a very lovely building that had a roof that could be utilized for parties or what-have-you... He and one of his buddies decided to rough house and he fell off of the three story or more roof, this was a while ago! The most upsetting thing to him and his family was that his father, who was an emergency room physician was out of the country at the time!They were both from Port Charlotte, FL, here, that is.

The young man and I used to talk incessantly, yes, taking turns, about everything under the sun and he would workout for his upper body strength which was amazing and was the reason he could lift his now hefty body in and out of his wheelchair.

One day he asked me if I would like to go up to St. Pete to see the King Tut exhibit. He knew I missed museums having been to many all over the country and Europe when a younger woman and having studied History of Art as well.

Hubby was very receptive and our younger son was going, at that time, to USF in Tampa and so I thought I could stop by for quickie visit with him as well and see if he would have the time to join us. But he said that he could not, he had a class, but came out to the truck that I was driving at the time; our two ton four door Silverado 1996, new one. It was so we could tow our thirty-five foot fifth-wheel camper that we had at the time at the time. Then it was before the turn of the century, probably 1998-99-ish. Hubby had use of the patrol car then, but only in town. At the university hospital, I had wanted to show him around at that time, since I was seeing one of the Rheumatologists there who had a research grant for Fibromylgia experimental medications and I had been a guinea pig, but I was doing very well then...
And Scott, was this fellow's name, was thinking about going back to college for a degree in psychology to become a counselor. I had suggested it to him, due to his great attitude about his situation.

Well, after I got his chair out of the bed of the truck. You see, I was pretty well at that 
time and he was able to hop off the truck's high seat to get into it... we walked and rolled around the hospital, which is part of the university, just off campus, the rest we drove around, but he had seemed discouraged with the vast terrain for his maneuverability, he was in a lightweight wheelchair, even then, but totally manual.
After, the visit to the hospital he had a bit of difficulty getting back into the truck and so I did try to help him, but found myself concerned with hurting him, he kept reminding me that he couldn't feel anything and had no pain!

And that is why I wrote all this... Scott who did go back for his degree in psychology I was told but at the University of Miami... had tremendous strength without any pain with his paraplegia... We continued to see each other at the rehab whenever I was there and enjoyed talking and talking...Unfortunately though, I relapsed within three months after that and that is when I became a patient instead of a volunteer once again...

So now with my problems there is a difference, I have much pain, and that is the simplistic difference that many cannot understand...It does not lessen any of Scott's accomplishments, which were many.

PS the exhibit was excellent and we even ate dinner out and still came home early enough for Hubby not to worry at all. Although, even then I had a cell phone and he and I kept in communication, when we needed to... he was a worrier then too.


That's all...  

On that note, know that memories teach us things by experience and some are more vivid than others. So I will always share, and allow me now to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask all of you to count all your blessings and share those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!   

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