Posted 2018-09-14T01:25:08Z

The Great Equalizer

One of my observations while rehabbing is how spinal cord injuries seem to be an equal opportunity discriminator. Sure, it's mostly younger males* (see below for an original bad joke), but we're a pretty diverse group: all socioeconomic sectors are represented, from blue collar to CEO, and everything in between. What has also struck me is the diverse manner in which each of us injured our spinal cords. While there is a unsurprising prevalence of motorcycle, bicycle and motor vehicle accidents, there is a surprising number of freaky one-off mishaps, including falling off of a deck while throwing a watermelon rind onto the compost heap, trampoline accidents, Slip 'n Slide catastrophes, infections, and spinal cord strokes, to name but a few. Without fail it strikes randomly and in a flash, and leaves its victims temporarily stunned and laid low. But the human spirit is more resilient than the delicate fibers of the spinal cord, and before very long the will to live and make the most of what is left asserts itself. I've witnessed it in myself and every one of my compatriots: we arrive dazed, weak, and utterly demoralized, but as the weeks go by the eyes become clearer, the practiced maneuvers more certain, and the spirit brighter.

But what other choice is there? To give up, to stop trying? Even a pulled weed grows back if just a tendril of its root is left in the ground. It's the nature of all life to persist, hang on, adapt if needed, and survive at all costs. And so while we all appreciate being told how brave we are, what incredible spirit we've shown, I also feel a bit sheepish from the compliments, as I have no doubt whatsoever that any one of you, if faced with this or a similar challenge, would rise to the occasion as we all have tried to do.

All this I've learned from the group of patients with whom I was admitted around the same time. We're all in the same corner of the floor, and have bonded in a surprisingly close way. Our injuries all fall under the same category, but vary in their location and severity. My 23 year old heavily tattooed neighbor from West Virginia had multiple spinal fractures, a splintered femur that protruded from his skin and a collapsed lung, and yet it was only a sliver of his lumbar spinal cord that was damaged, and he will almost certainly regain enough function to walk before much longer. The 30-something year old good ole boy from rural Alabama on the other side of my room sustained a high cervical injury, and is now trying to figure out how to make a living and support his wife and children as a quadriplegic. Despite these and other differences, we have found common ground and supported each other during the gaps between therapy sessions, meals and workouts. It's pretty wonderful, and I'll miss every one of them.

Last night I was able to watch a wheelchair rugby practice in the gym on the ground floor of Shepherd. There I witnessed an incredible display of athleticism, strength, and spirit. Most of the players were paraplegic or partial quadriplegics, but one man in particular stood out. This young man had suffered the loss of both arms above the elbows, and both legs above the knees. But the most remarkable thing about him was not his physical appearance but rather his speed and dexterity as he glided across the floor, passing, catching, pivoting on a dime, and generally leaving others in his dust. I went back to my room in awe of how these men have transcended their injuries and are thriving at a level I can only dream of achieving. But it didn't seem so far out of reach that I couldn't imagine myself returning to the road on a hand bike or getting back to working out at the local Y.

We had a wonderful time hanging out this past weekend with Rodney Young and Mandi Smith who drove from Staunton to lift our (and drink some) spirits, as well as Jim and Betsy Vance who flew down from New Jersey. Jim and Betsy were along on the ill-fated bicycle ride with me, and Jim was not far behind me as I was catapulted through the ditch alongside the road I inexplicably deviated from. Had he been in front of me Lord knows how long it would have been until someone discovered my broken body. He called 911 and stood by as I waited to be scraped up and taken away for mending. It was therapeutic, I think, for both of us to rehash our memories of the accident and leave it behind us once and for all.

My discharge from inpatient rehab has been moved ahead to Monday to give us a bit more time to get our transfers down pat, and for my bowels to step it up. With any luck my next message will be from the outpatient realm (and shorter).

*Q: Why are there so few women with spinal cord injuries?

A: Because you rarely hear a woman say, "Hey y'all, watch this!"

Stay in the know. Sign up to receive email notifications the moment new Journal entries are posted