New T11

[Sam.I.Am]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to say hello. I've been looking around for about a week and decided to finally join. Sick of searching through youtube videos and websites to get the same general information. I was hurt snowboarding a few months ago and landed myself with a T-11 Asia B SCI.

I'm trying to get a handle on all of this but it just seems to be to much. I'm sick of people telling me what I need to do, when I need to do it, and how. I appreciate everyone trying to help but it seems because my friends and family have google searched SCI they are suddenly experts. I know they are trying to help, but its just making me frustrated.

Did anyone else have/had this problem?

[jschism]

Who hasn't? It was harder of some of my family and friends than me.

[Sam.I.Am]

Exactly! Sorry I was kind of in a bad mood earlier! Just a discouraging day with friends and family lol. I usually have a positive outlook but it was just to much today!

[jschism]

understandable, only a few months in, it can be a bit overwhelming. Where you from?

[Sam.I.Am]

The UP of Michigan, pretty much the middle of nowhere!

[flying]

Hi there, Welcome
So are you at home, did you go to a rehab center? If you really dig through this site, then you can become an SCI expert, and tell your family and friends whats really up. Take care, and keep writing.

[Susqu]

Hi Sam. Learning how to live now will be a very steep learning curve.

As you have probably gathered, every injury and ability is very individual. The best advice I can give is not to let anyone (even dr's and therapists) tell you what you can't do. Listen to what others have done and what they've had trouble with, try things for yourself, and then decide what is beyond your ability/energy level/time constraints. etc

I figured that ANYTHING is possible, it's just a matter of whether it's worth the time, energy, or money that it would take to do it.

Also since you have a very recent injury you may still get a lot of return if you work with things. Some things I had to work on for months before I strengthened muscles or figured a way to accomplish what I wanted to do.

Mainly...don't give up, no matter how frustrating things seem.

[ZEN12many]

Hi Sam.

Welcome. "Knowledgeable" AB friends and family can be irritating especially when they haven't walked in our shoes (of course, neither do we).

[Sam.I.Am]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I'm currently finishing up inpatient rehab, should be going home by next Friday according to my doctor. I'm really excited, but scared at the same time! It will be the first time my husband and I will truly be alone with this which is very very scary. I'm not sure how I will handle being away from the nurses 24/7 care, but hopefully I will be awesome

[shveddy]

UP of Michigan and a snowboarder; did the accident happen at Mt. Bohemia, perchance?

Family, friends and acquaintances will do all sorts of annoying and sometimes hurtful things not because they want to hurt or annoy you, but because they don't know the perfect way to deal with it (but they're trying). I try to think back to how little I understood about SCI before I got hurt, and that helps me not fault them for their mistakes. I'm pretty sure I'd be reacting the same way if it were someone else.

One of my favorites, and I'm sure you'll encounter it, is when you take the time to explain to someone what happened to you and then the other person just goes on and on about how they cracked a vertebrae ten years ago and it really really hurts, though he never damaged any nerves...