Life of a wheelchair user is same as that of any other
person with just a few changes in it. I can say this because I am myself on a
wheelchair and have just made a few changes in my lifestyle. Basically, I have
started to live a little more healthier than I used to do before, just because
I need more upper body strength then other people.
As I say this, it has not been that easy of a journey for me
also. My actual journey has been a lot difficult with countless visits to the doctors,
rehabs and home remedies or as we say in India desi nuske. I had to learn a lot
of basic things like sitting straight without support, shifting on wheelchair
and other day to day stuff but now I can do everything on my own. No doubt
being living in a country where you can get caregiver help at very reasonable
price that does not hurt your pocket.
My journey on wheelchair started approximately a year back
on the intervening night of 8th and 9th of august, 2018.
I was coming back home from some work with a few of my colleagues when our car
hit a road divider then it over turned flew to the other side and hit another
car. As in our country, the emergency response is not well established, I was
dragged out my car. Thankfully as the accident took place near my home, by the
time I reached the hospital my family was already there.
Being from doctor’s family and as my father started the
hospital where I was taken to by the emergency respondents, we knew about the
facility. My family shifted me to better hospital nearby. Where I was operated
by of the finest doctors of our region. After the operation, I was diagnosed of
being paraplegic ASIA A at D9-D10/ T9-T10 level. After my operation I was
putted on a ventilator for a day just as a precaution due to the fact that I was
having a fracture in my collar bone due to which I was having a little
breathing problem.
I was discharged from the hospital a few days later and was
on bed for a few months, as here there is very little knowledge about the need
of rehabilitation. Like even though I knew about the severity of my injury
still I thought that with the help of rehab I would start doing everything like
used to do before not with a twist. I still remember when I was talking to one
of my friends, they said why are you going to a rehab you are not addicted to
something!!!
Fortunately, for me I live in a city which is having very
good medical institutions and a very good rehab center specifically for the
spinal cord injured persons. When I joined the center, I could not even sit
properly and even after wearing brace I needed some support to sit else I would
fall back words. It took me around 15 days to 1 month just to be able to sit
without the need of having somebodies support to sit.
And now I am have started to take control of my life back.
Now I am back to my old self just with a slight twist we can say. I have
started going out like I used to. I party, chill with friends, go to work etc.
I would not say that there won’t be days where you will lose
hope and get depressed of what has happened. This is the point where you have
to pick yourself. I am fortunate to have had very huge support from my family,
my sisters in laws, my friends and a very special person.
I have been through a quite few lows but my four main pillars
which have gotten me over those would be my parents, my sister, my niece and my
special person my better-half.
Everybody says that when a thing like this happens to you
the first-person to leave would be your girlfriend but not this girl, she has been
by my side from the day one to this day and our love & respect for each
other has only grown. Through this I would just like tell you that I love you a
lot, I don’t know if I would be able to reciprocate this much back to you or
not.
Now what should I say for a person who has been with you
from the day you have been born, she is just like my second mom of course the first
you all know who it is. Thanks, supporting me and still not giving up on me,
also giving me my third pillar. The third one my niece, she is one person who
can make me smile anytime. She is the apple of my eye. I am just amazed to see
the kind love and understanding she gives to me given she is just 5 years old.
Now what can a person say for his/her parents, I mean how
can person love another person so selflessly it’s just amazing.
Now there are few more people who I would like thank would
be my brother in law and his family, I mean the kind of support he has given me
and my family is just amazing. From being the first respondent from my family
till this day he has been there and did everything what an elder brother or
parents would do.
I guess for my first time I have written a lot and trust me
when I say a lot because for this is also very big thing.
In the end I would just like to say that to reach here the
foremost thing required is to stay positive and try to push yourself a little
more.
As someone close to me rightly said:
Strength is a choice, Happiness is a choice, Love is a
Choice but Life is given to live it but how you live it is a choice. While Happiness
is being happy for yourself with the choices you made and being kinder to
yourself, trust and respect yourself!!
