Prevent secondary complications? Cure paralysis!

The other day I posted all the issues associated with paralysis that I have personally gone through. At that time I said that I thought I could be the "paralysis secondary complications" poster boy.

Well, I guess that if I was, the poster would look something like this.

Silly poster, but very very TRUE.

I guess

I guess I'm back.

Not the most convincing statement I've ever made, but for now its a big of a commitment as I can make.

I've put a lot of energy into this blog over the years, especially into the campaigns, and I refuse to let it go to waste.

This blog was first started when I was in a rehab hospital after my second operation for an arachnoid cyst on my original point of injury. In total I was in the hospital for one year the first time.

It has continued since then through an operation for syringomyelia and the subsequent three months of rehab I went through, and then through to an almost four month hospital stay for a pressure sore. So I don't want to give up now.

The pressure sore added to my 24/7 neuropathic pain is what really got me. 

I've had so many secondary complications from paralysis that sometimes I feel like the "secondary complications poster boy". I guess this is one of the biggest reasons why I've continued writing and campaigning for paralysis cure; I know from my own experience that the happy life in a wheelchair is not possible for many living with paralysis. 

It's great to show all we can do even if we're paralysed, but the problem is that when we show the world how we're the same as everyone else, we are actually not telling the whole truth, and this big lie makes many believe that a cure is not urgent. Well, it is.

Concentrating on the super human feats of those living with paralysis actually hurts the self image of those who can't even do regular human feats due to secondary complications or the nature/level of their injury. Those of us who can't live normal happy lives are lead to believe that there is something wrong with us, not paralysis. 

A few years ago I wrote a blog post called "Tequila shots for cirrhosis research" and in this post there is a link to a CBC programme where people are talking exactly about what I'm saying here. Have a look and it might change your impression of those who the media chooses to focus on.

So if I want a cure for paralysis because I know a carefree life in the chair is not possible, I guess I'm going to have to keep fighting for cure.

"I guess" is all I can promise at this point in time, but if a bunch of other "I guesses" join together, we'll be that much closer to cure.