4 replies to this topic

[KayDub]

Today went really well too. Well it started that way. I met some great friends. I found out parking in the garage next to the law building is free during orientation. I couldn't wake my fiance up (we both had some weird bug on and off over the night) so I figured, hey! I can transfer my heavy ass chair out of my tiny ass car using my arm crutches! I'll just drive myself. I have enough movement... most of the time, on my left leg. In the past when I was 'AB' I had multiple foot surgeries on my right foot resulting in casts for up to three months. I got pretty good at driving with my left foot. So of course silly me thinks I can do the same, not realising paralysis IS DIFFERENT THAN A BROKEN FOOT. Oops. Needless to say I was leaving the law building to pick up a friend from light rail (stupid stupid me, I was waiting at the building and should have stayed there). I was only going about 10-15 mph on a side street in downtown Denver when wah bam! Muscle spasm! I turned right into the wonderful 90 degree curbs city streets have and took out both passenger side tires and possible damaged more on my front passenger tire. With only one spare I had to call a tow truck. A group of guys stopped to help but there wasn't much they could do. Same with campus safety. It's frustrating because my uncle just fixed my car, my lifeline (it's a tiny little Hyundai Accent hatchback with the best gas mileage ever). I also don't have collision and with being hurt and sick don't have a lot of money to keep fixing my car because I'm an idiot. I'm 23 and the car is mine but I still called my parents. They're not mad (which is surprising) just really upset I was driving at all. Oops.

Le sigh. And I wasn't doing anything stupid (minus the driving with a paralysed leg) like I usually am, that's the frustrating part.

Tomorrow is the last day of orientation and then real classes start Monday. We have writing assignments and reading due tomorrow so it's my first sink or swim so to speak. I also talked to the ladies over in DSS (Disability Student Services) and they gave me a couple job offers on campus. Hopefully they come to fruition and I'll still have time for the killer amount of homework.

Edited by KayDub, 11 August 2011 - 12:06 AM.

[Soryfam]

Well darn! But you're ok, and that's what is important. Glad your parents weren't mad. I guess the bright side of all this is that you are out doing and living, going to school, and having a life. Sure, you wouldn't crash your car sitting at home, but you also wouldn't have all of these experiences!!

Sandy

[wheeliebear75]

Live & learn....and then get hand controls! Glad YOU were OK though.

[Tetracyclone]

Yes, well, it is not easy to believe we are paralyzed again today.

Be careful. Stupid people have a harder time in college.

[Ginny]

Yikes! I'll bet that was scary.

As I've been regaining sensation and motor skills over the past year, I wanted to get back to driving. I discovered that there is such as thing as an Adaptive Driving consultant. There are a couple of companies that do this sort of thing in the US and seem to have satellite offices all over the place. The place that I went to was a husband and wife team, a PT and an OT, who do this on the side.

I scheduled an assessment which took 3 hours. They tested motor skills, spatial perception, vision and congnition. Then, we went driving for an hour, first to try hand controls and then just with the foot controls. In the end, they determined that I was capable of driving without hand controls and it's turned out that I'm comfortable with my abilities.

I was a bit nervous to make the call on my own, because everyone thinks they can drive, right? The nice thing about the assessment is that you have proof that you've been tested for driving. We contacted our auto insurance company and also send them a copy of the assessment, in case there are any questions down the road (pun intended).

It has been great to have the independence of driving myself to work and I hope that you will also get to the point that you can drive again. Even with hand controls, which didn't seem to be a big deal to me.

Best wishes to you as you start back to school!