32 replies to this topic

[Victoria]

Hello everyone, I am living in Dublin, Ireland and I'd really like to meet or talk with other wheelchair users. I am not an old 37 and separated, and I'm looking to meet some people that are a bit of a laugh. I've been paraplegic for 3 months now, it hasn't been a barrel of laughs but it's not the worst thing that could happen and so here I am still in hospital and in need of some cool friends.

[Zack]

Hello Victoria,

It looks to me that you found the right place to meet a lot of Nice people in wheelchairs, and they know how to lol, and make you lol back.
You'll find very supported people here if times ever get tough and you need an ear!

Please feel free to jump in with any of your words of wisdom, and don't be Shy asking pretty much anything! I believe we've heard it all, almost!

Looking forward to seeing you around the forum. Please keep us updated on your progress as your a new injury. Inquiring minds want to know so we can better help you should you ever need!

Glad to meet you!

[Victoria]

Hi there Zack, thanks very much for your message, it's good to not feel completely alone, this site is great, it's like Facebook only with more purpose. I'm going through a very hard time at the moment, not just because of my paralysis, so this is so helpful and is taking my mind off things. How are you? I see you live in the States so it must be early morning there? Can I ask how your back is, I don't know what level of paralysis I have, I'm paralysed from the waist down but I don't know what number and letter it is, T5 for example,I'll have to ask my doctor.Anyway,I'm very glad to meet you too. I am not the best typist so my replies are always a bit slow!

Zack, on 18 December 2011 - 09:57 PM, said:

Hello Victoria,

It looks to me that you found the right place to meet a lot of Nice people in wheelchairs, and they know how to lol, and make you lol back.
You'll find very supported people here if times ever get tough and you need an ear!

Please feel free to jump in with any of your words of wisdom, and don't be Shy asking pretty much anything! I believe we've heard it all, almost!

Looking forward to seeing you around the forum. Please keep us updated on your progress as your a new injury. Inquiring minds want to know so we can better help you should you ever need!

Glad to meet you!

[Zack]

Well hello back!
Don't worry about your typing at all.. I broke my neck, crushing the C4 vertebra. So I'm know as a Quadraplegic. I'm typing here with 1 finger, so I'm a slow Typer who also should use spell check.
After you have posted or replied like your doing 10 times, you can get to chat with some others members in the Chatroom. Don't worry typing slow! Their a nice patient bunch of people.
Right now it's 6 pm. I believe your about 5 hours ahead of me.
I've never met anyone who didn't go though tough times early after their injury. Feel Free to vent, scream or whatever helps! Sometimes I get a laugh out of reading peoples posts that have these lol funny characters in just the right spot.
I had a Car Accident 30 years ago, that caused my spinal cord injury, better known as SCI to make typing easier abbreviate whenever you can!

[Tatiana]

Hi Victoria, welcome to the forum :-)

x

[Califanna]

Hi Victoria,

I am so happy you have found this site. You will find it a valuable resource. Post anything you are having trouble with and you are sure to get some great advice and suggestions.

[goose]

Hello Victoria...welcome aboard!!!

I'm sorry you're now having to deal with a SCI. The next 2 years should be spent trying your hardest to gain strength back in your body. Fight with everything you have!!! Most return occurs during this period.

You've found an excellent site to gain knowledge and friendship. Most of us have experienced just about everything you can imagine that deals with a SCI. Don't be shy...ask!!

It's not the end of the world. Life with a SCI is different and can be full of surprises. A good attitude is the key as to how well you'll succeed. Don't waste your energy beating yourself up instead use it to your advantage. For example, if you get mad, work on your wheelchair skills or do extra rehab. Burn that steam in PT.

[Edinburgh Colin]

Welcome Victoria, take a little time to fill in the "about me" section on your profile page so we can all learn a little about you.
EC

[wheeliebear75]

Hello Victoria.

This site & the people who frequent it are WONDERFUL! Our membership covers just about every level of injury (got a guy who is a C1 vent dependent quad & name the vertebra & SOMEONE around here has broken it)and a large range of recovery (some members are 100% paralyzed & a few have had NEAR full recovery....but most of us fall somewhere in the middle where we recovered SOME but what % we regained varies greatly). As goose said.....those 1st 2yrs....work work WORK at any recovery, those 1st 18mo-2yrs is where the most progress/return will take place.

I have a friend in England that I IM with pretty regularly....& I believe we're about 8 or 9 hrs apart.

Seeing as quite a few of us are hardly ever able to sleep or STAY asleep.....I don't think the time difference will be that big a deal around HERE.

Welcome to the forum & as EC said please take a few minutes to fill in the "about me" section on your profile so we know a little bit more about you. You've got questions....we've got answers....we just need to know how best to answer YOUR questions.

[greybeard]

Hi Victoria. Welcome.

[cas]

Hi Victoria. Nice to meet you!!! I'm 34 and living in the uk. My accident was the end of may 2009. This forum has been a huge help to me, it provides answers to a lot of questions!!!! Xx

[randomryan007]

Hello Victoria,
Welcome to this mad house we call apparelyzed. you'll meet all kinds of peop.
Reminds of the song I love this bar by toby keith

[qbounce]

Hi Victoria,
So glad that you found this site early after your injury.
You're gonna to find a wealth of information on here. So, don't be afraid to ask anything that's o your mind.
We aim's to please.

[D. Smith]

Hola! Welcome to the best resource I've ever found on SCI.

[JaneC]

Welcome to the site. I am in England .....Yorkshire, and I have found the site a huge help. If you are still in hospital are you in a specialist SCI centre or a general hospital ?

You will find lots of wonderful people on the site and it is quite ok to post on the "bad" days and have a whinge or a rant too !

[Victoria]

Hi Jane, thanks so much for replying to my message. It is a wonderful site. My 'husband' is from Yorkshire, I've been there it's really beautiful in parts. I'm going through the ringer of a legal separation with him and it's been bad. I know it could be worse but I miss my kids, and he's been really nasty, and he has a girlfriend. My heart feels like it's in a food processor. Anyway, the hospital I'm in is a general hospital, I'm not a recovering patient here, I have stopped improving. I'm just waiting for a bed to be free in the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I have started smoking again, I'm only supposed to be allowed leave the ward twice a day, but I manage three times with some lame excuses! I am really down, being here I need to be busy. Finding this site has been really good as I need to communicate with someone, I'm in a room on my own. How are you?!

[megatrig]

Hi Victoria,

Life sounds tough at the moment!

Hope you get to the "proper" rehab hospital soon as I think that will help you so much!

You'll get not just rehab but support for everything their! Relationships, etc!!!

If you get no joy soon start nagging your consultant on a DAILY basis!!1!

[Victoria]

D. Smith, on 19 December 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

Hola! Welcome to the best resource I've ever found on SCI.

Hi there! Thanks for your message, yes indeed a great website, I'm going to look you all up when I get a chance, and find out all about you! It's like Facebook but a lot better, I am on this website all day looking at the jokes and reading about everyone's different concerns, it's taking my mind off my own.

[Victoria]

megatrig, on 20 December 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

Hi Victoria,

Life sounds tough at the moment!

Hope you get to the "proper" rehab hospital soon as I think that will help you so much!

You'll get not just rehab but support for everything their! Relationships, etc!!!

If you get no joy soon start nagging your consultant on a DAILY basis!!1!

Yes, I feel I need counselling.I'm ahurting! I want to have some fun too. But what I need most of all is a solicitor. I am on a waiting list for free legal aid, I must be on it a month so far and there is a wait of 6 months. One of the worst things is thinking about going dancing, the George Michael song 'Careless Whisper' comes to mind. 'Oh I'm never gonna dance again...' Sorry. I'm sure there's loads of things people on this site miss. And as I've read a little, at least I did this to myself. I have myself to blame for this. If someone else did this to me would I feel worse, I think I might. I haven't read any of your about mes yet, and hope I am not upsetting anyone or coming off as a big drippy drip!

[megatrig]

Victoria, on 20 December 2011 - 08:43 PM, said:

megatrig, on 20 December 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

Hi Victoria,

Life sounds tough at the moment!

Hope you get to the "proper" rehab hospital soon as I think that will help you so much!

You'll get not just rehab but support for everything their! Relationships, etc!!!

If you get no joy soon start nagging your consultant on a DAILY basis!!1!

Yes, I feel I need counselling.I'm ahurting! I want to have some fun too. But what I need most of all is a solicitor. I am on a waiting list for free legal aid, I must be on it a month so far and there is a wait of 6 months. One of the worst things is thinking about going dancing, the George Michael song 'Careless Whisper' comes to mind. 'Oh I'm never gonna dance again...' Sorry. I'm sure there's loads of things people on this site miss. And as I've read a little, at least I did this to myself. I have myself to blame for this. If someone else did this to me would I feel worse, I think I might. I haven't read any of your about mes yet, and hope I am not upsetting anyone or coming off as a big drippy drip!

I still love dancing! I'm always still on the dance floor!

As regards "doing it to yourself". "TIME!!!"(AHHHHH) will change your view to oh well bugger that!! Life goes on. If your number is up then you end up in a wheelchair! (or with whateveras it were!)

[D. Smith]

As far as dancing, we have the advantage... Its really easy to get a lap dance.

[Victoria]

[quote name='D. Smith' timestamp='1324416292' post='264373']
As far as dancing, we have the advantage... Its really easy to get a lap dance.

Yes, maybe I should turn into a lesbian. Unless men lap dance too? That would be hilarious!

[D. Smith]

To say we men would not give a lap dance is just plain sexist! ;) Now its a completely different story if you are wondering if they'd be any good at it.

[isobar]

You've found a place to find and meet many people welcome aboard.

[JaneC]

Hi Victoria

It sounds as though you have an awful lot going on in your life just at the moment, I hope you manage to get a solicitor soon and get your separation sorted out.

I hope they find a bed for you at the Rehab hospital soon, I had to wait for a bed to become available at the Spinal Injuries Centre after my accident and I found everything so much easier once I was transferred there. The staff knew exactly how to handle me and also got me on a much better drug regime to manage the pain. They should also have a psychologist available who may be able to give you some counselling.......don't be afraid to ask. I think one thing lots of us have learnt is that sometimes you have to push to get the help you need.

I am 4 1/2 years post injury and have just had tendon surgery on one leg/foot a couple of weeks ago. I can normally get around the house on crutches some of the time and use a chair the rest of the time, but at present I am totally on my chair. I think it is very good for me as it makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to walk at all !!

[Victoria]

Thanks to everyone that has replied to me, it means a lot and you are all very kind. I have a dead bottom and my legs feel like the circulation is gone, Yes! I can feel a bit of circulation, blood trickling down into my feet sometimes. Is that good or maybe its a bit phantomlike. I have just been to the shop to stock up on boiled sweets for the evening. They'll probably put me to bed soon and the snacking will commence. At least I have you guys! I miss my kids, I've just spoken to them on the phone but it's not the same. At least I'm still here for them. Anyway, don't be a stranger the lot of you, and will someone please answer the question on my status!

[cas]

Hi again Victoria- how old are your kids. Mine were 2 and just 5 at my accident- now 5 and 7.. I missed them so much when I was in the spinal unit, but they gave me a huge focus to get out. Message me privately if you would rather talk privately. My two are absolutely fine children adjust so fast!!!! Xxxxxx

[Dean1978]

Hello Victoria

Your right it's not all bad being in a chair. Life could be worse, that is one thing I"m learning now and have been in a chair for a 15 years. I'm voluntering at a nurseing home and see people in worse shape than me living there. So keep your head up and would be happy to be a friend.

[tallgirl]

Hi Victoria....hello from a fellow Dubliner.....hope you get into the rehab soon....the people there are fab......make the most of your time there ;oP

[alflyhigh]

hello victoria. im alf and it'll be nice to see you up in the chat.