Being/becoming disabled?

[Queen]

Seems there's a few of us here, I'm curious about people's stories, how did you get here, what was the precipitating event?


If you're gonna ask the question you have to being willing to go first:

I still live in the land of denial, still have that magical thinking that someday I'll be my old badass self again.  I became a firefighter back in the early 80's, there were less than a 100 women worldwide in the profession working fulltime, I was one of those few.  The gear didn't fit, you pushed through injuries so as not to be seen as a "pussy", you put up with **** that would get everyone and their brother sued nowadays... all because the job was awesome and more importantly, best. job. ever.  But I sure pay for it now; after six knee surgeries I have a new knee that doesn't work right.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat, what I did mattered, there are people alive because I did a good job, it doesn't get any more important, any better, than that.

But, now I'm sort of disabled (I meet the criteria but won't let my doc submit the paperwork yet), there are so many things I can't do anymore, something as simple as putting on my socks requires planning.  Surely not where I thought I'd be at this time in my life.

How about you?

 

[jimindenver]

From the time I was young, I did heavy work. Shovel snow, split wood. move people, etc. At 6'4" and 200 pounds, my name was the fork lift. I could pick up the front end of a small car. Pick up and walk away with a sleeper sofa or full size fridge.

I had a accident in 97 that tore up my lower back pretty good. One of the doctors asked me if I enjoyed playing superman because I had the back of a 70 year old. At 36 I already had degenerating disc and bone spurs. It was just pain and I just kept working through it. I had a company to run after all.

10 years ago I started cutting back. Every time I picked up something heavy I would have my legs collapse right then or for days after. I went to the doctor and they told me I had bone spurs, pinched nerves, degenerated disc and I was full of arthritis. They wanted to do surgery.

Late last year I tried to move a bed and the legs went out and it took days to get going again. I went from good days and bad days to only bad days. Now I was down to light house keeping.

Two months ago my legs went numb and weak. I waited a week to see if it would clear up and then went in. My doctor had a fit and told me I was being paralyzed. There have been test, mri's, xrays. shots with giant needles and pills that make me loopy. The mid and lower back are trashed, the lowest two disc are slipped and ruptured. They say I'll never lift more than 10 pounds again, that's pretty limiting let me tell ya.

So I'm collecting data and they still have to check out my neck. I'm hoping to find another way of supporting myself but I can't continue to run the business. Light duty covers a fraction of what I need to do and even light house keeping requires more than 10 pounds.

So for two months it has been do nothing and you get to keep walking. I guess I'd better listen this time.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I became disabled at 31. Didn't have to try and convince myself I was otherwise. I went from 175 lbs, able to bench press 315 lbs, snowboarded, rock climbed, hiked and backpacked all over the country to 120 lbs, couldn't bend my knees, ankles, elbows, or wrists much and my fingers seized up like I had rhuematoid arthritis, living in a recliner 23 plus hours a day for a few years. Couldn't move with out crutches and even then just getting across the house was a major challenge, getting to Dr's appts was torture. Pain from my head to toes that would leave me curled up in a fetal position. As bad as it got, I always knew I'd eventually get through it and that's what has carried me through. It turned out to be Lyme Disease and babesia, both transmitted via a tick. Three years into it I finally started being treated for the lyme. That was about 9 months ago and it's steadily been getting better ever since. I'll prob always have some unrepairable damage but as of today I can walk with out crutches (walked a mile last three nights in a row). gained all my weight back, my left hand is about 70% range of motion, right about 50% but they slowly get better by the week. For the first time in a long time it looks like i'll be getting back to some of the things I loved..........first thing on the list is some road trips, second goal is snowboarding and anything beyond that i'll consider a bonus. I hope to be off disability in another year or so and at the rate i've been progressing I may even be able to beat that goal.
I wish I had some good advice for others that find themselves in a less than ideal situation healthwise. Best thing you can do is keep a positive attitude, Dr's constantly asked me why I wasn't depressed, not sure I can take credit for that, think I got lucky with good genes for combating depression, never give up until you get the answers you're looking for, took me years to find the right drs, trust your instincts, give yourself a lot of slack if your body needs the extra time to do tasks that used to be routine and above all remember any day you're not fighting to stay alive is a good day because rest assured someone else is fighting for theirs.

 

[GotSmart]

A great portion of my disabilities has been because of those in the medical profession that are still "PRACTICING" 

You would think they would know what they are doing after a few years.  

I am tired of waiting on medicos that use me like an ATM, then pass me on.  Doctors from Punjab do not understand how Americans think, and are wanting to dope me up because I prefer the open road, and the desert sunset to the idiot box they call TV. 

I will let them replace my damaged spine, but leave my brain alone.  It is not theirs to pump full of inhibitors.   

7 major accidents have damaged my back, neck, and legs to the point where I am unable to chase down my children. (They know where dinner is)  Several strokes have made my thinking slower.  

I am still the person to track down the details~~~ 

 

[jester]

It turned out to be Lyme Disease and babesia, both transmitted via a tick. Three years into it I finally started being treated for the lyme. That was about 9 months ago and it's steadily been getting better ever since.

A friend with Lyme went from being completely bedridden to teaching Pilates. It took years but maybe that will give you some hope that you can come back completely.

 

[Svenn]

    I wish I had some good advice for others that find themselves in a less than ideal situation healthwise.  Best thing you can do is keep a positive attitude, Dr's constantly asked me why I wasn't depressed, not sure I can take credit for that, think I got lucky with good genes for combating depression,  never give up until you get the answers you're looking for, took me years to find the right drs, trust your instincts, give yourself a lot of slack if your body needs the extra time to do tasks that used to be routine and above all remember any day you're not fighting to stay alive is a good day because rest assured someone else is fighting for theirs.

Maybe it's just me but I've found that depression mostly stems from obsessing over 'what could have been' rather than what's in front of one at the present moment.  It's really hard to be in the present though because so much of society and even the way we have conversations focuses on talking and thinking about the future.  This is one of those areas where the animals have more wisdom than we do... look at a dog or cat that lost its legs, they're just as happy and totally bananas as when they had 4

 

[Bast]

I don't know if I'd consider myself disabled but I am ill. I almost bled out at Thanksgiving from unknown causes. I required transfusions and I just had a major bleed last week that was finally controlled. I am arranging for an early -- not disabled -- retirement in four years. I am hoping this works out. There is nothing like a near death experience to make one rethink their life.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Maybe it's just me but I've found that depression mostly stems from obsessing over 'what could have been' rather than what's in front of one at the present moment.  It's really hard to be in the present though because so much of society and even the way we have conversations focuses on talking and thinking about the future.  This is one of those areas where the animals have more wisdom than we do... look at a dog or cat that lost its legs, they're just as happy and totally bananas as when they had 4

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I could never figure out how to describe it.  My gf suffers from depression and that's exactly what she does.......always dwells on what isn't happening or hasn't happened in her life.  I lost the ability to do most of the things I loved and for whatever reason didn't ever dwell on it as i didn't see the point.  Instead I picked up new habits, one of which was reading.  Turned into a sponge and started reading everything in sight.  Used to hate reading, now I really enjoy it.  And as I gain mobility back ive been slowly picking back up old hobbies and thus life has gone on.  Sure I could have complained about it and got depressed but that doesn't change anything.

 

[Queen]

When I was younger I focused on what I couldn't do anymore, but now I'm in a whole new place in life and I'm having fun reinventing myself. I'm a little bit retired (not enough income to call it quits, but may anyway), my honey is right behind me in that scenario and we're both ready to be off the hamster wheel permanently (at 56 and 57 years old).

I'm aware of my disability in that it requires more planning to accomplish simple tasks, but overall it just requires flexibility and adaption. I'm getting pretty good at that.

 

[Ella1]

I was disabled in 1998 due mainly to reactions to everyday chemicals, also to damaged respiratory system. These still restrict what I am able to do, hour by hour, day by day. Yesterday I got the van about ready, planning at least a day trip today, but woke up--and have been all day--unable. I rarely know what causes the reactions. I woke up with nose, upper and lower lip numb and burning, mouth tingling, very SOB (short of breath). Today was a do nothing day. I pretty much live as a hermit most of the time. Yes, living takes more time, and flexibility and adaptation are required.

 

[Teskimo]

I am not disabled but I do have a disability.
AF the young age of 21, I lost my left arm due to a "drunk" driver.
Back then, handicapped was still used to describe us....
I told people, I was not handicapped but I had limitations on what I could do. Sometimes I would say that my "limitations" were what they thought I can do.
In saying this, my lifting ability depends not only weight by size as well, some of the little things can be impossible to do or take lots longer to do.