Recently Injured?

Surviving a Spinal Cord Injury: What you need to know

A message to the recently injured from Rich

If you are reading this, you or someone you love has recently sustained a spinal cord injury. Since I have experienced your pain first hand, I can assure you that there are only two options for people with spinal cord injuries: quit or fight.

After surviving a major trauma like a spinal cord injury, you will be barraged with a host of daunting issues and events. Without the proper mindset, the feeling of defeat can overwhelm you.

If you don’t feel like fighting yet, don’t become disheartened. You can learn this mindset over time. Obviously the level of injury does make a difference when it comes to how much you can regain. This is why you have to fight the individual battle for your own success.

Set Small Goals

First, let me suggest that you have to be as realistic as possible and learn to set small goals to attain larger ones. I remember when I was first injured, I said I would be walking out of the hospital in six weeks. Reality hit me hard when two weeks later I realized what I needed to do first was learn to move one arm or maybe feed myself. The more small goals you attain, the faster your mindset changes to the fight mode.

Keep Fighting

Second, keep in mind that you will need to maintain the fighting mindset as you live with a spinal cord injury. Keep setting goals! The doctors say that when you are injured, it may be two or three years before you know what you will regain, I promise you that is not true! I have honestly regained more function the last 12 years than I did the first five. It is all about a consistent effort to challenge yourself to accomplish new physical and mental goals.

Positive Change CAN Happen

Third, there will be many times throughout physical therapy that you fail to accomplish your goal or feel defeated and want to quit, but that’s what tomorrow is for: to get up and fight again. If you do tackle your goals day after day, you will eventually see a very aggressive positive change.

If you have any questions please contact me personally, I am always available for questions or if you just want to talk about your injury. Also, for additional information regarding activities that are out there for individuals that have spinal cord injuries please check out our resources.

The only person that can tell you that you can’t succeed is you…and you don’t have to listen!
-Rich Hamill