I recognized my Bellingham psychiatrist’s initial covert astonishment upon first our first meeting. I believe her surprise would be far from obvious to the common man, but as a result of my many years of seeing psychiatrists, I’ve become versed in their extremely slight & yet (if you know what subtleties to be aware of) telling reactions. It was safe to assume that her surprise was provoked by my physical appearance alone. That was the only information that she’d garnered from me, at that time, after all.
Once we become better acquainted, as this was our first appointment, I inquired of the reason for her surprise that I had previously observed. I voiced my quandary & she answered that after reading my file, she was surprised to see me walking sans external support: a wheelchair, walker, cane…
This response did in fact confirm my suspicion. Due to my learning of other survivors’ realities, I’ve become aware that mobility independence, is very uncommon for the living survivors that incurred my severity of injury.
The file of mine that she read contains 90ish pages of notes from doctors & nurses in just the first of 3 hospitals I attended (in which I stayed during my 3 months of my hospitalization saga). It outlines the 28 day duration of my coma & simultaneous my month on life support. The truth of my many broken bones (largely, in my left arm & leg – where my car struck the roadside pole) are articulated. My removed spleen, my 3 broken ribs & ruptured pelvis, are outlined in that file as well.
My ruptured pelvis was a result of my seat belt’s impact, and thank goodness for it! The seat belt undoubtedly saved my life, just as it’s designed to do. I learned later from Tese (dad) that the doctors and nurses in my hospitals were particularly attentive to me, due to the reality that I’d taken this necessary precaution to protect myself, once I’d chosen to drive.
Not choosing to drive, would’ve prevented this entire catastrophe from taking place, but…overconfidence spurred by overwhelming desire, is something that none of those close to me (family of friends) were surprised by…
My parents are a grand reason for my sustained mobility: After they witnessed the nurses regularly visiting to message my legs, my parents asked them why. The nurses then explained that the aim of the messages were to encourage circulation & prevent muscle atrophy. After acquiring this knowledge, my parents (being the wonderful, proactive & caring parents they are!) took on the practice of messaging my legs very often. Tese, my dad, in particular, spearheaded this campaign.
Once I awoke from my coma, my mom & Tese also took me on routine walks, which progressed to me doing so independently. I was over-joyed to hear from my mom (who tells it like it is) that despite my inevitable lethargy, and the fact that I had to re-learn to walk entirely, amidst readopt ing everything else in life, I put up no fight. I was very compliant, which solely takes place if I agree with the task being assigned. I knew I had to work, work, work, to get my life back! Walking is certainly essential to that. Because independence has lifelong, been a prominent core attribute of mine, despite little cognition I simply knew that regaining mobility was an absolutely necessity.
My motivation: being mobile, as is clear to those that know me well, I consider to be among the most valuable of my skill sets, but who doesn’t believe this!? This is only sensible considering the reality that I am HUGELY in love with freedom & independence. For me, freedom reigns supreme. Walking, in my experience, has enabled this.
My psychologist too plays an essential role in helping me safe-guard my freedom: my mental freedom!