Adapting to my life in a wheelchair

@JimRice It must be very hard for you. Can you possible gat some exercises to improve your skills using wheelchair and (if you can) using your hands to propel your wheelchair?

@JimRice it must be very tough for you to go through your experience. I hope that you will find a lot of resources here on 7cups which will help you. I hope that you will be able to find the way to adapt your life. Are there any assistive devices available which can help you?

@JimRice Hi Jim! I spent two years wheelchair bound, and I thought I’d share some of my experiences with you.

At first, I thought it’d be the same, but soon enough I found out that the world isn’t really meant for people in wheelchairs. I know this may sound tough to hear, but in my experience, you’ll probably continue to encounter challenges in your day to day life, specially when you go outside. That said, the good news are that ya people? We’re resilient, adaptable, and incredibly creative! You’ll see that soon enough you get used to resolving things in unconventional ways.

My motto, whenever I found a challenge while wheelchair bound, was: “Stop, and think.” It’s easy to panic while trying to keep up the mad pace this world sets, but word of advice? Don’t bother. The world isn’t going anywhere, and what seems insurmountable today will seem funny tomorrow. Your best friend now is your ability to think outside of the box, and panic is your enemy. So just breathe, and take your time.

If you’re in a manual wheelchair, start exercising upper body strength. This is vital if you ever want to be independent. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help, even from random strangers. When it comes to kids, I found that the easiest way for my younger siblings to naturalize the situation, was to turn everything into a game: you’re a knight and the wheelchair is your mighty steed, and you’re going off to explore the unknown land of The Park, but first you have to cross the Rivers of Lava and Concrete while avoiding the blind Dinosaurs driven mad, suit wearing aliens. Whatever really.

That’s actually aplicable to most of everything and most of everyone: try to find the funny side, the ridiculous. Even though the situation’s tough, and you’ll have your ups and downs like everyone, remember to always look for the silver lining. We’re all here for you <3

@JimRice Welcome to Disability Support. Transitioning to a wheelchair is difficult. I am in one for the same reason as you. There always seem to be barriers that we never noticed before. It can be frustrating. The relief from the pain is so awesome!

Hi, I'm Jessica. I am also in a wheelchair from losing my leg in a car accident. 🚗. I'm new here and saw your post and thought I'd say hi. I'm sorry it didn't go so well at the park with your daughter. Good news is that you had good intentions and that is amazing in itself. I think you're being too hard on yourself. I've been in a wheelchair since my near fatal car wreck in 2018. 3/3/18. I was burned from my feet up to my torso 3rd and 4th degree Burns. The car hit a metal traffic light at 45 mph and blew up. I was in the hospital for 2 yrs. I cannot drive a car bc I lost my right leg above the knee and can't wear a prostetic leg bc the skin graphs are soooo thin like baby skin and if I try to wear a leg I get welts. Nice meeting u

@JimRice I hope that you will be able to adapt to your wheelchair life soon. I would suggest you to let you mourn for a while and then to find something you can do and focus on what you can do, not on what you can't do. But yes, it can be challenging at first to find out what you can do and still enjoy. Maybe you will find new things to enjoy in your life.