Just a Little Update

Last week two really big things happened for me!

The first is that I got a brand new chair!!

When it comes to wheelchairs, there are millions of different options, customizations, looks and adjustments. So finding something that works, meets your needs and fits your style is truly an art. When I first got injured, I was put in a 400 pound power chair. This chair was big and bulky and I hated being in it almost as much as I hated people seeing me in it. I didn’t fit under tables, through doorways and I just felt awkward. The problem was that I wasn’t strong enough to be in any other chair. My balance was off, my blood pressure was too low, and I could barely hold my head up let alone attempt to push a chair. I decided to make a goal to be in a manual chair full time. I started by spending around 2 hours in a manual chair each day. These 2 hours were exhausting! I pretty much had to be strapped in so I wouldn’t fall out. As time went on, I got strong enough to be in the chair that I wanted full time! This chair was small enough to fit almost anywhere and light enough to be carried up and down stairs when needed. The problem, however, was that I lost a little bit of my independence. Whenever we left the house, I always relied on people to push me because I was too slow to push myself or too weak to push on uneven surfaces. Sooo I decided to get a power assist that easily hooks on my manual chair when needed, but also allows me to detach and get the workout of pushing!! My power assist arrived this week and it is going to bring me so much independence in the future!!

The second big thing that happened last week was that I had surgery on my ankles to fix my pressure sores!

If you didn’t already know, I have had pressure sores on my ankles for almost a year. I have been going to wound care once a week in order to try anything and everything to close up these wounds but nothing has worked (so so frustrating)!

Pressure sores are unfortunately something that most people with spinal cord injuries have to be conscious about. Since I can’t feel my ankles at all, I developed these sores by putting pressure on them for too long while I sleep. This is something most people don’t think about because they move around in their sleep. Even though I always padded my feet off and tried to relieve the pressure off of those boney areas on my ankles, I still developed those sore spots. After many long months of trying to close up the wounds, I decided to do a skin graft. However, in surgery, my doctor changed his mind and chose to stitch the wounds up without using a skin graft. Praise the Lord!!

This past week has been a huge answer to prayer! I have gained a new form of independence and a step in the right direction for healthy skin! We are still waiting for my ankles to heal from surgery, but are so thankful that a skin graft wasn’t necessary at this time! Please pray that my ankles will heal quickly and that no further treatment will be necessary.

- C.