Life Ain’t Always Beautiful

Happy Anniversary to Me! It has now been 22 years since S.C.I. and I tied the knot. It is hard to believe that I have spent more than half of my life with her. Our relationship has been very trying at times, filled with many ups and downs. However, we have made it farther than most thought or said we would, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for our future.

I know what I stated above will have many questioning my sense of humor and perhaps state of mind for wanting to celebrate the anniversary date of my Spinal Cord Injury (S.C.I.), especially in such a lighthearted manner. With that said, please allow me to provide you with the reasoning behind my Anniversary celebration.

When I suffered my Spinal Cord Injury 22 years ago one of the first things to occur upon my arrival at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana was a group meeting consisting of my physician, primary nurse, occupational/physical therapists and myself. This meeting was arranged in order to address the following.

• The level of my injury of C5-6 quadriplegia and its severity (I could not move anything from the neck down when I was first injured).
• The necessity behind the halo brace that was literally screwed into my skull and the three month time period I would have to wear it.
• What to expect during my recuperation at Methodist Hospital and what its approximate time frame would be (it would end up being six months).
• The medical complications I may face and the different treatments used to combat them (bedsores, urinary tract infections, kidney failure, pneumonia, autonomic dysreflexia, etc.).
• The possibility of functional return or movement in my arms, hands, fingers and legs as well as how much to expect within a certain period of time.
• The therapeutic advances I would make would be minimal and slow and not monumental (the entire process consisted of baby steps).
• What to expect in regards to my life and future of living with a Spinal Cord Injury (I was looking forward to hearing many positives).

As one can see, there was nothing out of the ordinary regarding the list of things to be discussed during this meeting because one should expect to be told and want to know about all of them. However, as they say, the devil is in the details, and it is one of the details associated with the last item on the list that gives me my reason for celebrating.

During this portion of the discussion I was given, based on the level of my injury of C5-6 quadriplegia and its severity, the prospects of being able to drive again, going back to school to continue my education, going back to work full time, living alone and as independently as possible, marriage and fathering children and last but not least what my life expectancy would likely be.

Everything discussed was non-problematic and gave me great hope and much to look forward to given my circumstances. That is, until the issue of my life expectancy came up, and that is when reality set in. I was told that it was highly unlikely I would live to be 40 years old and if I did I would probably be in a nursing home. WRONG! Now you know why I celebrate.

I am alive and a wheeling, talking testimony to the sheer grace of God and the common sense He gave me to understand my body and do everything necessary to remain healthy regardless of whether I wanted to or not. I have had minimal health problems, I am on fewer medications than most able-bodied individuals these days and I am living in my own place (not a nursing home) with minimal assistance.

In the end, I lost some physical abilities, and my little brother lived up to his word and finally became taller than me. Nonetheless, I am a fighter and in this life for the long haul. With the physical abilities I presently have and my mental and emotional capacity still intact, I am more than a force to be reckoned with when the devil comes knocking.

Therefore, until the good Lord calls me home, I intend to spend the rest of my life fighting the good fight of faith and attempting, to the best of my ability, to be an inspiration, encouragement and positive influence to everyone I have the chance to meet and/or talk to (whether face-to-face, over the phone or in writing).

In closing, if anything I have written here has bothered you in any way, I am truly sorry because that is and was not my intent. My sole purpose for this post is to get you to see, count and be thankful for your blessings (both big and small), enjoy and appreciate the little things we all take for granted in life and inspire and encourage you to not settle for less than what God’s Word promises. Remember, according to John 3:16, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to save us and give us eternal life should we choose to believe in Him.

What is more, God sent Jesus to help us walk in His best plan for our lives… spiritually, physically and financially regardless of our circumstances. Jesus made this clear in John 16:33 when He said, “In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” And again in John 10:10 when He said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

In other words, as the song I have adopted to represent my life states, “Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride.” Therefore, thank God for your life and enjoy the ride by making the best of it while you are here.

God Bless!

“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible”

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