Related to Material relating to the rehabilitation of spinal and spinal cord injuries
Description:

first-hand account of experience of living with paraplegia:

 

 'I congratulate the writers of the first two articles in this series. They feel they have got this business of living at home buttoned up. I haven't I have worked out some kind of a system, certainly, but it is untidy and bristles with problems which need to be cleared up; sex, pain and employment are three of them.' (18)

 

'it's hard as hell to find out what you are entitled to and it's not easy to get it when you do find out. Does everyone know that a paraplegic can get a clothing allowance of £5 a year? And extra coal? And extra soap? And extra milk? Nobody told me.' (18)

 

'A paraplegic more than most men needs a job. When a man is really at work he doesn't get much chance to think about himself... My old job was out of the question. And I went home after three years in hospital completely untrained for any kind of job. I had spent hours making rugs, doing needlework, trying to learn to draw and stuffing flannel dogs and rabbits. Occupational Therapy it was called. No doubt it served a purpose - prevented me from being more of a headache to the hospital staff than I might have been - but for all intents and purposes it was just a waste of time... I had no saleable skills. My wife came to the rescue. She borrowed a typewriter and taught me to type. A friend helped me into a job as a telephonist-clerk. The switchboard was a puzzle for a time, but I believe I can now hold down this job in competition with anyone. And any other paraplegic could do the same.' (18-19)

 

'At hospital I learnt to walk a little with calipers... At home it seems more and more to be simply not worth the trouble. If you go out to work you have more than enough to do already - there just isn't enough time and energy left. But I can't help feeling it would be a pity to lose the trick altogether after sweating so hard to learn it. What is the answer?' (19)

 

'I have what the doctors call "root pain", that is, a severe ache which never stops and which at moments is almost unbearable. These moments are either the result of something physical - like a bowel constriction - or something mental - like tiredness and worry... People who deal with paraplegics should always try to bear in mind the fact that a great deal of their physical energies are taken up in dealing with pain and in trying not to show it.' (19)

 

'Before I left hospital I spent a lot of time wondering whether I should get married - whether in fact I was justified in getting married... I new that marriage consists mostly of companionship, but I knew also that sex was very important. What I didn't know was whether, however much my wife-to-be might adapt herself to circumstances, she might not be badly frustrated by insufficient sexual satisfaction. I wasn't at all sure that unconsciously she mightn't be unhappy because her sister had kids and she probably wouldn't have any. I wasn't in the least certain either that I wouldn't be very frustrated myself. I seem to feel sexually the same, but I couldn't do much about it. It was a bit of a problem and, frankly, it still it. I think it is one of the biggest problems of paraplegia and I would like to know both from the doctors and other married folk what the answer is.' (19-20)