Rough Morning For The SCI

My name is Jasper and I'm a quad.  I have a C4 Spinal Cord Injury and as any SCI therapist will tell you every SCI is different.  Lately, my blood pressure has been like a roller coaster - up today and down today.  This morning my sinus' have been going wild.  Every morning or every day may not be the same for an SCI.  But still I like to bare in mind that my injury could be worse.  So as best as I can I try to make my way through it.  This is again the attitude we must have in order to recover.  We can't afford to throw ourselves a pity party.  That will only make you feel worse.  Keep moving forward as best we can until things get better.  This is what we must do every day.  Sometimes I just get bored.  I have to find some way to amuse myself.  I ride in my chair up and down the hall, I speak to people - everyone, I may crack a joke to ease my boredom.  These are the things I do to make it through my day.  I try to participate in every activity.  I can remember when I didn't want to be bothered with an activity but then slowly I figured why not.  Now I love to participate in what's going on around me.   

Spiritual Hope

Hello my name is Jasper and I'm a quad.  I recently attended a church service in which they give prophecy over your life.  They pray for you collectively as well as individually.  They lay hands on you as being some transference of power.  As for me the Pastor felt in his spirit if my faith is strong enough I will one day walk out of this chair.  I've heard some really amazing things that people gave testimony to such as a woman walking after 35 years of not walking.  I've heard testimony of someone literally dying during the church service and they prayed for her collectively and she started breathing.  Now I don't know where you are spiritually or if you believe at all but I do believe that spiritual hope is a vital part of our recovery.  Spiritual hope to me is like that gambler who believes in his heart that the next role of the dice is going to be a winner and if you lose that than you may as well pack up and go home.  There have been all kinds of physical, mental and medical miracles in the world today.  Tell me how can a man climb a mountain if he's blind.  But it has been done.  Or how can a kid survive under water for over 45 minutes and still live.  Or someone being shot at point blank range and still live.  These my friend are called miracles.  Sometimes in spite what the Dr's may say, something will happen that the facts say should not have.  There in lies my hope.  I believe in a loving and caring God and if it be his will and if I do my part, I will stand up and walk out of this wheelchair one day.  My name is Jasper and these are my thoughts. 

We do matter

Hello, my name is Jasper and I am a quad.  Sometimes, in this condition we are in it may seem to us that life maybe passing us by whether you admit it or not.  Sometimes, we may get feelings that say we don't matter, but we do!  I found out a little more about how much I matter when I called a friend and she was very upset and distraught.  You see she is now a widow and she is still grieving for her husband.  I know she has all the skills and knowledge to cope with the problem, but we are human and sometimes we just get weak.  I was so glad that I was able to talk to her and as well as I know her I was able to talk to her and ease some of her pain.  The conversation I had with her I tried to be uplifting and encouraging and before we got off the phone she admitted she felt much better as she was glad that I called her.  She said that my phone call really helped her through the day.  So you see, even in our condition God puts us in a place where we can by most useful.  That's why I say we do matter!  We have the power still to ease someone's pain or to make someone's day.  The power to make someone laugh or to forget about the situation that they are in.  Yes, we do matter!  My name is Jasper and these are my thoughts!