Willie Davis
After a few months it was time to transfer over to the Rehabilitation Hospital to begin my new life. This was not something I was looking forward to because I was still in a state of denial, shock, despair and anger. I was also starting my life over again – you could say just as a baby with limited or no control of my bladder or bowel systems. This was demoralizing as a young man of 18 years old in his prime. My initial feeling about the Rehab was that of frustration, because days were filled with a strict schedule starting @ 6:30 a.m. with bowel program routine and grooming (washing face, body and combing hair). You must keep in mind that I was not very happy with this daily regiment or the physical exercising that I had to perform in each of my therapy sessions including getting dressed in bed or in my wheelchair (which is how I get dressed to this day). For instance, I was required to do Range of Motion on my lower and upper limbs and rolling exercises to help me sit up. They also had me do wheelchair exercises such as popping wheelies (in case I needed to get down a curb) or getting into my wheelchair from bed, car, the ground or floor. There were no limits or scenarios I did not work on or encounter, in preparation for my future (living in a wheelchair for the rest of my life).
I attended support group, guidance & counseling, and spiritual therapy during those days at the Rehab. Each session allowed me to understand my physical and emotional issues as well as to come to some resolution in addressing how I would deal with problems or issues that arose or will in the future. Depression was a major problem I was dealing with, and keeping busy was one way to cope. It didn’t allow me to think about what was bothering me. This is something I still suffer from today, but it comes and goes. I had the opportunity to meet new people everyday and go out to social functions. Some came and went in my life, but others remain my friends today. It was also during this time that I got to go out with girls again. Actually, two girls who worked at the Rehab took another wheelchair friend and me out one night. Let’s just say it was a night to remember and it took my mind off of being in a wheelchair and gave me a chance to have some fun again.
| Next: The next step in becoming independent again was getting re-involved in sports, |  |