I Woke Up Paralyzed. What’s Next?

Suddenly having a spinal cord injury and finding yourself paralyzed can be one of the scariest things any human being can go through. For most spinal cord injuries, the first several weeks are the most jarring. Going from neurological normalcy to having a spinal cord injury, which comes with a decrease in sensation and the ability to move, can drive many people into despair. It's important however to tackle one of the most difficult things humans can go through with a clear strategy. Read on for our best advice for what you should do when you find yourself paralyzed.

See Both a Neurologist & Physiatrist

One of the first things that must absolutely happen when you're diagnosed with a spinal cord injury is making sure you have a spinal cord injury specialist doctor that's attending to you in the early stages of your injury. This is called a neurologist and they are the doctors who perform spinal cord injury operations and assess your neurological recovery.

After you have healed in your initial phases of your injury, you will next need to make sure you have a physiatrist that you see on a regular basis. They are a physical medicine rehabilitation doctor that specializes in helping people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities be as healthy independent as possible.

Make Sure You’re at a SCI Model System Hospital

Other than having the right doctors, you also need to make sure you are at a spinal cord injury model system hospital. These are a collection of hospitals that are considered the best for spinal cord injury rehabilitation and they are located in various states around the country. Here's a list of the hospitals to see if there's one near you: https://msktc.org/sci/model-system-centers

Continue All Inpatient Therapies

When you are newly paralyzed, you will generally be in the hospital for at least one month, and sometimes up to three months depending on your recovery. While there, you'll be offered several different kinds of therapy, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and recreational therapy, among others. If your insurance covers these therapies, make sure to take advantage of as many as possible. Not only will this be good for you physically, increasing your recovery chances, it is good for you mentally to stay busy.

Talk to a Mental Health Professional

Mental health is one of the biggest issues facing anyone with a new spinal cord injury and talking to a mental health professional is incredibly important in the first months of an injury. They will help you assess the situation, helping make the best out of a bad situation, as well as teach you coping methods, including help with depression and anxiety, which are very common in people with spinal cord injuries.

For many people when they find themselves newly paralyzed, they want to avoid mental health professionals since it can be difficult talking to someone who seemingly may not be able to understand what they're going through. If you are at a spinal cord injury model system hospital however, the mental health professionals on-staff are likely experts at helping people with spinal cord injuries, which you should definitely take advantage of.

Be Patient

And last and definitely not least is the importance of being patient when you are newly paralyzed. It can be very difficult getting accustomed to having a paralyzed body. One of the biggest things in needing help is learning how to be patient. It can be difficult learning how to rely on others for basic life needs, but that is the reality for many people spinal cord injuries. One of the biggest life lessons many people have to learn is the art of patience once they become paralyzed, but it can be done.

Having a new spinal cord injury may also give you cause to contact a medical malpractice attorney. If you feel you were unjustly injured, please contact us.