After breaking my neck on a trampoline in 1972, it didn't take much of an imagination to see that life was going to be very different for awhile. Remaining paralyzed was certainly not in my plans, but after 25 years of living with a Spinal Cord Injury, I guess you could say it's a done deal. That's life. Sometimes it has a strange way of dealing you cards that you don't want. How you play those cards will determine the quality of your life. You may even consider folding, which is only natural, but I hope that you will play even if you have to bluff once in awhile. For those of you who will play, I have written this book in the simple hope that it will help. If it can help you learn how to maneuver in your new world with SCI, or help your therapist teach you how, then it will have accomplished its purpose.

Before we begin, I should mention that you may not be able to accomplish all that is written in this book before you leave the rehabilitation setting. There may be a fairly long learning curve involved here, particularly for those of you with quadriplegia.

It has taken me years to learn all the things presented here, and after twenty years of teaching wheelchair mobility to people with SCI, I can assure you that what works for one does not necessarily work for all. Much of the early stages will be trial and error. You may need to try several different types of wheelchairs before you find one that feels right. Not only are the chairs different, but there are many different equipment options with many different settings. Just getting the chair right for you will take some time and hopefully your therapist will be able to narrow the field for you.

As a ray of hope, let me say that when I first went home there were many times when I wished I were dead. Just getting out of bed was a major hassle, let alone the "Activities of Daily Living". Even today, those things are still an annoyance, but I like to think that I am cheating death by living hard. I drive a four wheel drive pickup truck, tow a twenty-five foot trailer and travel the country alone. I try to go scuba diving in the Caribbean for one or two weeks a year. Canoeing, tennis, skiing, biking, skeet & trapshooting, bird watching and women are just a few of the fun things life still has to offer. I even manage to work once in awhile! My motto is "Keep your mind full and your bowels empty." If you can manage that you will be all right.

Good luck.

Note to PTs and OTs. : This book is designed mostly for you. The index on the inside back cover is for your quick reference. The double spacing is for you to add comments you may find helpful. This book is addressed to the person in the wheel- chair because I expect you to do all the activities I discuss herein. If you teach wheel- chair mobility, you should spend some time learning to do the activities in this book. If you cannot do them, you probably cannot teach them. They are not hard, and when you can show someone how to do something, it becomes much more believable.

Good luck.

[ Note: Throughout this book, I will be describing hand positions on the wheel using the clock as a reference. All descriptions will be for the right hand wheel. Example: 12:00 - is the highest point on the wheel, 3:00 - is the front of the wheel near the brake. ]