I'm 52 years old and fell in my kitchen at home and was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I discovered I was paralysed from the neck down due to a C3/4 spinal cord injury. Following a brief admittance to Luton and Dunstable Hospital, I was transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital.  The prognosis was uncertain and it was unknown if I would walk again. It was a very scary time.

In those first few days, I constantly questioned the staff in ICU who calmly answered as they could at the time and tried to keep me in a positive mindset, all things considered.  I was in a neck brace, unable to move, feeling very low and unsure of my future.  I was alone, isolated from family and friends.

Five days in, I met Vihing, an Aspire Assistive Technologist. We chatted and she provided options for using my phone and tablet independently to contact family and friends and access entertainment.

Initially, I thought, "This is going to be my position permanently", and was reluctant to accept help. However, Vihing was encouraging, demonstrating support will change as my needs change and counting tiles on the ceiling will be tedious.

Accepting Vihing's help was a huge change in my demeanour. She set up voice access on my phone and mounted my phone to my over-the-bed table, so it was in front of me. It was a little tricky at first to manage due to environmental noise and being soft-spoken. However, with encouragement and training from Vihing, I managed to master voice access. Following surgery and transfer from ICU, Vihing continues to visit. She listens and tweaks my phone/tablet set-up each time to ensure my needs are met and aid ongoing recovery.  She provided a stylus pen to encourage fine motor movement and grip.

Life in hospital can be problematic. Busy wards meant lots of constant noise, lack of sleep, uncomfortable mattress/bed, and the uncertainty of my future mobility, that definitely led to one of my lowest points.  It only takes the slightest little thing to make you feel just that little bit worse than you already are.

Being able to contact friends and family helped lift my spirits. Making contact with the outside world allowed me to see people were still there and they were still caring about me, even though they had not been able to visit. 

My nights are no longer dull. I watch TV programmes, films and listen to the radio from my devices. The ability to independently use my phone and tablet hands-free is brilliant. It's like having an extra hand for me, and I still use the equipment now.  Without this support I would have gone absolutely insane.

Leave yesterday behind and start again today. Each day is its own journey and comes with its own set of challenges.  If you approach it that way, it's easier to sort of get through.  My recovery has been incremental. I am walking again, but still don't have full hand function, but my mindset has changed. I have enjoyed Vihing's visits and friendly chats. With all the help and support from all the therapists at Addenbrooke's Hospital on my journey; I thank them.

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