How does one cope with a sudden disability?

God! I could be looking in the mirror. I feel totally useless my self! Almost 39, had gold career opportunity in Nursing loved it. Trashed my knees in a fall and ended up with arthritis, then fell down the stairs and broke the small bone in my back ouch. Now I have arthritis in my back and my knees and my blessed left shoulder grrr, add to that I suffer from major depression and life, well sometimes i wonder if its worth carrying on at all :( When my Mum suggested getting a commode I said take me to a vets and put me down, the day I get a commode or wheelchair is the day you put me in my box! Okay so that may seem totally selfish, but I do feel like a flaming lead weight on society. One reason why I am looking at putting my computer to work so that I can earn some money and hopefully stop feeding or sponging off the state. Perhaps improve my quality of life. At the crux of everything I would love to do is money, without money you become a practical invalid in your home because everything costs money. I won't moan about it I have moaned about it enough. Just to let you know you are not alone, and you give me hope that your optomism will "brush" off on me and I will get out of this rut. Good luck bright blessings We'll climb Everest together one day ;)

There is no easy answer for this and I can assure you there is no doctors or counselors that can help you to deal with it. I'm speaking from my own personal experience and became disabled in 2001. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I had a very active life up till then and had not ever really had an serious illness. At the time I was told, I was in shock and could hardly beleive it. And to tel the truth didn't really know what to expect or how I would deal with it. There is no cure for MS and outlook for me was not all that good. I have primary progressive MS, which once you loose nerve and muscle control in that area, you never get back. I when thru those few year or so feeling what am I going to do now. Can't work or do many of the things I use to do as my mobility has been restricted. Even went thru a bitter divorce in 2003 and that's when I finally figured out. I was the only one that could do anything to cope with any of this. When I look around I see, many that are far worse off than I am. During the divorce I lost literally every material thing I owned. Between my Ex and her boy friend they waiped out every thing. I decided then the disability and people trying to disrupt my life were not going to win. I look around and see many much worse off than I am. Only you can make the choice to move on and deal with the limits you have. No one else can do that for you.

It is not easy and I am still trying to cope 5 Years ago I was diagnosed with my Illness I was working as an Area Manager and loved my Job 3 years later I got bullied out of Job after being there nearly 9 years because of the Illness I got worse through all the stress and now I am disabled and I find it hard I still feel useless at times I really do but I have started writing a book which gives me that bit of go now I know how you feel and it is not easy I have gone from a very active Person to a slow Person and having to watch what I am doing but try and find something to do that you think you are good at or want to try

Adjustment counseling. I was a very active person - I hiked, rode horseback, did overnight canyoning, was a zookeeper, and then I broke my back. Completely tore up a major nerve cluster and landed myself in a wheelchair for over a year - I still need it if I'm going out for more than an hour or two. I was a mess. I felt useless, I felt pathetic. My doctor kept urging me to try adjustment counseling, and finally I did. It's the only thing that has helped me. It was a struggle and it still is, but I do a lot of work in the disabled community and I write about disabled issues and try to help others through my own experiences. You just need to find an outlet. And the counseling helps with that.

some thing comes in life so sudden we can not deal with it

I think I suffer from a similar situation. I had a big accident and my left hand lost its elbow crushed due to the weght of a two wheeler. I had to go for a series of operations and now I have a lot of plates and screws supporting my hand. I can barely type with my left hand and this really poses as a big challenge. But I believe you really learn the value of life and its belongings by going through such an incident. This has really made me more determined in my approach and if your can see I am really devoting a lot of my time and energy on Mylot, typing with one hand. I have just been here for 3 days now and wish to reach my 500 tally soon. I am determined to do it within this week.

may be i can't give you a good advice because i never experience that before... but all i can think of is for you to find a community with the people who have the same or similar experience like you and join them so that you have friends to share your burden... i find it really easier when you have someone to share rather than if you have to take it yourself... otherwise, find a professional and have a councelling... it will help a lot as well to ease your burden... hope you will be coping alright... good luck...

Can you maybe get an extra assistant at work to help you out or even cut down to working part time? or even both? That is a shame after working so hard for your career goals. I was going to ask maybe if you can get a second opinion, but I can imagine that your in so much pain that it would not be wise to continue full time anyways. :( Wish I can help.