I need a miracle to walk again
2015 will be a year I will never forget. It held blessings and bummers.
Exactly 249 days ago, I had a serious back surgery (my 11th) to correct not only damage from a roll-over accident 15 years ago, but a genetic curvature, which prevented me from standing straight.
When I awoke, I was told I was paralyzed from the armpits down. I was in hospitals for 38 days, home for nine, then in for 41 more. I was taught at rehab to get around in an electric wheelchair, which is a challenge. Also, learning to be totally dependent on another person is hard.
We’ve been married 43 years, and this is by far the most difficult thing we’ve had to do. I am blessed to have survived the surgery and to have wonderful friends and family. They have been a support to us. I cling to the hope that possibly my spinal cord may start to wake up at nine to 12 months.
It is not known what, if any, I will regain. I am hoping for and expecting a miracle that I will walk again and regain feelings back. I can’t wait to see what 2016 will bring to us!
Sherry Hays, Tulare
This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 4:52 AM with the headline "I need a miracle to walk again."