What is something I wish I knew at the beginning of my journey that I know now and would like to share with others as they navigate a new injury/diagnosis?

Unlike many guys, my midlife crisis did not involve a red corvette, but at age 48, I did opt for a midnight blue power wheelchair, complete with a tilt function to help me breathe easier. You see a fall in my basement injured my C-3, C-4 vertebra.   At least my spinal cord was not severed only bruised.  But because it took 12 hours for friends and coworkers and EMTs to find me, my incomplete cord injury meant I was only going to recover so much function. 

While doctors and clinicians told me, I would never walk again, I thoroughly love proving them wrong every morning I walk, albeit with assistance for exercise. I also thrive on being very independent throughout the day.  I work and enjoy life. But all this self sufficiency did not happen overnight, nor did I do it on my own

The disability community is the only minority, anyone can join at anytime in life.  But most able-bodied people, like I was, never give that a thought.  There I was living alone, at the height of responsibility in my career working for a member of Congress from my home state of Wesf Virginia.  And then in an instant, I was stuck on my basement floor not able to move. So the surgeon put me back together and my physical and occupational therapists set me on the road to rehabilitation.  But then the insurance-controlled health industry, kicked me out of rehab just as I was starting to take some steps.  Even though I had just successfully brought a grilled cheese sandwich to my mouth to take a bite, my pleas that I could regain more of my physical functioning were ignored. I was discharged alone in a new world.

Well, not exactly totally alone. My work for the good congressman over a couple of decades had taught me to advocate for others. So, when I saw the writing on the wall that I was going to be kicked out of my rehab program, I decided it was time to advocate for myself.  So, I started to assemble a team. One to help me with my personal care, bathing, toileting, and dressing.  I also needed help building strength and improving my mobility.  As proof there are still angels on earth, one of those angels is still working with me 18 years later.  He got out of my converted dining room hospital room to walking upstairs using my shower and sleeping in my bedroom.  Like all things my life of rehab has had setbacks, but my midlife crisis taught a valuable lesson.  If you cannot prepare for every crisis, put what you know to work, and a better day will dawn. Or to paraphrase Mother Jones, pray for the dead and fight like Hell for yourself.