Wellbeing
I am LRO: Sara Jenkins
http://www.liferollson.org/site/c.9rJLK3MLJfLWH/b.8014653/k.5256/I_am_L…
Life Rolls On is pleased to introduce readers to incredible participants of its quality of life programs. In this edition, meet Wilmington, North Carolina’s Sara Jenkins, who has grown from a first-time adaptive surfer at They Will Surf Again into a skilled veteran of the program. Attending multiple They Will Surf Again events in North Carolina and Virginia, Jenkins was featured on LRO’s They Will Surf Again flyers that were provided to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and local businesses to promote the 2011 schedule.
LRO: Sara, your story is quite unique. Tell us a little about your issues with mobility and why you began using a wheelchair.
SJ: I was diagnosed at age 12 with a chronic pain disorder that progressed and led to being confined to a wheelchair by age 14. At age 24, I hit a pothole with my wheelchair and was thrown out causing a shoulder injury and ultimately confining me to a bed for 18 months. This changed everything in my life - from the friends I had to where I went to college. Thankfully, I had a good team of doctors and physical and occupational therapists that stuck with me during the difficult times.
LRO: I heard you’ve been implanted with Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS) – pretty high tech stuff! Can you explain to our readers exactly what it was like and how it has affected your life?
SJ: Although I have had many procedures over the years, the St. Jude Medical spinal cord stimulator was the only one that worked for any length of time. I have two spinal cord stimulators implanted in my back. They deliver mild electrical pulses which interrupt or mask the pain signals before they travel to the brain. They are like having a pacemaker for pain. (You can find out more at www.PowerOverYourPain.com.)
Before my stimulators, I was confined to a bed and had trouble with all aspects of life. On top of this, I had excruciating pain that would never let up. I would work with my physical therapist on standing with crutches and could only make it about 30 seconds. During my trial phase with the stimulator, I stood for five minutes! I did so well the next day that the physical therapist suggested walking. I had not walked in years at this point, but made it 75 feet with crutches! At this point, I knew this therapy worked for me! After having my second spinal cord stimulator implanted (one for both legs, one for both arms), my pain decreased and my ability increased. Two-and-a-half years later, I’m walking with one crutch - sometimes even dropping it and surfing!
LRO: You are now one of our veteran surfers at They Will Surf Again. How many years have you been participating in our program?
SJ: This is my third year participating. I’ve been to three They Will Surf Again events at Wrightsville Beach, NC and one in Virginia Beach, VA last year.
LRO: On your TWSA registration form, you stated LRO helped give you the hope to get through your last two surgeries. Can you explain the type of “hope” our programs provided for you?
SJ: In March of 2009, I was working with my physical and occupational therapist to get as strong as I could before my second spinal cord stimulator was to be implanted in May 2009. I was working on sitting up, rolling over, and just being able to propel my wheelchair.
I needed something to motivate me to get through all the painful therapy and, ultimately, the implant of my second spinal cord stimulator. This is when I found out about the Wrightsville Beach TWSA event and knew I had to go. The stimulator was giving me a second chance at life, and I was going to include surfing this time! My first year at LRO was amazing. I was still recovering from the spinal cord stimulator implant and was in a neck brace. I was very nervous that I would move my neck more than I should, but all the volunteers made sure I was safe. This fueled me to keep getting stronger and push what I could physically do. My second year at the Wrightsville Beach event was the best yet! We had BIG waves (a hurricane was off shore!). I started in my chair, but moved to walking around on my crutches because I wanted to go everywhere and talk to people. My third year, I was even stronger and walked with only one crutch! Who knows what year four will bring?
The Life Rolls On events and its surfing program have given me so much hope to keep going! It gives me something to look forward to. I have a friend, who had a severe stroke in January 2011. He and his wife came over, and I learned that they were losing hope of getting better. I brought out all my pictures from the previous events and talked about how amazing it was. He started smiling and getting excited about this! I later heard from his wife that this was what they had needed, something to look forward to. They attended the Wrightsville Beach event this year and had an amazing time. I talked to his wife a few days ago and he is now determined to use his arm again!
LRO: We loved your great expression and the sweet wave you caught at They Will Surf Again-North Carolina so much that we used it on our promotional flyer for the 2011 TWSA schedule. Tell us, how does it feel to be an LRO “celebrity”?
SJ: It was exciting! I didn’t even see this until the TWSA pre-party at the Wrightsville Beach event.
LRO: How important is it for programs such as this to come to your local community?
SJ: Very! Without Life Rolls On, a local non-profit (Ocean Cure) that staffs the Wrightsville Beach, NC event, and my spinal cord stimulators, I wouldn’t be able to do what I can today! Pain really impacts all areas of your life. I tell people that they just have to keep fighting; you have to keep searching for something that will work for you one day. As long as you have that hope, you can keep going!
LRO: You bring a large group of friends to volunteer at They Will Surf Again. How does it feel to surf surrounded not only by people you know, but also new volunteers you just met that day?
SJ: It’s great to have faces you know there, and I love meeting new friends. I definitely trust the volunteers!
Sara Jenkins
LRO: What are your words of advice for people who are hesitant to come out and surf for the first time with us?
SJ: Just try it! If you’re unsure about surfing, be sure to let a volunteer know, and they will work with you. It’s YOUR day, enjoy it!
If you would like to participate in Life Rolls On's They Will Surf Again, please see the schedule here here.
http://www.liferollson.org/site/c.9rJLK3MLJfLWH/b.8014653/k.5256/I_am_L…
Life Rolls On is pleased to introduce readers to incredible participants of its quality of life programs. In this edition, meet Wilmington, North Carolina’s Sara Jenkins, who has grown from a first-time adaptive surfer at They Will Surf Again into a skilled veteran of the program. Attending multiple They Will Surf Again events in North Carolina and Virginia, Jenkins was featured on LRO’s They Will Surf Again flyers that were provided to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and local businesses to promote the 2011 schedule.
LRO: Sara, your story is quite unique. Tell us a little about your issues with mobility and why you began using a wheelchair.
SJ: I was diagnosed at age 12 with a chronic pain disorder that progressed and led to being confined to a wheelchair by age 14. At age 24, I hit a pothole with my wheelchair and was thrown out causing a shoulder injury and ultimately confining me to a bed for 18 months. This changed everything in my life - from the friends I had to where I went to college. Thankfully, I had a good team of doctors and physical and occupational therapists that stuck with me during the difficult times.
LRO: I heard you’ve been implanted with Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS) – pretty high tech stuff! Can you explain to our readers exactly what it was like and how it has affected your life?
SJ: Although I have had many procedures over the years, the St. Jude Medical spinal cord stimulator was the only one that worked for any length of time. I have two spinal cord stimulators implanted in my back. They deliver mild electrical pulses which interrupt or mask the pain signals before they travel to the brain. They are like having a pacemaker for pain. (You can find out more at www.PowerOverYourPain.com.)
Before my stimulators, I was confined to a bed and had trouble with all aspects of life. On top of this, I had excruciating pain that would never let up. I would work with my physical therapist on standing with crutches and could only make it about 30 seconds. During my trial phase with the stimulator, I stood for five minutes! I did so well the next day that the physical therapist suggested walking. I had not walked in years at this point, but made it 75 feet with crutches! At this point, I knew this therapy worked for me! After having my second spinal cord stimulator implanted (one for both legs, one for both arms), my pain decreased and my ability increased. Two-and-a-half years later, I’m walking with one crutch - sometimes even dropping it and surfing!
LRO: You are now one of our veteran surfers at They Will Surf Again. How many years have you been participating in our program?
SJ: This is my third year participating. I’ve been to three They Will Surf Again events at Wrightsville Beach, NC and one in Virginia Beach, VA last year.
LRO: On your TWSA registration form, you stated LRO helped give you the hope to get through your last two surgeries. Can you explain the type of “hope” our programs provided for you?
SJ: In March of 2009, I was working with my physical and occupational therapist to get as strong as I could before my second spinal cord stimulator was to be implanted in May 2009. I was working on sitting up, rolling over, and just being able to propel my wheelchair.
I needed something to motivate me to get through all the painful therapy and, ultimately, the implant of my second spinal cord stimulator. This is when I found out about the Wrightsville Beach TWSA event and knew I had to go. The stimulator was giving me a second chance at life, and I was going to include surfing this time! My first year at LRO was amazing. I was still recovering from the spinal cord stimulator implant and was in a neck brace. I was very nervous that I would move my neck more than I should, but all the volunteers made sure I was safe. This fueled me to keep getting stronger and push what I could physically do. My second year at the Wrightsville Beach event was the best yet! We had BIG waves (a hurricane was off shore!). I started in my chair, but moved to walking around on my crutches because I wanted to go everywhere and talk to people. My third year, I was even stronger and walked with only one crutch! Who knows what year four will bring?
The Life Rolls On events and its surfing program have given me so much hope to keep going! It gives me something to look forward to. I have a friend, who had a severe stroke in January 2011. He and his wife came over, and I learned that they were losing hope of getting better. I brought out all my pictures from the previous events and talked about how amazing it was. He started smiling and getting excited about this! I later heard from his wife that this was what they had needed, something to look forward to. They attended the Wrightsville Beach event this year and had an amazing time. I talked to his wife a few days ago and he is now determined to use his arm again!
LRO: We loved your great expression and the sweet wave you caught at They Will Surf Again-North Carolina so much that we used it on our promotional flyer for the 2011 TWSA schedule. Tell us, how does it feel to be an LRO “celebrity”?
SJ: It was exciting! I didn’t even see this until the TWSA pre-party at the Wrightsville Beach event.
LRO: How important is it for programs such as this to come to your local community?
SJ: Very! Without Life Rolls On, a local non-profit (Ocean Cure) that staffs the Wrightsville Beach, NC event, and my spinal cord stimulators, I wouldn’t be able to do what I can today! Pain really impacts all areas of your life. I tell people that they just have to keep fighting; you have to keep searching for something that will work for you one day. As long as you have that hope, you can keep going!
LRO: You bring a large group of friends to volunteer at They Will Surf Again. How does it feel to surf surrounded not only by people you know, but also new volunteers you just met that day?
SJ: It’s great to have faces you know there, and I love meeting new friends. I definitely trust the volunteers!
Sara Jenkins
LRO: What are your words of advice for people who are hesitant to come out and surf for the first time with us?
SJ: Just try it! If you’re unsure about surfing, be sure to let a volunteer know, and they will work with you. It’s YOUR day, enjoy it!
If you would like to participate in Life Rolls On's They Will Surf Again, please see the schedule here here.