Howard Falkinburg

7 1/2 years. It’s long enough for the shock to fade, long enough for routines to form, long enough for people to assume you have “adjusted”…but not long enough for the injury to stop reshaping your life.

When I suffered my spinal cord injury, I did not get a roadmap. There is no one handing you a guide titled “How to Rebuild your Life from Scratch. ”You learned by living it—one complication, one breakthrough, one exhausting day at a time.

Here’s what I want people to understand: life after CSI isn’t a story, it is a library.

What People Don’t See  – But Should

Living with SCI is not static experience. It’s not “recovery finish.” It’s not”new normal achieved.” It’s a constantly shifting landscape.

• Spasticity still shows up uninvited, mostly intense, always disruptive.
• Pain is a subplot that keeps evolving.
• Mobility depends on equipment, environment, energy, and availability. Any one of these can fail you on a random day.
• Secondary issues-bladder, bowel, skin, circulation-demands vigilance every single day.
• Fatigue is neurological. It hits like a wall.

These are not complaints. They are realities. This isn’t seeking sympathy. It’s about education. People don’t understand what they don’t see.

What I’ve Learned -The Hard Way and The Good Way

Despite everything, these years have taught me more than I ever expected.

I’ve learned how strong the human body is, even when it’s injured.

I’ve learned how adaptable the mind is when it has no other choice.

I’ve learned how much community matters-the people who show up, stay curious, and ask how they can help.

I’ve had victories I didn’t think was possible. I’ve had setbacks that has knocked me flat. I’ve had days where I felt unstoppable and days when I felt undone.

But I’m still here. Still learning. Still adapting. Still living a full, complicated, meaningful life.

Why I’m Writing This

I want to keep people updated-the ones who have been with me since the beginning, and the ones who have joined along the way.

But I also want to educate. SCI is misunderstood, oversimplified, and often invisible. If sharing my experience helps one person understand what their friend, partner, or family member is going through, then this blog has a purpose.

• Life After SCI is still life
• It’s worth living
• It’s worth talking about
• And it’s worth understanding

Thanks for reading. Thanks for being here. Let’s keep going.