No matter what kind of accidents you may have in your life, you probably want an easy recovery ahead. Having to take some ibuprofen and put your feet up after a fall is not the worst way to spend a weekend after a workplace fall.
In the event of a catastrophic injury though, like a spinal cord injury, it will not take a weekend’s worth of rest to recover. Knowing what is ahead of you may help ease a difficult recovery process.
Surgery and rehabilitation
In the immediate aftermath, doctors and other medical professionals have a lot to worry about when approaching your SCI. It is important to keep your spine stable in order to avoid further damage. It may require surgery to reinforce that stability, avoid blood clots and clear out any broken pieces from the wound.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, you may spend an average of 42 days for hospital and rehabilitation needs.
Recovery and costs
Depending on the severity of your SCI, you may experience tingling or numbness as well as paralysis through your recovery. For many, these results are permanent. Adjusting to them requires months of acclimation and potentially thousands of dollars in disability care.
Ignoring the first-year healthcare costs like surgery and physical therapy, many of those who suffer SCIs have costs in the subsequent years ranging between $45,000 and $200,000 per year.
When facing this long road to recovery—or to your new normal, it is important to know what to expect and what options you have at your disposal for recovering any of the financial expenses involved.
