David Wheeler

I had an L3 injury in 1988 - I found out later I was bipolar (manic depressive), but at the time had severe depression when I tried to take my own life by falling from the top of a multi-storey car park.

Not much in life is guaranteed though, and I'm still here. I had 6 months in a general hospital learning to walk again, and am lucky that I can walk, with difficulty sometimes.

I worked in a hospital lab for a few years, and in 1994 started my own piano teaching business. I had played the piano from the age of 7 so it was a logical move.

Walkers have some of the same problems as other SCI people (e.g. nerve pain, continence issues) but we seem to be in a minority. Thanks to Forward magazine giving space over to a Walker's Forum (subject to enough contributions), we are building up a network of people sharing experiences and ideas.

David Wheeler