Journal May 2026 Release_Full Edition - Flipbook - Page 74
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guidance or treatment. An excerpt of his self-published book (Terry, 2018)
illustrates the scene when he learned of the fate he was doomed to:
The doctor walked in and told me that they weren’t sure what was
causing my paralysis. “The MRI’s indicate that your spinal cord is
inflamed. The inflammation is causing your paralysis and
unfortunately there is no way to reverse the damage that was
done…I’m sorry”. I didn’t want to accept this and immediately asked,
“does this mean that I’m going to be paralyzed for the rest of my
life???” The doctor looked at me and simply replied with a “yes, it
does”.
Will goes on to share the story of how, through a fierce refusal to accept this fate,
he came to regain feeling in his legs and recover his ability to walk. And how,
over the course of a year, he would teach himself to walk and toilet himself
without medical intervention. This personal determination, coupled with the love
and support from people like his wife, is often credited as the source of
motivation that has carried him on in his recovery, which continues to this day.
Fast forward to the present, Will and I started working together because his wife
was becoming increasingly worried that he was “deteriorating mentally”, losing
his temper with her, and was increasingly irritable and short-tempered with their
daughter. So, she reached out to schedule a phone consultation with me.
The consultation call
On the day of the consultation, I was running behind by a few minutes. When I
finally had the chance to reach Will, I could tell he was not happy with having to
wait. Though we joke about it now, at the time, it was no laughing matter. Will
was seething. He explained to me that we had a phone consultation at a specific
time and that it was my responsibility to make sure I managed my schedule, and
accused me of being unprofessional. The conversation was not going well. He
went on to explain that he has no patience for medical professionals because he’s
been jerked around by doctors, administrators, and past therapists. He had me
Animative Descriptions and Vivifying Discovery: Inviting Clients Into The Marvel Of Their Understory
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May 2026 Release, p. 52-79.
www.journalnft.com
