Hello my SCI/WC peeps. I've tried looking for volunteering services under the search bar but got limited results. So I'm asking yawl out there of various volunteer services that I can pass the time with. Self history: I'm a 52yo healthy slightly overweight WC dependent male. 6'3" 250 lbs T4 incomp. This happened 2 yrs ago. I also GOOGLED services for HCP WC peeps. I live in Fresno Cali and Option #1 is to be a peer counselor at the trauma rehab hosp here in town. Option #2 is to be a volunteer at the cardiac hosp where I used to work as a cardiac ICU nurse. Other than that I been taking up photography(not classes rather just going out and taking pics). Observing trials at the county courthouse(very interesting). What are other options that anybody has? United Spinal? SPCA? Childrens hosp as a cuddler?

Any tools for self bowel for quad

Hello. Curious if anyone in here has ever experimented with ketamine? I have a suprapubic catheter and I am susceptible to UTIs and kidney stones. I’ve done ketamine in about 20 times now and I’m trying to figure out if it’s creating issues for my UTIs or kidney stones. I know that there is risk of getting UTIs and kidney stones with ketamine, but I’m curious if anyone has experience With this and if they were able to get around it? It’s a very fun drug and it’s a better alternative to drinking alcohol or doing psilocybin (because I constantly spasm on psilocybin).

And yes, I know drugs are bad. I’m looking for something that I can replace drinking alcohol with when I go out with my friends. If I do weed, I will be anxious all night.

Hey guys! I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience with traveling for surgery and figuring things out. I have quite a complicated syrinx that needs to be operated on for the second time. I’ve been sort of unofficially referred to a different doctor at Johns Hopkins. I was supposed to have surgery this past week at my local hospital but the doctor at Johns Hopkins (who is helping advise my neurosurgeon) requested I have additional scans. After completing these scans my local neurosurgeon tells me he can still do the surgery but feels more confident in letting this other neurologist at Johns Hopkins take over and do the surgery. I was told he’s done the surgery a handful of times last year. Only thing is that none of the details are ironed out yet and I expect there to be complications with insurance. Has anyone else been through a similar situation?

Hi.

So I'm a t10-t11 paraplegic (complete). I live in the Philippines. I had an accident in 2022, so more than 2 years now. I was in a relationship during the accident. My girlfriend took care of me aside from my family. She helped me a lot. Physically, mentally, everything. She was there when everything was so down. We had rough and happy days, then got to a point where we always argued and fight. Maybe I was not so mentally stable as well. To keep the long story short, I caught her cheating. That was 8 months ago. And I can't even explain how painful it was to know you are being betrayed by the one you truly love. Until now, it's always in my head. I broke up with her many times but she doesn't want to.

But just tonight, I ended everything. I broke up with her. I just don't like the thought that I'll be paranoid for the rest of my life if she ever goes out or does something outside. I want peace of mind. I want to be free.

Being in love was the best thing I have ever experienced, I could say. But I feel sorry for myself that my perspective on love won't ever be the same again.

Going abroad has been my dream since. I know it's likely impossible in my situation now - being in a wheelchair. But can I ever live abroad as a wheelchair user? I want to live far.

Any drummers with an SCI out there? I was injured in April last year, L3 incomplete - I can walk with aids, and have a little bit of a flicker in both ankles, predominantly the right. I’ve always wanted to play drums and had planned to start lessons pre-injury. At the end of last year, wanting to do something for myself outside of rehab, I decided to go for a trial lesson, explaining to the teacher that I may not get anything out of the kick drum because of my ankles/feet. Much to my surprise, I managed it, though lightly, and I’ve been having lessons every week since. Is anyone here a drummer / still drumming? I’m curious whether you’ve found it helps with recovery - I’m seeing it as good repetition for my ankle movements as well as cardio, core work and balance.

So I(26F) have been in a relationship with my fiancé(29M) for 5 years now. My fiancé is a paraplegic due to an injury he suffered in an accident when he was 13. As a result of that, my fiancé uses a wheelchair, and he has no sensation below the waist. Due to his injury he has erectyle dysfunction, so he has to use viagra in order to get erections that don't last long, and he is unable to ejaculate. We pretty much have given up with PIV, and we have accepted the fact that our sex life is different from other couples.

My fiancé and I got engaged 6 months ago, and we have been planning our soon to come wedding, and we have also talked about having children. I've always wanted to be a mother, and my fiancé likes the idea of being a father. Unfortunately, we're unable to conceive in a traditionak way, and we're looking for ways in order to have children of our own. We have researched a little and thought about IVF, but we don't know much about it and we'd like to read some suggestions about IVF.

I’ve only ever worked in restaurants prior to my injury. Also I don’t have a high school diploma, I’m 25. My ssdi was lowered a lot and I’m considering looking for a job but I don’t know what I can do. I have some retail experience too.

Hi guys. Just found this on my ass. Im a lil worried.. i have a weeks reip away planned next week so need to know if this is a sore. It turns white when i touch it.

My daughter is going to junior senior prom soon and is in a Ki rogue 2 wheelchair, was looking to see if anyone has any experience with puffy dresses that doesn’t get caught up in the wheels!

Few things bother me more than when an able-bodied person tells me I need to reaffirm myself to Christ (I’m not Christian). I haven’t found a polite, subtle way to change the topic (religious zealots don’t seem to be good with subtlety), and blowing up and lashing out at the insensitivity of others isn’t productive, nor my style. I end up just acquiescing and agreeing that yes, there’s a divine plan, and if I keep praying every day, then my hands will move and I’ll walk again. I even hated typing that.

So how do you handle situations like this?

kenansville rehabilitation and healthcare center photos https://g.co/kgs/hjn4MKf this is the facility! Preciate yalls support as a community 💯

Hi everyone, my name is Peyton and I am an occupational therapy student at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. I am working on a semester-long project focused on gathering information about social participation and community integration after a SCI. I have a few questions to ask for anyone willing to share their thoughts and experiences! Your answers will hopefully help inform current and future rehabilitation therapists in assisting people post-SCI in their social and community goals. Feel free to comment below or start a chat with me individually!

1. What does social participation and/or community integration mean to you? Or how would you define it?

2. What are/were some concerns you had right after your injury about social activities?

3. What are the biggest challenges or barriers you face when it comes to participating in social or community activities?

4. What are factors that have increased your ability to participate socially?

5. Did you or do you currently work with an Occupational Therapist to address social participation goals/concerns?

6. Are there any national resources or organizations that have assisted you?

I know this sounds weird, but whether we use a Foley and a bag, intermittent cath, or just can't hold it sometimes, we all have that story. I have been a T12 para for 38 years and have a spastic (selfish asshole of a) bladder. I IC'ed for most of that time but a wound on my butt and my bladders proclivity for dancing and spazzing force me to use a Foley and I'm now a tubed woman...

I have some good ones, but my earliest is the best.

I was injured in a downhill ski jump accident in Alaska at age 15. While still in the hospital (in Anchorage, hundreds of miles from my home), my mom and a friend snuck me out and took me to Chilcoot Charlie's. It's still there now...it was a huge place with five venues and bars all in different genres at the time...and sawdust and peanut shell floors. Truly a dive bar...full of the incredible, interesting mash of people I'm proud to call fellow Alaskans

My mom is very young...was only 32 at the time. And she wanted me to have fun. She took me to the bar. I had been working hard in Rehab and mentioned it to a guy at our table, who decided to arm wrestle me for a beer. We all know he lost...and it wasn't on purpose! Other guys from around the bar saw and heard about this and started lining up. I soon had a STACK of beer at our table...don't care if they were letting me win - my whole table was drinking for free...couldn't drink or give them away fast enough (please reserve judgement...I know it was wrong...and it was Alaska in the 80s!!). I could barely feel my bladder, except when it spasmed. They gave me that drug that pretty much pinches your urinary sphincter SHUT and the feeling and function below my chest hadn't returned yet. We knew my bladder was really full cuz the spasms were shaking my legs...and we had forgotten any catheters!

I refused to leave so soon so my friend the drunk genius ran out to the bar and ordered a shot of everclear and a stir straw. She then ran back into the bathroom, poured the everclear (180 proof give or take) over the straw and handed it to me. Yes. It worked!! I got a little bit of a UTI but to 15 year old me it was worth it!!

I DID have a 1400 cc cath when I got back to the hospital later which pissed off my nurse, and security was mad and they yelled at mom and I...but I was SOOO happy to have gotten out of the hospital for the first time since I had broken myself over a month before. The whole security thing was funny to me. I ended up checking out AMA (too soon) and having the same security haul my crap to my car for me...started a career of always leaving when I'm ready, not when they are!!!

Hi, im a T7 complete. Anyway. Does anyone know what this is called and a place to get them?

Hey everyone,

I'm interested in buying a kayak this summer for recreational/exercise purposes.

I am a T12 complete. Just curious what brands/models of kayaks others are using and the benefits and drawbacks.

Thanks

My brother fell from 3 story building and at first he could’ve walk and got to the hospital still walking but he had broken his back he needed to have surgery and he couldn’t walk since, he’s very suicidal and sick ,sick as mad he had enough he doesn’t have the power to even fight he’s very depressed and thinks there’s nothing that can help him .. he used to be a believer and love god but now he don’t even know him everyday my mom and dad help him and one thing they did wrong he’d go crazy. Will he ever walk again?

Hi all!

For the anniversary of my accident this year, I am trying to plan a trip to Cancun and need any ideas and advice from anyone who has been there. Where did you stay? Was it accessible? Any accessible activities you’d recommend? I use a power wheelchair and I’ve already found a beach wheelchair rental but is there anything else I can do to make this trip great?

had a pancreas and kidney transplant two years ago. However, a week after the surgery, I suffered a stroke in my spinal cord, which left me quadriplegic. I had an indwelling urinary catheter until last month when I underwent a procedure to switch to a suprapubic catheter. Before the procedure, due to my spinal cord injury, I could experience a slight orgasm during sex, but it was all in my brain with no physical sensation in my body. After the procedure, when I had sex, I was able to have a proper orgasm, feeling it completely, with my abdomen shaking. For the first time, I saw discharge from my penis, which I believe is semen due to its stickiness and smell. However, it had no color and was like glue. I wanted to know if it is possible to have proper semen with a suprapubic catheter, or if it blocks the way for semen to come out.

Anyone else still deal with confidence issues and being anxious everywhere you go? It’s been nearly 5 years and I can’t go anywhere near school without feeling as though everyone is watching me. It’s not the staring that bothers me… half the time I don’t notice it but friends do. I just get so in my head when I’m alone around campus or in college classes when I don’t have friends in the class. Is this normal? I don’t have this issue in public though at the store or anywhere else that often. It’s mostly on my college campus and in classroom settings. DAE experience this or have any ideas why I’m like this?

So i’m only 21 , just recently got put into this wheelchair lifestyle T10 non traumatic injury. It’s hard for me because i think a lot about my future and what i’m going to do to make money and live. I think about it often because my parents are older so if there not in my life anymore what am i going to do i won’t have anyone anymore to help care for me. I just hope i can walk again. What jobs do you guys do for wheelchair bound people, how do you manage to afford living being paraplegic.

Our regional center has agreed to try to buy a Rifton gait trainer for my 1 year old daughter (L1 incomplete), but they need us to go through our insurance first. This is our first time buying any medical equipment like this - do we just buy it off the website and submit that to our insurance, or do we need to go through a 3rd party provider (example: went through orthotist for her HKAFOs)? I was able to get my pediatrician to write a prescription for the exact equipment.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but figured I'd get a clear answer from here quicker than through insurance!!

Does anyone have a sex position for a wheelchair user besides the obvious?

Please help Edit- also how do yall go about yalls lives when having diarrhea? I’m tempted to bring mine to a grinding halt.

Hope everyone on here is doing as good as they can! I recently gave birth to beautiful twin girls (as a complete C3 quad!) so life is pretty great! Let’s have a chat, whats going on in your life, how are you doing atm? I’ve been In these trenches for 11 years now, so if anyone fancies a chat, maybe if they are newly diagnosed, or just because then my DM’s are open :) (27f btw!)

Hello fellow SCI peeps, I have a question for y'all: I'm a 52yo slightly overweight 6'3" 250lbs, T4 incomp 2 yrs ago. I been using a condom cath everynight overnight because when I sleep I dont notice my urge to pee and I'll piss my diaper. Every morning I have to remove the CC and get on with my day. When I'm awake I can feel my urge to pee and I pee in the urinal. My question is this...has anyone had skin issues when removing the CC?? Skin tears? Skin ulcerations/skin irritation around the dick, or base of the dick? I have boxes of the no sting skin prep that I used for a couple months but since stopped because I had no skin issues. It hasn't happened to me and I been doing this for 1.5yrs now. I'm taking Xarelto for episodes of blood clots to my legs so I'm concerned that if I get a skin tear to my dick its going to bleed and bleed. Any comments appreciated.

Hi r/spinalcordinjuries,

I'm a computer science researcher working on non-invasive brain-computer interfaces to make digital devices more accessible and natural to use. I'd love to have brief conversations with community members to learn about your experiences with computers, phones, and other devices.

If you're open to a quick 15-20 min chat, please comment or DM me. Your insights would be incredibly valuable for this research.

Thanks in advance!