Blogs - Reeve Foundation Community

Disability confidential. Informing. Empowering. Agitating.

Life After Paralysis is a blog that represents a variety of paralysis community members. It is a place for open conversation about the issues and the interests of people living with paralysis, their family, friends, caregivers, and the professionals that serve them. Comments are welcome!

The opinions expressed in these blogs are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Most Recent Life After Paralysis Blog Posts

Image And Reality

If you watched the Oscars the other night -- a relatively few people did, ratings-wise – then you probably noticed a couple of things. One, seven out of the eight “Best Picture” nominees were small films virtually unknown to the audience watching the show. Only one, “American Sniper,” could be called a popular movie and it ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Mar 3, 2015 1:45 PM EST

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Secrets To Save Our Shoulders

If we are lucky enough to live long enough, parts of our body are going to begin wearing out. Many people my age, and even younger, are moving around on replacement knees and hip joints. For those of us who are paralyzed at various levels, I would argue that two of the most important body parts are the shoulders. We need them for basic mobility (propulsion), ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Feb 19, 2015 1:02 PM EST

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Working With A Capital W

The great divide, the gaping chasm, between the disabled and the non-disabled in this country is work. Post-ADA, so many of the problems people with disabilities face are due to hoary old stereotypes and continual isolation from mainstream Americans. Much of the fear or discomfort that non-disabled people feel toward people like you and me is caused ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Feb 18, 2015 11:25 AM EST

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Chillaxin’

I’m experiencing the world’s strong feelings and emotions of anxiety and fear as one of those toys designed to spin that children play with, a spinning top. This toy seems perfectly balanced as the rotating speed keeps it spinning, it almost seems to be a forever and ever perpetual motion machine, never gonna stop spinning. But as the ... more...

Posted by Candace on Life After Paralysis Feb 17, 2015 2:37 PM EST

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Look Around

I am the chair of the Writers with Disabilities Committee at the Writers Guild of America West and our job is to get TV and film producers to hire more disabled writers and at the same time include more characters/actors in their shows and films. To this end we recently produced a PSA to make that point. It's called "Look Around" and is one ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Feb 5, 2015 7:00 PM EST

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Caring For Those Who Care For Us

Apprehension has been a constant presence in my life for the past 27 years, and probably will continue to be during whatever time I have left. Each day starts the same, as I lie in bed waiting to hear the familiar sound of the power door opener which signals the arrival of my morning caregiver. On a good day, that door will open. An even better day starts when ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Feb 5, 2015 1:36 PM EST

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Spare Parts

Last week was a chance to celebrate a friend's 85 th birthday. As you can imagine there were people of all ages in attendance, from the age of three to one hundred offering pleasant and heartfelt greetings on this wonderful day. At some point in idle conversation, how our health is and the subject of the spare parts we all now have when a joint cracks or a disc ... more...

Posted by Candace on Life After Paralysis Jan 27, 2015 3:11 PM EST

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A Wheelers Guide To Exceptional Grandparenting

Hundreds of books have been written about how to be a good parent, but there seem to be very few about "grandparenthood." I guess the experts figure that once someone has the hang of parenting, helping raise grandkids should be a piece of cake. That is all well and good, but sometimes the presence of a grandparent in a wheelchair complicates things a bit. ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Jan 26, 2015 9:27 PM EST

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The Governor In A Wheelchair

In case you haven’t heard, the newly-elected governor of the Great State of Texas is a wheelchair user. As every local pundit agreed, Greg Abbott, a waist-level para, crushed his opponent Wendy Davis, getting almost 60% of the vote. There hasn’t been a disabled governor in America since populist George Wallace’s last term in 1983. ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Jan 21, 2015 3:02 PM EST

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2015: Our Challenges Continue

When I awoke on New Year's morning it felt a lot like it did the morning of the day before. My process for getting up, dressed and into my wheelchair took as long as usual, and the cold, cloudy weather cast a somber mood over the day. I felt more like the old bearded guy carrying a sickle than I did the diaper-clad kid in a top hat that usually accompanies him ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Jan 13, 2015 4:50 PM EST

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Thanks 2014, I'll Miss You

The year 2014 felt to be a turning point year for me, a really blessed and appreciated year for me so full of new and completely engaging experiences that presented to me a adjusted map of how I want my life to play out in the coming years. Maybe it had to do with turning sixty about mid-way through the year or maybe it was changing the title of the webcast I ... more...

Posted by Candace on Life After Paralysis Jan 6, 2015 12:51 PM EST

The Great Leap Forward

I’m probably mangling his words, but in his welcoming remarks at the 2nd Annual “Hope for the Holidays” Reeve Foundation gala in Los Angeles, Reeve President Peter Wilderotter used the analogy of wandering around a pitch dark room, looking for a light switch, to describe finding a treatment for SCI. In other words, it’s a bit ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Dec 30, 2014 2:13 PM EST

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Paralysis Is A Family Affair

Those who are familiar with paralysis realize how devastating and life-changing that diagnosis can be to an individual of any age. Paralysis, resulting in loss of function at a variety of levels, is a sentence to a life that is completely different than what might have been before. However, there is another situation involved, often overlooked, that ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Dec 30, 2014 2:03 PM EST

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Gifts That Keep On Giving

My gift-giving list for the holidays is fairly short, by necessity. My bank account suffers from the usual end-of-month bills, and it wasn't very large to begin with thanks to my life with this spinal cord injury. Making sure my personal care attendants are reimbursed, rent is paid, insurance updated, groceries purchased and all utilities are ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Dec 19, 2014 2:39 PM EST

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What To Know Before We Go

I t’s time for the season of holiday travel. Planning for bouncing along the highways, clicking on train tracks or zipping through airports to spend precious moments with family and friends can swiftly develop into torture. To help cut down on the dread and brain burnout I’ve gathered some ideas to consider and actions to take that ... more...

Posted by Candace on Life After Paralysis Dec 16, 2014 11:58 PM EST

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Roll Rage

First there was road rage and we’ve all seen the news footage of some clown on the freeway pointing a 12 gauge shotgun at a little old lady who won’t get out of his way. Then there was ‘roid rage, hunky steroid users trashing entire bars because their beer is too warm. Now comes a third form of rageaholism, not as lethal in most cases, but ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Nov 28, 2014 3:22 PM EST

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No Longer Beyond Repair

It has always amazed me how much power there is in words that end in N'T . Beginning when we are very young, we are often told that we shouldn't do things, or simply told " don't do that." For those of us with spinal cord injuries or similar paralyzing disabilities, far too often the words that are used to express our limited capabilities ... more...

Posted by Michael Collins on Life After Paralysis Nov 26, 2014 5:59 PM EST

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Get This Book!!

This is my first, maybe only, book review, who knows but I’ve been moved by this book to share it with you. I know that I was to write a blog about What To Know Before You Travel and I will next week, but for now, check this out. I knew about Amanda Palmer from her music, she calls a mix of cabaret and punk, her Kickstarter campaign that topped out at 1.2 ... more...

Posted by Candace on Life After Paralysis Nov 25, 2014 11:10 AM EST

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The Cured And The Uncured

There is a schism developing in the paralysis community. It is only a small crack right now and may never grow into anything substantial. On the other hand, it could become a major point of friction in the not too distant future. The schism is between those -- given the amazing pace of paralysis research -- who may soon be walking again and those who will ... more...

Posted by ARucker on Life After Paralysis Nov 20, 2014 3:06 PM EST

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Caregiving 101 -- Trust The Team

November is one of my favorite months out of the year. Not only are we officially transitioning to fall with vibrant colors blanketing the outdoors, it is also that time of year when we give thanks to those that we love and respect. Interestingly enough, November is also National Family Caregivers Month to celebrate those who devote their time, energy ... more...

Posted by KarenLeGrand on Life After Paralysis Nov 13, 2014 1:46 PM EST