"A comprehensive resource for coping with medical, emotional, and practical challenges."--Cover.

Before his motorcycle accident, Travis saw himself becoming a pro football player. Now, paralyzed from the nipple down, he says, "At times it's a pain in the ass-literally and figuratively. But it allows me to not be as threatening to some people [the way I was when] I was still an athlete. Because a lot of times male interaction is done on the basis of pissing contests: I'm bigger, I'm tougher, I'm stronger, I'm smarter. When you're in a chair, they don't look at you like that." At the same time, Travis complains that many people are uncomfortable interacting with him because of his disability. "I would rather you make a mistake and deal with me than not deal with me at all." Meghan is a high-level quadriplegic, living alone, who uses a power wheelchair and requires daily attendant care. She laments, "There are so many people who think we're asexual, we're not pretty, and we're creeps and weirdoes." To dispel this myth, she envisions a fashion show of women in wheelchairs parading down a runway. Meghan has been involved in a number of sexual relationships since sustaining her injury. While she doesn't think her disability has diminished her sexual pleasure, she feels that it has affected her sexual performance: "Well, you can't move it. You can't, like, bump and grind." In 32 unusually frank in-depth interviews like these, the men and women in this book freely discuss their sex lives, their beliefs about God, how they want others to treat them, and whether they want to walk again. In each chapter the author presents their complex voices and comprehensive research about different facets of spinal cord injury (SCI). Wheeling and Dealing explores the extent to which people with spinal cord injury locate their challenges in their physical impairments or in the social environment. Some disagree with those disability activists who focus almost exclusively on the latter, but the author examines this issue in depth. Topics include: --Physical health from degrees of loss of function to problems like pressure sores, temperature regulation, and bladder control. --The stages of psychological adjustment and rehabilitation. --Obstacles to sexual intimacy, treatment of erectile dysfunction, and new sources of sexual pleasure and emotional intimacy. --Religion and spirituality. --Social and political beliefs, with those with SCI weighing in on everything from welfare services to embryonic stem cell research. --Dating, marriage, and parenting. --Friendship networks and social supports; concerns about transportation and accessibility; stigma. --Education, employment, and economic consequences. This book is the recipient of the 2004 Norman L. and Roselea J. Goldberg Prize from Vanderbilt University Press for the best project in the area of medicine.

The definitive guide for dealing with the major challenges those with spinal cord injuries face Medical advances have made it possible for those with spinal cord injuries to live an essentially normal life span' and to lead full' meaningful and productive lives. Inevitably' however' spinal injury superimposes special considerations on the routine activities and passages of life' and activities that might once have been easy can in many cases become increasingly difficult. This book identifies medical and nonmedical problems that individuals with SCI face as they get older' while providing practical advice on how to tackle these challenges. Includes information on health finances social support system the effects of aging.

From a hospital admittance to discharge to outpatient rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injuries addresses the wide spectrum of rehabilitation interventions and administrative and clinical issues specific to patients with spinal cord injuries. Comprehensive coverage includes costs, life expectancies, acute care, respiratory care, documentation, goal setting, clinical treatment, complications, and activities of daily living associated with spinal cord patients. In addition to physical therapy interventions and family education components, this resource includes content on incidence, etiology, diagnosis, and clinical features of spinal cord injury. Case Studies with clinical application thinking exercises help you apply knowledge from the book to real life situations. Thoroughly referenced, evidence-based content provides the best evidence for treatment based on the most current research. Tables and boxes throughout each chapter organize and summarize important information for quick reference. Clinical Note boxes provide at-a-glance access to helpful tips. Over 500 clinical photos, line drawings, radiographs, and more bring important concepts to life. Highly respected experts in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, editors Sue Ann Sisto, Erica Druin, and Martha Sliwinski, provide authoritative guidance on the foundations and principles of practice for spinal cord injury. Companion DVD includes video clips of the techniques described throughout the book that demonstrate how to apply key concepts to practice.

This indispenable guide offers a complete picture of the road to recovery, and the specifics to move ahead with your life. When possible it encourages readers to resume their favorite hobbies, participate in athletic activities and return to the workplace. For the first time, leading medical specialists at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic offer their expert advice on everything from emotional adjustments, to skin care, to home and car modifications, to quality-of-life improvements. Easy-to-read, illustrated, and well organized, Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with A Spinal Cord Inury provides the "how-to" regarding the day-to-day challenges faced by anyone who has a spinal cord injury.

"This project fits into the larger picture of excellence that we wish to accomplish in all dimensions of our health system: groundbreaking and dedicated research, compassionate clinical care, progressive education, and a welcoming environment that includes community with people with disabilities. In Deep, the writers and editors of this book realize this mission with accuracy and clarity." ---Denise G. Tate, Director of Research at the University of Michigan Model Spinal Cord Injury Care System People with spinal cord injuries experience life beyond their medical and rehabilitative journeys, but these stories are rarely told. Deep: Real Life with Spinal Cord Injury includes the stories of ten men and women whose lives have been transformed by spinal cord injury. Each essay challenges the stereotypes and misconceptions about SCI---with topics ranging from faith to humility to sex and manhood---offering a multitude of voices that weave together to create a better understanding of the diversity of disability and the uniqueness of those individuals whose lives are changed but not defined by their injuries. Life with SCI can be traumatic and ecstatic, uncharted and thrilling, but it always entails a journey beyond previous expectations. This volume captures this sea change, exploring the profound depths of SCI experience.

Make the fullest possible recovery after neurological injury with this definitive guide—by a doctor and spinal cord injury survivor who’s been there After an accident that left him permanently paralyzed over ten years ago, Dr. Bradford Berk made it his mission to help others recover from acute neurological injury (ANI). As the founder and director of the University of Rochester Neurorestoration Institute, he brings his abundant experience in working with patients and making his own ongoing recovery to Getting Your Brain and Body Back, the most up-to-date guide for survivors of spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Each of these acute neurological injuries can result in similar physical and psychological challenges and require similar treatments, medications, and assistive devices. Getting Your Brain and Body Back offers comprehensive, reassuring guidance for your every concern: How to deal with grief and trauma in the aftermath of accident or injury—and build resilience as you find your way forward What adaptive devices—for bathing, dining, mobility, and more—will help you enjoy life to the utmost How to prevent and treat secondary health problems of every kind, such as heart, skin, and bladder troubles—sexual health included! Therapeutic approaches from both Western and Eastern medicine to consider for maximum healing and pain relief Dr. Berk’s candid advice on medical treatment and daily living—plus insights from the brightest minds in the field—will help get you or your loved one back to life.