{"id":58117,"date":"2022-05-12T12:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T11:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/?p=58117"},"modified":"2022-05-12T12:05:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T11:05:09","slug":"sharing-your-personal-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/sharing-your-personal-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing your personal mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyday mountains faced by spinal cord injured people is the theme for this year\u2019s Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day (SCIAD)<\/p>\n

We asked our members and the spinal cord injured community to share their everyday mountains with us and the impact these have on their quality of life.<\/p>\n

Thank you for taking time to share your stories with us!<\/p>\n

Tony, 56, from Solihull<\/h2>\n

When I try to explain it to people, I compare it to a constant toothache but if it\u2019s something people can\u2019t see, they find it difficult to understand<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>What happens when your disability isn\u2019t a visible one? Tony has an incomplete spinal injury at C5\/6 after a cycling accident seven years ago. After rehabilitation, he was able to walk again.<\/p>\n

But Tony still lives daily with the hidden complications of SCI \u2013 fatigue, bladder issues and most acutely, neuropathic pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis pain is so obscure, even the professionals struggle to find solutions,\u201d says Tony. \u201cI was told I would have this for the rest of my life. It is now my constant bed fellow. When I try to explain it to people, I compare it to a constant toothache but if it\u2019s something people can\u2019t see, they find it difficult to understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lucky I can manage my circumstances through part time working and am allowed extra breaks if required. Not all businesses are as compassionate though. We need better awareness around the fact that not all injuries are visible.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

George Dowell, 29, from West Sussex<\/h2>\n

Trying to book a weekend away or holiday is hard work, with hours of research required to find activities and accommodation we can enjoy together<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Finding accessible things for him and his girlfriend do to together is always a challenge for George Dowell. After being paralysed at C5\/C6 following a car accident 12 years ago, George doubted whether he\u2019d ever find love again.<\/p>\n

However, when he and Jessikah Lopez met online, it proved the beginning of something pretty special and the couple now share their journey as an inter-abled couple through their Instagram account thewheellife_ which has thousands of followers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to book a weekend away or holiday is hard work, with hours of research required to find activities and accommodation we can enjoy together,\u201d says George.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven organising a date night includes lots of prior information to see if the entrance is accessible and if the tables are high enough for George\u2019s wheelchair to fit under,\u201d adds Jessikah, \u201cWe can never spontaneously head out for a date night without making sure certain arrangements are in place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michelle Quested, 38, from West Midlands<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Phrases like \u201cI\u2019m off for a quick shower\u201d or \u201cjust nipping to the loo\u201d were just a part of Michelle\u2019s vocabulary before her spinal cord injury from cauda equina twelve years ago.<\/p>\n

Now a permanent wheelchair user, even the most basic needs require careful planning, preparation \u2013 and time.<\/p>\n

Michelle did some numbers for us, revealing that showering and getting dressed takes over an hour, intermittent self-catheterising takes around twenty minutes and bowel management can take up to an hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s why I need a padded toilet seat!\u201d explains Michelle. \u201cTime and care has to be taken when transferring to the toilet or shower chair to prevent falls and ensure I don’t damage my skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCatheterising while out is not a problem – I always check before I go somewhere that there are accessible toilets. I carry disinfectant wipes and hand sanitiser to help prevent germs – the last thing I want is a UTI. Bowel management needs to be done at home as it\u2019s time consuming and intimate, but I do always carry gloves and lubricant in case of an emergency!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyday mountains faced by spinal cord injured people is the theme for this year\u2019s Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day (SCIAD)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":739,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[458],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58117"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58230,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions\/58230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}