Hey Lauren,

Great to see you out there on the World Wide Web. You should tune in to Discovery Channel tonight, it's shark week. The myth buster guys are going to the on tonight. I saw preview and a guy was hitting sharks on the snout to see if the myth was true that this is what you are supposed to do.

Any ways, I'm trying to think back to when I was first injured and how I felt about paraplegics giving me advice and such. I was a very independent and a strong-willed thinker, and I still am, so comments that people made that may have offended some never really bothered me that much. One thing I would say you should be careful of is discussing what one can still do for themselves after spinal cord injury. The reason I say this is paraplegics have a certain level of advantage over most quadriplegics in the level of independence they can gain and what they can physically accomplish. Most quadriplegics or many I should say, are very dependent on others to do just about everything. Accepting this, it is not easy.

I do not want to act like I know how paraplegics feel and what they have to go through, but I do believe there's a lot of difference in dealing with quadriplegia compared to paraplegia. Especially early on in the injury, quadriplegics are not thinking, what am I going to be able to do in this state?, but rather thinking, when is it going to be that I walk again? I remember being in a situation where a couple of Paras were talking about various activities one can do in a chair around myself and my friend, who is a complete C4 injury. They're like a data call conversation about life in a chair, ended up making him very uncomfortable and he had to leave situation.

It doesn't make me feel worse being around paraplegics. Many times I fantasize a how I wish I was a paraplegic, but we both are still going through many of the same emotions and dealing with similar issues. I definitely feel like I can relate to a paraplegic more so than the average schmo walking down the street.

When I was in Atlanta, down at the Shepherd Center, I did feel this distinct since of segregation between power chair users and manual chair users. They're always would be a group of kids in manual chairs and then a separate group of power chairs. I always thought it was very weird.

So I feel like I have rambled way too much. What is your take on the situation? Do you feel uncomfortable around quadriplegics? Other certain topics are questions you wish to ask that make you feel uncomfortable?

Talk to you soon,

Colin

I’m Tony, a C6/7 incomplete quad. I was injured in a diving accident at 15. of course for me that was 33 years ago. Boy is gimp life better now than when I was first hurt.

I have been active with the peer support program at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for the last 20 years. Things at the hospital are different because everyone is dealing with this new life where your body doesn’t work anymore. Did you ever look at lower level paras and think “Gee I wish I had balance like them?”

It is natural in rehab to look around at everyone else and compare what you have or don’t have. Having a para around can be handy. (pun intended) You just need to always ask if you can give them a hand. Just like the walkies should do with us all. Sometimes you need to struggle to learn to do stuff like picking something up off the floor. The best think you can ever do is say something positive and offer encouragement.