Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month

You "can't even imagine" 

A spinal cord injury is not only physically debilitating; it is also mentally devastating. Not being able to move is one thing but not being able to control your bladder, bowls, your body temperature and spasms are things we cope with on a daily basis. 

The physical, emotional, and mental impact is unrelenting and always more than we believe we can handle. But many of us do. The ripple effect is enormous. 

Did you know that I do not sweat below my line of injury? 

That makes regulating my body temperature incredibly difficult. Extreme cold or extreme heat can lead to pain and sometimes-autonomic dysreflexia (AD). AD occurs for spinal cord injuries when there is trauma done to the body below the line of injury, like a cut, and your body responds with AD. AD presents itself as increased blood pressure, blotchiness, sweating, dizziness, irritability, and headaches. 

The scary thing about AD, if untreated it can be deadly because your heart rate and blood pressure increase and it can cause you to stroke. 

Often when I get overheated, I have a mild case of autonomic dysreflexia in addition to heatstroke at times. It’s absolutely miserable. My body is exhausted for days after I am overheated, my muscles ache and I just feel tired but I rarely get a chance to rest.  In recent years It has gotten harder on my body. That being said AD  it just a different way for your body to communicate.

Above anything and everything else, the best thing you could ever do for a person with a spinal cord injury is be supportive and we need support all year.

Blessings and the very best of wishes to all. The Quadfather.