What is a Quadriplegic?
Simply, a person who is paralyzed in both arms and both legs. It's caused very easily, you have damaged your spinal column and cord, by either breaking the cord clean, or as in the case of my father, bruising the cord. Quadriplegic's will refer to themselves as quads.
There are many conditions that make up a quadriplegic, you may see a Spastic Quadriplegic, Spastic Triplegic (3 limbs go spastic), Spastic Hemiplegic (one whole side of the body goes spastic), Spastic Monoplegic (only one limb is spastic), an upside down quad (has leg movement, possibly can walk, but no upper body strength), a series of injuries and resulting conditions depending on the height of the injury. My father, much like Christopher Reeve, was a high quad. Other quads maybe lower, giving them a variety of different capabilities. This all depends as well on whether this was a clean break or a bruising type injury.
My father was a high quadriplegic, but he suffered bruising of the spinal column, so he had a fighting chance of recover. In fact, the doctors felt so strongly about his recovery, they sedated him, and caused him to be asleep for 30 days so that he would not move at all. They also gave him a medicine that paralyzed him so that even in his sleep there would be no minor movements. Of course, as we found out when he woke, this didn't completely work, but we were left with hope that he would become an upside down quad. Someone that might even be able to walk, but suffer low upper body strength.
The importance with being a quadriplegic, for health and lifestyle reasons, is obviously to have as much of your spinal column and cord work after rehabilitation if rehabilitation is even possible. My father was lucky and unlucky at the same time. Due to his upside down nature of being a quad, he was able to feel quite a bit in his extremities and body. This helped for things like early detection of bed sores - which can kill - as well as circulation issues in his limbs. However, the tremendously crappy part about this, you feel things you can't fix. If he hurt or got a charlie horse, or a spasm, he couldn't do anything about it. If he had an itch he couldn't scratch it.
My father by 6 months into his injury, did get off the breathing tube and recovered quite a bit of movement in his arms. He stopped progressing in walking, but eventually was able to even feed himself, that is until the spasms of being a Spastic Quadriplegic took over and he lost that too.
Being a quadriplegic, my father made the very best of the life he had for those 10 years. He very rarely was serious about being a quadriplegic and truly embraced his condition. He became an extensive volunteer, advocate, and even a pastor.
Showing posts with label Parpalegic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parpalegic. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Disabled Confronting Further Cuts In The Future
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| Where Does All Our Tax Money Go? |
The new information coming out is that the government agency, the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, will work to take resources from tens of thousands of people who are dependent on the services it provides this coming year. This New Year could set tens of thousands away from help; Quadriplegics, Paraplegics, mentally handicapped, and other non-able bodied individuals are going to be effected. The organization is proclaiming that the finances will have to see an increase of tens of millions if they are not provided exactly the same appropriations. Federally mandated Medicaid programs which cover those whom are significantly impaired, who live in institutions and the ones with mental retardation or head and spinal cord traumas who obtain scientifically essential therapy, will be spared. Many applications that might be reduced are daycare type programs for all groups, childhood testing for problems that can lead to developing afflictions and treatment for many who have sustained mind or spinal-cord injuries. I hope these details get to everybody in need of assistance that is terrifying info.
I will hope that many resources continue to pop up to help out those in needs. I could not imagine what this is gong to mean for so many. I think back about my father and how this would effect his treatment.
Monday, April 18, 2011
His Abilities Never Stopped Amazing Me
His abilities continued to amaze me every day.
My father was always talented. He was a very unique man. He was self taught in everything and became very accomplished in most of what he set out to do. He was technically minded, but he had the soul of an artist.
Unfortunately, my father did not leave a lot of time in his able-bodied life to explore what he might accomplish with his artistic abilities. He spent most of his days and time, when not working, with his family, playing with us kids, getting into mischief.
Once my father became a quad, there was an abundance of time. He began to explore more in depth those things that he seemed to not have the time for as an able-bodied man. It saddens me sometimes when I think about what he (and my mother for that matter) gave up in their personal lives to be amazing parents to us.
Now that I am a father, I look to my parents as examples. I find myself in the same contradiction, facing the laundry, cleaning the house, getting ready for one of her events, and finding little time to continue to explore the areas of interest that I have. I would not have it any other way, and I believe truly that is what my father felt, which without fail, lifts my spirits when I begin to think of what he gave up in his able-bodied life.
As a quadriplegic, my father grew greatly in his art. I am in the process of capturing digitally all that he did. He became a painter, worked with glass, and stamped out images on tin. He made cards for all seasons, and began to teach himself perspective drawing.
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| Mouth Painting - Dennis Flynn Stinson III |
My father was always talented. He was a very unique man. He was self taught in everything and became very accomplished in most of what he set out to do. He was technically minded, but he had the soul of an artist.
Unfortunately, my father did not leave a lot of time in his able-bodied life to explore what he might accomplish with his artistic abilities. He spent most of his days and time, when not working, with his family, playing with us kids, getting into mischief.
Once my father became a quad, there was an abundance of time. He began to explore more in depth those things that he seemed to not have the time for as an able-bodied man. It saddens me sometimes when I think about what he (and my mother for that matter) gave up in their personal lives to be amazing parents to us.
Now that I am a father, I look to my parents as examples. I find myself in the same contradiction, facing the laundry, cleaning the house, getting ready for one of her events, and finding little time to continue to explore the areas of interest that I have. I would not have it any other way, and I believe truly that is what my father felt, which without fail, lifts my spirits when I begin to think of what he gave up in his able-bodied life.
As a quadriplegic, my father grew greatly in his art. I am in the process of capturing digitally all that he did. He became a painter, worked with glass, and stamped out images on tin. He made cards for all seasons, and began to teach himself perspective drawing.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Abilities Expo - L.A. Convention Center
Image by wili_hybrid via FlickrSo, who is going to be attending this event! It starts on the 15th and ends on the 17th!
This is going to be a great place to see all the new technology out there. A place to learn, a place to watch great events, and attend great workshops!
If you are going to the event, I would love to hear from you and your reports of the event itself!
I look forward to seeing you out there!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Just A Simple Call Out
I wanted to simply say thank you to all the hero's out there that dedicate their lives to helping those that are unable. Of course in the public eye this is the military, police, fire, and medical doctors, those men and women that serve domestically and foriegn - their service is all to often undervalued. However, I want to thank an even lesser known group...While the men and women of the military, fire, police and medical are spoken of in general often and specificaly infrequently, there is never a breaking news story of the woman or man dedicating thier life, serving someone living as a quad, para or other non-able bodied state.
I want to thank those men and women that provide a better life for their loved ones, and say to them, here's to you, unsung HEROS!
Your job of caregiver is selfless and often on top of another workplace demand. It is truly amazing what you do every day for the loved one(s) in your life. I know that what you go through is a chalenge everday, battling the feelings of not doing enough, being pulled into too many directions, feeling lost, but you pull through every day and wake to give your love again.
For those of you that I have recently connected wtih, thanks to the grace of God, I wish you well this week and hope you find some recahrge over this possibly longer holiday (at least from your regular 9-5). You are loved, keep your stregnth!
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