ca·thar·sis noun noun: catharsis; plural noun: catharses 1. the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. synonyms: emotional release, relief, release, venting; More Good morning my wheelchair sisters.  How are you?  How are you really?  Did you wake up with a lot of nerve pain today?  Did you have an accident while you were sleeping?  Did your neuropathy keep you up all night again?  Are you feeling hormonal and emotional?  Are you feeling down

It is safe to say one of the top complications a person experiences after a spinal cord injury are urinary tract infections(UTI).  Specifically, recurrent urinary tract infections.  As a result we are continuously prescribed various antibiotics that supposedly kill all the infection related bacteria.  The problem I have experienced as well as observed is, when a person starts to show symptoms of a UTI a doctor is quick to prescribe an antibiotic that is used for a broad spectrum of bacteria.

Is It Difficult being a vegetarian after a spinal cord injury?  The answer is ... Yes, and no.  It does take some effort. When living with and recovering from paralysis, your food intake is key to your recovery and staying healthy.  I'm not going to get all political and preachy on the reasons why I chose vegetarianism, and I am not interested in having any kind of debate on vegetarianism, veganism, or any other ism for that matter.  Honestly, the reason I stopped eating meat was mainly for

"Nerve pain.  Phantom Pain. Neuropathic Pain.  We all know what it is and we all struggle with it every single day.  It comes without warning and most of the time without reason.  It is a crushing, burning, radiating, feeling like you're being electrocuted PAIN, you feel below the level of injury.  As if paralysis isn't enough everyone with a spinal cord injury experiences nerve pain at one time or another.  Many spinal cord injury survivors want a pharmaceutical-free solution to their pain.

What is the best Sleep position? If only it was as easy as lying down on a soft bed and falling fast asleep.  Unfortunately, for most after a spinal cord injury, it isn't.  We need to worry about things like pressure sores, leg spasms, catheter bags, nerve pain, neck support and more.  Insomnia is very common after a spinal cord injury.  It surely can get very tiresome.  No pun intended.  Getting a good night's sleep is vital to your health and recovery.  As a C4-C5 quadriplegic I have tried a

Believe it or not...  After a spinal cord injury the words fashion and functionality take on a whole new role in your life.  A lot of the time the clothing you wore before your injury unfortunately becomes obsolete to you.  Aside from fashion we need to think about comfort, durability, texture, and above all functionality.  A majority of us women in wheelchairs need to worry about things like; self cathing, supraubic catheters, pressure sores, "quad belly", Autonomic Dysreflexia, incontinence,

As a 7 years post quadriplegic I decided early on that I wanted to be on as little pharmaceuticals as possible.  It's easy to simply take whatever is prescribed to you once you are out of the hospital.  But, what doctors usually don't tell you is all the complications and dependence that comes with taking pharmaceuticals.  Finding the right supplements can be challenging after a spinal cord injury especially when faced with recurring urinary tract infections and constant nerve pain.  So, I

When you have a cervical level Spinal Cord Injury, like myself...physical therapy can be a touchy issue.  The truth is, once you're out of ICU, conventional rehab and old medicine says, and I quote... "It is doubtful you will regain any function below your level of injury, so just focus on the parts that still "work".  I've heard this in many different ways... And honestly, It's FUCKIN LUDICROUS! I have just never understood the logic behind neglecting a part of your body.  Whether it is fully

I recently came across a debate between "wheelchair bound" women who were asked the question "Would you date someone in a wheelchair?" While reading the comments, there arose many conflicting views... It became apparent that the REAL question was... Are you a hypocrite if you are a "wheelchair bound" female...  Who would NOT "date" someone in a wheelchair? My answer: Yes.  Here is my reason why. The reason is because of my fiance. For the record...  he is not in a wheelchair. Let's just call