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    SpinalMap
    SpinalMap
    SpinalMap
    Ebook95 pages56 minutes

    SpinalMap

    By Rob Hope

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) causes drastic changes in the lives and to the lifestyles of the injured people and their immediate families. SpinalMap is written for the families, friends and colleagues of those who are living with disability caused by SCI and serves as a guide to the basics of SCI and the impact it has. SpinalMap promotes awareness and empathy, it also highlights the etiquette involved in relating to people living with SCI in personal, business and broader social settings.

    After initial rehabilitation the person with SCI and their family face the challenges that come with reintegration into daily life. Many of the frustrations and setbacks encountered by these courageous people are a direct result of inexperience on the part of able-bodied people. SpinalMap is a comprehensive guide that educates the relatives and friends of people living with SCI on when and how to assist them in overcoming these challenges.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRob Hope
    Release dateJul 7, 2013
    ISBN9781920663438
    SpinalMap
    Author

    Rob Hope

    I have been in the media industry for the last 30 years as a writer, video editor and director for broadcast television. Several years ago I had the privilege of producing and directing a documentary for an adventure tour company that specialised in tours for people living with spinal cord injury. It was an experience I will never forget. During filming, I realsied that many people who live without disability or mobility issues have little idea of what it is like to live in a world full of barriers and obstacles - both physical environment and in the minds of other people. From that realisation the idea for Spinalmap was developed through many late-night conversations and soul serching discussions about whether or not people cared and how much they needed to know; about what would be too much information and what would be too initmate. The result is a book that has been welcomed by a leading rehabilitaion practitioner as being essential reading for people who have recently suffered spinal cord injury and all those who have contact with people living with SCI.

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      Book preview

      SpinalMap - Rob Hope

      SpinalMap

      … for family, friends and colleagues of people with spinal cord injury.

      SpinalMap

      By Rob Hope

      Copyright 2014 Rob Hope

      Cover design: Nadia Sadler Norris

      Smashwords Edition

      ISBN 978-1-920663-94-0

      http://www.spinalmap.net

      info@spinalmap.net

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

      or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

      please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did

      not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to

      Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work

      of this author.

      Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 …… Welcome to SpinalMap

      Chapter 2 …… Spinal Basics

      Chapter 3 …… When Things Go Wrong

      Chapter 4 …… Paralysis

      Chapter 5 …… Pressure Sores

      Chapter 6 …… Pain and Pain Management

      Chapter 7 …… Sex and Sexuality

      Chapter 8 …… Bowel and Bladder Management

      Chapter 9 …… Rehabilitation

      Chapter 10 …… Wheelchairs

      Chapter 11 …… Dos and Don’ts

      Conclusion

      Introduction

      Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) has a deep impact on the lives and lifestyles of the injured people and their immediate families. To a lesser extent, it also affects the lives of relatives, friends and colleagues.

      While people’s lives change in the blink of an eye and long periods of mourning and adjustment follow, acceptance does eventually settle as those most closely affected come to terms with their circumstances.

      In my experience of people living with SCI, I have encountered all levels of emotion, but the one thing they all have in common is a spirit of enormous courage. For them, the release from rehab is the beginning of a long road of challenges and conquests as they steadily improve and hone the skills they need to thrive in their new environment.

      As many of the frustrations and setbacks encountered by these courageous people are a direct result of inexperience on the part of able-bodied people, I seek, with this guide, to engender a fundamental awareness of what life after spinal cord injury entails.

      Back to Contents Page

      Chapter 1

      WELCOME TO SPINALMAP

      SpinalMap is for able-bodied people who know someone with spinal cord injury or who will soon be meeting or working with a person who has suffered spinal cord injury. Sensitisation of the communities to which the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patient will be returning is vital to their stability and progress.

      Once they leave hospital and the rehabilitation unit, the person will have gained an immense amount of knowledge about paralysis and how to adapt their lives and living spaces to accommodate life with a wheelchair.

      With the exception of a patient’s parents or spouse, people often have no idea how to relate to people living with SCI; they don’t know what to expect of the person in the wheelchair or what that person will expect of them. This often leads to inappropriate behaviour and unnecessary tension.

      After reading this guide, you will have gained a glimpse into the lives of people living with spinal cord injury. SpinalMap seeks to build a platform of empathy and understanding upon which able-bodied people and people living with paralysis can be free of the stigmas, misconceptions and awkwardness which often hamper communication between them.

      For every person who has suffered spinal cord injury there can be any number of people directly affected by the far reaching changes that the injured person has to face in their life circumstances. These people are close family members like spouses, children, siblings and parents. On the next tier are members of the extended family, friends and work colleagues. All these people need to be aware of what the person living with SCI is faced with.

      Spinal cord injury is a traumatic and life changing event. It literally wrenches a person out of his or her life and leaves them in a place where they have to relearn many of the things they took for granted as able bodied people. There are no choices, or options, or turning back. They are unable to walk and in most cases, they have to learn from scratch how to manage their bowel and bladder functions. People with higher injuries lose the use of their arms and need the assistance of full-time carers.

      The injured person spends months in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. When they are finally discharged and return home, the people waiting for them may have a good idea of what has transpired during the months of absence, but they cannot possibly know the whole story; they also have to learn a new way of life,

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