Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of amazing doctors out there, but I kept running into doctors who just didn’t give me the attention I needed. Just to see one was 3 weeks out. People with disabilities need more than that. We need a doc who can see us quick and has time to sit down with us and listen. And this Recession has made it worse; working doctors to the bone because of insurance changes and piling them up with too many patients. Doctors can only do so much, that’s why it’s up to us, more important now than ever, to be on top of our medical care and to consider adding a nurse practitioner to our rooster of help.

A lot of people have no idea how similar to a doctor a nurse practitioner really is, especially if they have years of experience in a specific field of medicine. They can prescribe medicine and pretty much do everything else a “regular” doctor can do, despite not going to medical school. But since so many people don’t know just how great nurse practitioners really are, it works in our benefit. They end up having the most amazing availability ever and OMG – they actually do have time for you when they see you. They’re great at brainstorming ideas and they’ll sit with you a lot longer. Gotta love it.

Nurse practitioners are the best combination of the two important medical caregivers melded into one – doctors and nurses. You get the smartness of a MD and the heart and soul of a nurse. Good stuff…good stuff indeed.

Have you had good experiences with nurse practitioners?

Photo courtesy of OnCall team

As an adult and to my delight, my maze passion gets sated at least twice a year. The first opportunity is at this awesome indoor haunted maze put on each Halloween at the Renaissance Faire grounds. It is a huge maze constructed of wooden panels and filled with room after room of monstrous scenes. There’s a two hour wait to get in and it takes almost an hour to get through. There’s something bone-chillingly awesome about not knowing what’s coming around the corner. Not only does everything get topsy-turvy and your world get turned upside down, but you get scared too.

To me, coming to this maze is the same as attending a rock concert. It gets me to that perfect “flow” state where I’m so happy and high on natural endorphins, fully immersed in this complete sensory experience, that my disability becomes nothing but a long forgotten thought.

And then there’s the Minnesota Arboretum maze – an impressive outdoor hedge maze open during the warm months of the year. While it’s tiny compared to the grand English hedge mazes you’ll see at estates in the UK, it’s big enough to get lost in, even for two early 30-somethings like my boyfriend and I. I return to this maze every year and still get lost.

When we went here last week, we were lost for thirty minutes, and had the experience of having to dodge a huge group of school kids who had just entered the maze, and getting out of the maze just in the nick of time. Believe me when I say there’s nothing more nerve-wracking than hearing a bunch of kids closing in on you as you hurriedly find your way through a maze.

If I had to guess the reason why I love mazes, it’s probably because they remind me of my childhood, which in my case was a really good one. Anything that puts me in a headspace where I have no cares in the world is really going to get my engine going. I can count the things in this world that still do this for me on one hand. And mazes are one of them.

Mazes shift my cares from being on me to outside of myself, to something way more interesting; to an adventure, a route to uncover. I hope to explore as many mazes as my wheelchair will allow, and will continue to say a silent prayer every time I turn a corner, making sure I don’t end up recreating a scene from The Shining.

Share your knowledge! What passions do you still take part in fully?

Photo courtesy of Jon Candy

It took a UTI that just wouldn’t budge that made me desperately look in a new medicinal direction. It’s only good to take antibiotics for so long. You can become immune, and for people like us, becoming immune to too many antibiotics is a nail in the coffin. I’m already resistant to Cipro, so thanks to hanging around granola-eating hippies during my childhood years (my best friend’s parents) I’m not freaked out by eating organic, fresh food. I know it tastes better. I learned early on the huge power food can have on your body.

This summer I was watching a cooking show called, Healthy Eating with Ellie Krieger. She was making a peach pie smoothie using frozen peaches, skim milk, low-fat vanilla yogurt, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe it was because the smoothie was based-off of one of my favorite desserts, or because it was a beautiful sunny morning and the prospect of anything fruity seemed absolutely perfect, but watching her make that peach pie smoothie infused into my brain like a brand on a cow. The moment I got up, I went out to my kitchen and showed my PCA how to make it.

And omg yes, the smoothie was heavenly. But the effects were the really cool part. Within 20 minutes I was feeling energized, hydrated and satisfied. Getting the liquefied nutrients of the fruit and dairy made my body zing. And the best part is that you can use frozen fruit. It’s super inexpensive and is actually really high quality fruit. Frozen fruit is frozen just at it’s peak so its perfect blended into a smoothie. And I just use my blender. No need to buy an expensive juicer.

There are about ten billion smoothie recipes on the planet. Other than the peach pie smoothie, my other favorites have been my Asian pear and honey smoothie creation, and my bladder’s personal favorite – the watermelon smoothie. Just watermelon and nothing more. Watermelon is full of water and has a soothing effect on the bladder, making it great to drink when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or if you suffer from chronic cystitis.

So wow, I’m totally dispensing healthy eating advice now. How did this happen? Smoothies have crazily become the highlight of my morning, not Pop Tarts, not Fruity Pebbles, and with as many kinds of fruit and yogurt flavors there are, I don’t think I’ll be getting bored with my new health kick for awhile.

Here are some great Southern-style smoothie recipes and the best smoothie recipes recommended by the Good Food Channel.

Photo courtesy of Gordon McDowell

Do you have smoothie fever? What’s your favorite?

You see the healthy food mantra everywhere – on the radio, in magazines, on TV. They say that whatever what we put IN our bodies makes all the difference; that anything we consume should be looked at as medicine, from food to beverages to even the air you breathe. Our bodies our sponge-like. And even though this totally makes sense, I never gave two shakes about healthy food until I turned 30. Since that not very epic day, I’ve been experiencing the earliest signs of aging: Sore shoulders, increasing back pain, carpal tunnel, and the worst, needing extra time to heal. No one likes witnessing their own corporal form’s demise.

When I was first hurt, I let my disability hasten me to appreciate everything that was left that I could still enjoy, and eating – food glorious food – was and still is my remaining favorite sensation. I’d eat all my favs – Pizza Rolls, egg rolls, candy bars, Wendy’s fries. They made me deliriously happy. It went something like this: I may not be able to walk like I used to, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Rocky Road ice cream still tasted the same.

But now, the daily processed food train has come to a halt. I can’t be Tiffiny “Little Debbie” forever, unless I want to get diabetes at age 40. Your body will kick and scream until you upgrade your childlike pallet; even if you’re paralyzed. It happened to me and the transition is not easy. Well it wasn’t easy, until I my “peach moment.” Have you ever ate the most perfectly ripe white peach? The kind of perfection you’d expect on a fruit plate in heaven? Well once you do, processed food will NEVER look the same. And here’s the good news – white peaches are in season now (go buy one!)

And in regards to the healthy foods I’ve been discovering, I don’t know where to begin: Homemade frozen fruit smoothies, roasted veggies, quinoa salad, farro salad, using vinegar in lots of things (love the acidity), even something simple like brown rice with soy sauce and sautéed carrots. And I choose fresh over organic (“organic” is so all over the place). Now when I enter a McDonald’s I feel like a food snob, but its all good. Since changing my diet I have without question noticed the benefits they promised: Clearer skin, increased energy, and a happier bladder and bowel.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ll still order a Papa John’s pizza and guzzle down a huge can of Fanta orange pop, but I just don’t do it twice a week. Our bodies need some TLC, folks! Don’t you forget it!

Read more about my quest to get healthy in my post “The Health-Nut Balance“.

Photo courtesy of Katie Wardrobe

So I love peaches, what’s your fav health food? What other healthy habits do you practice?

I don’t know the science behind why paras and quads get dehydrated faster than the walkers, but it’s something I have noticed it over the years. When going through rehab, we were preached to about the necessity of keeping fluids pumping through our fragile bodies. I bought it hook, line and sinker! We were told it was for keeping the renal system functioning correctly. I often wonder if drinking beyond the eight, eight ounce glasses of fluids is necessary.

Myself, I have routine that goes beyond the old 8 – 8 rule. I drive an hour to work and drink a full liter of water (4 – 8 ounce glasses), then another during the day, and finally another liter on my way home. This does not even include what I drink for breakfast and dinner.

Have we set ourselves up to actually need the extra water? Do bodies adapt to the excess water making it even harder to stay hydrated during a heat wave? I have to believe that natives to the desert regions do not drink as much water.

What are your beliefs about staying hydrated?

Photo courtesy of Greg Riegler Photography

It’s purely an aging thing, really; my worry, since a spinal cord injury doesn’t get progressively worse over time (like MS or Muscular Dystrophy), but even so, aging WITH a disability is without question an unnerving yet unavoidable undertaking. I really don’t want to lose the ability to sit in my chair fourteen hours a day, or have to start wearing a chest strap whenever I’m in my chair all by the time I’m 50.

The way I figure it, I’ve already used up all my allotted life manna points from figuring out how to mentally recover from the initial accident that landed me in this chair in the first place (a diving accident at age 14). I did it and I did it brilliantly! And I’m not sure I can do it a second time. I probably can, but it won’t be as easy. It took a lot of patience to be okay with my current limitations – the not walking thing, the not-being-able-to-move-your-hands thing – but it all happened in one fell swoop; not slowly over time, like aging. And the prospect of losing even further use of my already limited body is nightmare-inducing.

My adaptive yoga teacher Matt Sanford is a paraplegic who’s in his ‘40s. During a recent class, he asked my age. I replied, “31, almost 32 and ugh I feel old.” To which he scoffed, “You are a youngin! I would love to be your age again! Only in just the last few years have my shoulders started to hurt (from pushing his chair around all day for the past 30+ years).” I could tell by looking in his eyes that he truly meant that, and it was then when I realized that aging with a disability is no party in the park. By a long shot!

Here’s the pickle: When your shoulders start hurting, what do you do as a solution? Do you stop going out as much, or do you get a power chair? Or even more aggressive solution: Do you go to physical therapy and refuse to accept that aging can’t be fought? Everyone I know with a disability would have a different answer to this question, and no answer is right.

They say aging gracefully is the way to go. I just really hope that as someone with a disability, I’ll be able to do that too, and with as little pain (and Glucosamine) as possible.

What do you do to cope with the inevitable prospect of aging, both physically and mentally?

Photo courtesy of giraffes

Aging is one of the things in life – the ultimate thing honestly – that makes being a human really suck. As a disabled woman in her early ‘30s, I think a lot about how my body is already aging, worried about how my shoulders and bladder will feel 10 years from now, and I’m feverishly trying to get healthier as a result. After years of avoiding the proper intake of water, I’m finally changing that. I’m also eating less processed foods and I’m doing adapted yoga each week. I’m feeling great, but the perfectionist in me is still not satiated. Why mind, why?!

No matter how much I do, enough is never enough. I want to buy more expensive vitamins, I’d love to strictly only eat local/organic meat and dairy, I’m wishing I could stand in my standing frame all day. My mind can’t be shut off when it comes to my endless quest to get in the best paralyzed-shape possible. I worry I’ll never be happy no matter what I do, because subconsciously nothing will make me happy unless my paralysis goes away and I start walking again.

Its funny. Before I started my quest to get healthy, none of this bothered me before. I’m so happy I’ve finally become a health-nut, I just hope I’ll learn to be happy with what I can do, and be even more ok with what I can’t.

Are you a health nut? What do you do to stay healthy?

Photo courtesy of avlxyz

Since my days as a kid, I remember living on a few sips of juice a day, maybe some milk with dinner, and that was it. As I went through puberty, I began to drink more juice (but never soda. We never had enough money for that), but the notion of drinking a whole glass of water still seemed unappealing. I was just rarely if ever thirsty. And despite forcing down cups and cups of water after my injury, dutifully following my doctor’s orders, I couldn’t get used to it. Its too bad none of my hobbies include throwing-up.

I tried my best. I went in straws and water bottles blazing. After failing pretty much right away, I began to hunt for a viable solution; something that would be almost as good as water, and something I could tolerate (and maybe actually like). I started with these awesome lemon packets from Italy. They’re imported and look like tea bags, but only contain lemon zest. These make your water taste super lemony in seconds, but cost more than they should, so I was only able to drink these for a few months. I refused to drink soda, juice wasn’t refreshing enough, milk was nothing more than a melted dessert.

I next tried drinking plain water warm, which actually appealed to my pallet. I’d heat up water using my coffee maker and just drink that all day long. But even that method waned. Luckily, Crystal Light water flavoring packets were just coming on the scene. I now had a rainbow of flavors at my fingertips and was totally in love. Tropical Punch, Strawberry, Lemonade….and best of all, they were cheap and not imported! I’m currently on a generic grape water flavoring kick (Market Pantry/Target) and have been a grape flavoring addict for 2 years. I use a half packet per cup as well to dilute it because copious amounts of ANYTHING artificial cannot be good for you.

Water is amazing – it’s a gift from the Gods, it’s the basis of all living things, but even water needs a little help in the flavor department. I refuse to torture myself everyday. Life is too short. I’m just glad I’ve found a solution that finally works.

How do you work towards getting the recommended water intake each day? What works for you?

Photo courtesy of Gerwin Sturm

Thank you so much for allowing me a two week trial for the EasyStand Evolv. The purchase of the adult model has brought me great physical comfort and emotional improvement. I suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and am dealing with severe spasticity and neuropathic pain on a daily basis.

After suffering a debilitating attack in 2008 I could no longer walk, stand nor transfer without the support of a turning disc. I became physically incapacitated and emotionally distraught. For years I was basically bedridden and wheelchair bound until I discovered the EasyStand Evolv.

I use the product 6 times a week and stand passively for between 1 to 2 1/2 hours daily. Being in the upright position has improved my body’s range of motion. After I use the stander my hips move more easily and my ankles which constantly turn outward no longer do so. The spasticity in my legs has been reduced considerably and when I return to my wheelchair they no longer twitch nor pulsate uncontrollably. This leg relaxation may last for the entire day. By maintaining an upright position, my breathing and my bowel and bladder function have improved. Also, I hope to prevent deterioration of my bone density leading to osteoporosis, as I am aware of how standing aids this possibility. As of yet, I have not had bed sores, but am well aware of how changing positions can prevent this. Overall, from a physical perspective, this device has facilitated a natural standing posture and reduced both my MS pain and pain caused by sitting or lying in a prolonged or inappropriate position.

Emotionally, this journey has been a difficult one for both me and my family. Although I belong to a support group and have very understanding and compassionate doctors, I often remain in a saddened state of mind. When using the stand, it helps me regain some of my independent feelings and sense of humor. I am often more alert and cognitively aware and focused when reading and doing crossword puzzles. As humans we are meant to stand and when I do so, my family notices I am less depressed and more involved socially and intellectually.

It took me quite a while to find this product as I surfed the internet on a regular basis for something that would be appropriate for my needs. Although my doctors, occupational therapists and rehab coordinators are very knowledgeable and competent, none recommended the EasyStand Evolv.  Frustrated, after spending about 20 hours on the internet and telephone, I contacted Invacare directly and was finally helped. If I was not a persevering and tenacious person, I would have given up, feeling I had exhausted all avenues.

Certainly, there are many others who would like the stander but are unaware of its existence. In my opinion, it would be prudent for all those in the medical profession and rehabilitation facilities to recommend this product to the appropriate people. Posting pamphlets, pictures and contacts would further promote knowledge.

In conclusion, I am thrilled to have the EasyStand Evolv. I believe the standing frame will prevent any physical secondary complications that could result from my prolonged inactivity. My psychological and emotional aura has also improved. By being in the upright position, I feel more positive and more in control of myself. My self-esteem has improved to the point that I want to pursue in a limited way some of the activities I was involved in when able bodied. Hope has once again entered my life. Thank you.

Best regards,

Randi Daniels
Canada

Have you had similar experiences as Randi? Are you able to find the rehab equipment you need thru talking to your doctors or therapists, or do you have to do your own research online?

Photo Credit:  Kirstea

To participate in organized sports, contact your local park and recreation board. Some already have adapted sports teams in place, and some may be able to provide extra assistance or adaptations to allow participation on teams with peers who may not have mobility limitations.

School districts may have sports teams for students with physical impairments. Frequently multiple schools or multiple districts will combine forces to create their teams. Students are able to compete against other teams, and may even be able to earn a varsity letter for participation.

For those who really just relish their roles as superfans, assistance with team management is almost always appreciated. Communication devices can serve as excellent tools for tracking scores and stats.

Clubs and organizations exist for multiple sports that people of any ability can participate in. These activities vary from downhill skiing to waterskiing, and from sled hockey to swimming. You can search for programs in your state by going to USA Tech Guide.

Anyone can have a ball with adapted sports.

Plenty of fun can be had at home with simple adaptations:

Basketball: Push a ball off lap or stander tray into a crate or bucket or through a hula hoop.

Soccer: Headers with a beach ball or balloon are always hilarious. Push a ball along with the front of a wheelchair or mobile stander.

[See some footage of twins with Muscular Dystrophy shooting hoops and playing soccer in their mobile standers here]

Baseball: Use a tee. Place a glove or mitten on the athlete’s hand and use tape or Velcro to secure the gloved hand to the bat if gripping is a problem. Practice catching skills using an oversized mitt or Velcro mitt with a tennis ball.

Volleyball: Use a beach ball or balloon to allow more response time. Suspend a ball from a rope to a rope to allow practice striking a stationary or moving target.

With a little interest and ingenuity, everyone can get in the game!

What adapted sports are you going to try with your child this spring/summer? What other adaptations have you made so that kids with physical disabilities can get in the game?

I am a physical therapist working with a 14-year old young lady who is now trying the EasyStand Bantam after experiencing much discomfort in her prone stander.  She stands 3 times per day after each meal.  She was at the point where she could tolerate standing in her prone stander for no more than 2 to 10 minutes at a time and she would end up crying.  Since she has been using the EasyStand, she is able to stand for an hour and 45 minutes per day with no problems whatsoever, and the change in her quality of life is truly remarkable!

1. She no longer cries in the stander
2. She has required no pain medication since she started using the EasyStand
3. Her sleep has improved
4. Her ability to swallow has improved
5. Her lungs are clear
6. Her oral secretions have decreased
7. She is generally much happier
8. She can stand for much longer periods of time

We are all so happy for the positive changes that have taken place for her since she has been using your wonderful stander.  Thank you!

Karen Legnini, PT
www.rackercenters.org

Thank you Karen for sharing your positive experiences with us. This is the type of feedback that makes all of us at Altimate Medical Inc. proud because we are making a difference!

Have you had similar experiences as Karen? What equipment have you found that has made a difference to you or a child with a disability?

I remember the first time I caught a semblance of understanding in regards to engaging with another human being.  It was the beginning of spring when I held my youngest sister, Mandy for the first time.  I sat at our kitchen table holding the newest member of our brood staring into the brownness of her eyes.  Feeling her in my arms soothed me in ways I couldn’t describe but I knew I was happy and wallowed in the connection I was developing with this tiny spirit.  At the age of ten, I wasn’t sure why it felt so good to love another person but what a sensational feeling it was.

My sisters and I had a unique bond with each other that evolved quite naturally.  My relationship with each one of my five genetic counterparts taught me many things, one of which was trust.  Balanced in trust with another being was vital to my relationships much like the pumping of blood is to a healthy heart.

My parents instilled this trust virtue with lessons that taught us about values, morals, and the rules of life.  Even with these worthy lessons from my parents, I managed to make a myriad of mistakes, which proved to be grounds for learning.  Many, many, many lessons later I figured out it wasn’t necessarily the punishment I received (maybe it was half) that taught me, it was the trusting relationship I had with my parents that truly made me want to be a better person.

As I ventured into adulthood there were arguments, moments of closeness, and unfortunate instances that affected my intimate relationships.  Luckily, because of the trust and love present in my world, I was able to survive emotionally, physically, and financially during times that encapsulated my worst nightmares.  I broke my neck at the age of 18, lost one of my best friends at age 30, lost my cousin at the age of 32, and at the age of 34, heard the incredulous brain cancer diagnosis of my four month old nephew.

My relationship with each one of my five genetic counterparts taught me many things, one of which was trust.

All of these experiences were fraught with adversity but they were also testimonies to the strong connection and love rampant in my family.  Even though there was deep sadness and grave loss amidst these breaks of normalcy, there was support and unconditional love that surpassed the ramifications of each trauma.  I knew that loss and death were bearable aspects of life because my friends and family were at each devastating turn.  No matter what happened, I had someone to lean on, and I believe the comfort of knowing this unending greatness was life saving.

Relationships are not only pertinent in my personal life but they are constituents in my occupation.  I have a degree in counseling and entered this field because I thought I was insightful and often thought long and hard about circumstances that lacked meaning.  In fact, I showed a real pension for thinking, and this characteristic became apparent at a young age.  When I was three, I asked my mother for a hammer so that I could crack my head open to see what was inside.  One may surmise that I had a craving to learn and to understand things that I couldn’t see.

With my zest for thinking, I wholeheartedly believed that I had one of the major tools essential to being a good therapist.  I learned quickly in my counseling classes that thinking was a vital part in making sense of the world and our personal experiences.  However, what really sunk in deep was the actualization that even in a professional manner connecting with people was essential for healing to begin.

“I broke my neck at the age of 18, lost one of my best friends at age 30, lost my cousin at the age of 32, and at the age of 34, heard the incredulous brain cancer diagnosis of my four month old nephew.”

I am now a children’s therapist so I see firsthand the importance of building trust and securing a nonjudgmental attitude to my children.  I love working with children because of their innocence, honesty, and their capacity to love despite adults’ abilities to make wrong choices or huge mistakes.  And, they embrace differences.  My disability doesn’t matter much when I am playing dress up or singing nursery rhymes with my sidekicks.  What does matter is that I am connecting to another human, fostering resilience, and nurturing a relationship that sustains itself on love and trust.

Whether in my personal or professional life there are lots of venues in which I have met people, many diverse and different people that have touched my lives.  In trusting relationships, your legs don’t matter, your looks don’t matter, the color of your eyes don’t matter, your mistakes don’t matter…what does matter is the connection and feeling you have when your with another person.

I am embossed with relationships and this engagement with others comes in handy during different times in my life.  Sometimes, I would rather play Star Wars with my nephew (somehow I always end up playing Chewbacca) than stroll on the bike path with a friend.  Sometimes, I prefer to be by myself reading, painting or writing.  Sometimes, I want to be with one of my sisters to talk about old times.  Sometimes, I need my mother or father to hold my hand when life gets tough.  And sometimes, I crave moments like when I was ten, and happiness overflowed from my heart at the start of a new relationship.

Here are my picks for EasyStand’s Top Blog posts of 2010 (in order of publication date):

Chris Reeve Talks about his wheelchair on Sesame Street (Video) by Jackie Kaufenberg
Holiday baking for Special Needs, by Mary Miles, PT
Guaranteed Winter Fun: Accessible Sledding by Tiff Carlson
Taking a Stroll thru Virtual Reality by Shawn Dean
Brace Yourselves! The Role of Orthotics in Standing Programs by Stephenie Labandz, PT
Free Capable Kids Coloring Book by Bryanne Freitag
Looking in the Mirror by Heather Whitener
Memories of Rehab Past by Tiff Carlson
The Enigma of Competitive Bidding by Patrick Boardman
Good Help is Hard to Find by Shawn Dean
Crusader for the Non Bi-Pedal, on a Wheeled Horse I Ride by Doug T Neidermeyer
22 Ways to Pay for a Stander by Nancy Perlich, COTA/ATP
Making Hotel Bathrooms Safe for Transfers by Mark Schmitt
Insight into Job Searching with a Disability by Shawn Dean
Superhero Play for Kids of All Disabilities by Jackie Kaufenberg
Why Pageants are Good for the Disability Community by Tiff Carlson
How to Sell Used Medical Equipment by Bryanne Freitag
Standing Therapy for Milder Motor Delays by Stephenie Labandz, PT
A Peek Behind the Curtain of Being an Uncle with SCI by Shawn Dean
Adapted Yoga Continues to Improve by Abilities by Tiff Carlson
Ipad Apps for Kids with Special Needs by Jackie Kaufenberg
What Drives People to Stand? (Beyond Medical Reasons) by Andrew Gardeen
Stand Up to Expand your Mind by Andy Hicks, ATP
Conventional School or Home School for your Special Needs Child by George Passwater
The Importance of having someone who truly understands you by Tiff Carlson
Lessons from my Epic Battle with Pneumonia by Tiff Carlson
Survive a Minnesota Winter from your Wheelchair by Tiff Carlson

Are you interested in writing for the EasyStand Blog in 2011? We are always looking for new points of view!  Contact jackie@easystand.com for more information!

What are your goals for 2011? Will you be spending more time with your family? Staying healthy thru a better diet, exercise, or standing program? Tiff’s new year resolution is to stop being a worry-wart. What’s yours?

Happy & Healthy New Year from everyone at Altimate Medical!

Photo Credit: faith goble

I had always been athletic as a child, and loved the endorphin rush I would get from exercising.  Growing up, sports were such a big part of my life, and the thought of never exercising or doing a back handspring was more than my vulnerable mind could handle.  I always knew that no matter how bad my days were…I could jog or put on some tunes, and dance away the stressors of life.  When I had my accident I was heartbroken for many reasons, but the fact that I would never walk, run, or dance again was unimaginable.

When I was in the hospital and shortly thereafter, I visualized myself running and flipping gracefully in my parent’s backyard.  Denial, in its truest form, perpetrated against healing, and instead encouraged me to live in an imaginary world where I was capable and independent.  Before I knew it, I was mentally exhausted, and physically, I had gained ten pounds.

I finally realized that something was going to have to change…I just didn’t know what.  And then one autumn day at my parent’s house, I sat in front of the television with my breakfast.  Greasy eggs, sausage patties, and two butter drenched pieces of toast looked appealingly at me.  I remember staring at the plump sausage patties thinking, “Do I really want to eat this?

As I salivated for the scrumptious food, I could hear my physical therapist’s gravely voice “Be careful.  You know sitting all the time can cause you to become overweight.”  The hospital rehabilitation staff reiterated the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet or else I could end up with the quad tummy.  So there I was….at war with my taste buds and mind.  One minute I was contemplating eating the greasy breakfast, and the other minute, envisioning myself sitting in a wheelchair with a stomach like a basketball.

“One minute I was contemplating eating the greasy breakfast, and the other minute, envisioning myself sitting in a wheelchair with a stomach like a basketball.”

It has been 19 years since I dove into a pool and became a quadriplegic.  For the most part, I am healthy besides the occasional bladder infection or toe sore.  I am truly grateful for the revelation (in the form of greasy food) that day at my parent’s home.  I decided to give up the temptations that a true carnivore could never do…stop eating meat.  Truly, it wasn’t that big of a challenge for me, and the health benefits seemed to outweigh any prime rib.  I vowed on carrot sticks that I would never eat meat again.  That was 17 years ago.

Through the years, products have made it easy for me to expand my vegetarian habits.  A regular breakfast for me includes two organic eggs from vegetarian-fed hens, fake bacon, and whole wheat toast.  I eat a lot of soy products like tofu (it’s really not that bad), beans, grains, and fruits and vegetables.  I drink plenty of water, stay away from pop, and never frequent fast food restaurants.  I try to eat three meals a day with two snacks in between.

Not only did I view eating as an integral part of staying healthy I knew my mind was vital in maintaining optimal balance in my life.  My thoughts had wreaked havoc on my behavior for the first two years of my accident.  This intensity affected how I viewed the world.  My potential happiness was manacled to the treacherous thoughts of being disabled.  I was lost in the shadow of what I thought my life should have been, and this denial was poisonous venom that seeped into my veins.  However, I didn’t quite know how to stop the vicious cycle of combat between what I knew I should do, and what the conductor of pain and disappointment kept urging my mind to think.

And then one day…I was reading one of my psychology books (that’s when I actually read my text books) that spoke about Victor Frankl.  He experienced and witnessed horrible atrocities during the holocaust.  He survived from knowing there was one thing the Nazis could never take from him…his mind.  The only control Mr. Frankl had over his life had been his thoughts, and no one could ever take those away from him.  This struck me as extremely profound especially since I had finally begun to understand the power of thinking.  Cheers to Mr. Frankel’s philosophy because this was the beginning of my own search for meaning in relation to my experiences:

“For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.” – Victor Frankl

Being healthy means finding what works in the divots of one’s life, and the meaning you find when something makes sense to you.  Eating a vegetarian diet, feeding my soul with love and laughter, meditating, listening to music, reading, and painting are constituents that mold my existence, and help me embrace the delicacies in life.

How have you found happiness and life balance? What do you do to keep your body and mind healthy?

It humanizes us. It can be a tricky business changing the way the world perceives people with disabilities – who they really are, what they’re capable of, what their true lives are like. And all it sometimes takes it a profound image, queue in the nakedness, to drive the message home that we are as “normal” as anyone else.

And all it sometimes takes it a profound image, queue in the nakedness, to drive the message home that we are as “normal” as anyone else.

ESPN Magazine’s 2010 Body Issue, their annual issue featuring 40 naked athletes, features Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer, 29, one of the most decorated wheelchair tennis athletes in history. Vergeer is first woman with a disability to grace it’s pages and if you aren’t feeling the wave of OMG yet, this is a monumental thing. Her photo has even the most average Joe thinking about disability and sexuality (a topic I can guarantee most people haven’t thought of before). Vergeer had final say on which image they used, which was the tipping point for her agreeing to do the shoot.

And the UK-based (Channel 4) TV show, How to Look Good Naked, is also not afraid to put some sexy PWD in their programming. In 2009 they premiered a special edition of their show, How to Look Good Naked…with a Difference, which helped three women with disabilities learn how to use undergarments to better accentuate their bodies. When was the last time you saw a near naked woman in a wheelchair rolling around in a bustier on national TV? Apparently in England, this isn’t that big of a deal.

A test: Have you ever looked at yourself fully naked in your wheelchair before? People with disabilities are notorious for shunning their bodies; sometimes out of shame, sometimes out of fear of what people may think. But it’s time to resist. I’m not saying we should become nudists and plaster our nudie pics all over the net, but what I AM saying is that it’s of paramount importance to embrace your body, imperfections and all.

And with the exciting strides being made by ESPN and Channel 4, their glossy imagery with the disability front and center, they are sure to help us on our quest.

Read about Vergeer’s experience posing for ESPN on CNN