Caregivers usually have time to consult someone if they are unsure how to perform some of their duties. With Autonomic Dysreflexia, time is very limited and immediate action is needed to prevent serious consequences. Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) can cause strokes, heart attacks and even death. Probably the most troubling fact...

What happens when your body no longer reacts or reacts inappropriately to temperature changes? This is a reality for many people with an SCI Most of us have a body temperature that runs at about 37ºC. When it is hot, our bodies react to help us cool down and we...

The visible damage associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) is very apparent, but the unseen damages often have an even greater impact on the individual The loss of sexual functionality, bladder and bowel control, the antics of autonomic dysreflexia and the difficulties with temperature regulation are additional disabilities that mess...

With a team of specialists to put the body back together, wheelchair users can be mobile and healthy. But it’s the humble occupational therapist who assists spinal cord injury (SCI) patients to live a fulfilling life. An SCI is a catastrophic life-changing event that impacts on every facet of daily...

Frustration is inevitable when your life changes very suddenly. People with disabilities as well as caregivers should consider how they express their frustrations. As persons with disabilities, we do become frustrated with our own inabilities; at those times cute aphorisms like “otherwise enabled” do not help much. I watch rugby,...

When a spouse loses physical mobility through a spinal cord injury (SCI), it is a life-shattering experience for both partners. It takes great purpose to rebuild. I recently heard of a man who tragically lost his wife in a car accident. His life was shattered. However, he tells of how...

In our quest for perfect solutions, we should not lose sight of pragmatism – finding a workable solution in an less-than-ideal situation. Earlier this year, at the QASA Annual General Meeting (AGM), one of the attendees showed me a photograph of a ramp that was built to the back door...

A spinal cord injury is life-changing for the injured person as well as their spouse or life partner Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are hugely traumatic. We deal with the death of a part of ourselves and we turn inwards. There is the battle to survive, followed closely by the battle...

A facilitator is someone who knows they are not able to resolve an issue and instead find someone who can. These are the people who make it all happen. The Biblical disciple, Andrew, was the brother of Simon Peter, the head of the disciples (as Rolling Inspiration readers of the...

People with mobility impairments have specific dietary needs that must be taken into consideration to ensure their wellbeing – and this involves more than just watching their weight and fluid intake To find out more I chatted to Charlene Grimsehl, a dietitian at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Johannesburg, where...