[Biz]

My name is Elizabeth Gauthier. I’m 24 years old and a new hemi pelvectomy amputee and L3 incomplete. I am also an Anthropology student at Brigham Young University. Before I graduate I need to complete an ethnographic study. These means that I need to collect, observe, interview, study and record some sort of societal aspect. Each year more and more young people become paralyzed. As As medical technology saves more lives every year it also increases the number a paralyzed who would have otherwise not survived. I especially want to explore how this affects young people. I want to explore how becoming paralyzed as a young person (ages 15-40) changes circumstances, and how we cope with such a major mobility change that affects the rest of our lives. I am a participant observer in this endeavor and I am asking for your help in accomplishing this personal project.
Anyway I need your help. I want to collect your anecdotes (stories) about becoming paralyzed. I’m looking for your circumstances, feelings, emotions, concerns, fears, accomplishments etc. You don’t have to give me specifics about your name or location but I would like you to be descriptive. You can post your story here or email me if you want. Also contact me if you are available to be cyber interviewed by me. Thank you so much for all of your help. Email me with questions and your entries. There is so much to explore on the way we cope with these major life changes. I believe that each of us have a fascinating story about our special journeys. I just want to make sure that people hear about them.
Thank You Again!!!
Elizabeth Gauthier
bizgauthier@gmail.com

[greybeard]

If you are serious about this study, a little self help wouldn't go amiss. You don't need people to post anything. Just start reading the 146795 posts in the forum archives. All the information you could ever need is already there.

[Ratticis]

If some doctors would learn to listen to their patients and not just assume that they are gods that know everything about everything I wouldn't be paralyzed.

[FROG]

My thoughts precisely Greybeard. Biz, the finger prints of our lives are what this board is all about. We have all poured out our lives to each other throughout most every post on this board. This is a great place for you to receive all the nitty gritty details of life as a paraplegic. All you have to do is start reading and you will have all the data you will need for your assignment. Best of luck to you with your education and all of your endeavors beyond the classroom.

[Travelling Blackbird]

I have to agree with Greybeard and Frog. As a scientist and teacher, I would want my students to do their reading research first.

Another point is that your questions are too vague and general. You need to think about the information that is relevant to your study, create a questionnaire, and then see if you can fill it out based on a few cases that are well documented here in threads like "How did you get your SCI?", "How long have you been injured?", and "How long did it take you to reach independence?".

Approach the issue with a clearly defined questionnaire for a clearly defined study.

One final point: is your study group really 15- to 40-year olds? That's a very broad age group. It includes people who might already be parents and people who are kids, people who have never had a professional career and people who have. That seems far too broad for a sociological or anthropological study on spinal cord injury: comparing the experience of someone injured at 16 with the experience of someone injured at 39, of course there will be similarities at an emotional level, but "the life left behind" would be far different. Are you sure you shouldn't focus on people injured between say, 15 and 22 (secondary school - college), and then subdivide your study into people with "fresh injuries" (less than 3 years ago), medium-term injuries (3 to 8 years ago) and old injuries (8+ years)?

Refine your study, do your research and come back with a questionnaire. You'll get a lot more out of the study if you do.

[Biz]

Wow thank you so much for everyone's comments and help! I appreciate your suggestions so much. I will think about all you said and I will try my hardest to create a more clearer questionaire. I am open to additional ideas or suggestions about going about this study. I know that with your help I can go about creating a crediable and meaningful project. Thank you.
-Biz