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My Name Is Sean Smith And I Need Help Regarding An English Project.


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#1 drizzt42

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Posted 25 March 2007 - 04:16 PM

Hi, my name is Sean Smith and I am a C5 level quadriplegic due to a diving accident two years ago. I am currently enrolled in a college English course which requires me to interview a few people with some type of paralysis for a project. I would really appreciate it if somebody can help me out. I have several questions that I can ask, but I need your approval before I start anything. Once again, it would be greatly appreciated.

#2 drizzt42

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Posted 25 March 2007 - 05:40 PM

Here are some of the questions.
How did your paralysis occur?
What type injury did you receive?
How did you react?
How did other people react?
Do you believe that you were provided enough information about paralysis?
Were you provided information for assistive resources?
Who is your healthcare provider, Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance?
Did you notice a difference in the quality of treatment based on your healthcare provider compared to others?
Did you research or injury?
Has your terminology changed after becoming paralyzed?
What are some of the things that you discuss amongst people in the same situation that you don't discuss an otherwise?
What do you think about people who are not paralyzed?
What do you think people who are not paralyzed think about you?
Is being out in public a problem for you?
What types of activities do you participate in?
What types of activities are available?
What obstacles do you face on a daily basis?

#3 brackman22

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Posted 26 March 2007 - 01:16 AM

I'd be willing to help out. I'm a C6 complete injured in 1989 in a diving accident. Interview by phone or something would work. If you want my assistance just send me a PM.

Brett Brackman
People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest. --Hermann Hesse

Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace. --Oscar Wilde

#4 drizzt42

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Posted 26 March 2007 - 05:15 PM

View Postdrizzt42, on Mar 25 2007, 10:16 AM, said:

Hi, my name is Sean Smith and I am a C5 level quadriplegic due to a diving accident two years ago. I am currently enrolled in a college English course which requires me to interview a few people with some type of paralysis for a project. I would really appreciate it if somebody can help me out. I have several questions that I can ask, but I need your approval before I start anything. Once again, it would be greatly appreciated.

I did not mention this earlier, But a chat room interview would be the best possible way for me to conduct a survey, because I and unable to talk on the phone and take notes at the same time. I am always available and willing to do this at any time.

#5 edlee

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Posted 26 March 2007 - 06:23 PM

Sean, I would be happy to help whenever you like. I'm new here myself and unsure about how to use the chat room but will give it my best shot. If you would like to set up a time, I'll try to be there, and others probably will too.

Ed

#6 edlee

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 08:15 PM

Sean, sorry to have missed you at the chat room, but it is apparently beyond my compurer's or my connection's ability to stay hooked up anyway. I went there just now and in the middle of a chat with someone , the program hung up forcing me to drop out and reboot. Maybe it's best if I simply answer your questions here.

My name is Ed leeper. I am 60 years old and was injured in a fall at work as an ironworker. The onset of my paraysis was immediate and is at t10. My initial reaction was , of course shock, disapointment, some depression. The immediate reaction of my friends was sympathy,as one would expect. Later on ,after about a year, the visits and calls tapered off until now, two and one half years later, I am in regular touch with only one couple. I was, and am saddened by the loss but have come to realize that most of my friendships were related to my work and the sports I participated in. Now that I can no longer work as a steel erecter or play golf, I can understand how people can forget about you when you aren't around. The rehab I got at a Healthsouth facility was good as far as I can tell. They got me back in shape to use my chair, but beyond that I feel they weren't equipped to help me much. Experience counts for a lot and, they simply didn't have enough there. Having been hurt at work, Worker's comp has been picking up the ytab so far. It's difficult to complain considering the amount they have spent so far. I can't tell you if the treatment is different for me than for others, having only recently found this forum in which to discuss it. I went to a great deal of effort learning about my injury and my speech patterns and vocabulary probably reflect that. Most of my discussions about my condition are with doctors, my family and those at this web site. Others listen politly but are obviosly doing so and therefore I would rather not burden them. I try to keep my conversations about things more interesting. To tell the truth, I don't find Paraysis very interesting, at least not the parts you can discuss with ABs at dinner. Somehow bladder control and digital stimulation don't often come up in talks with those who don't have or use them. I love going out in public and have never found anyone rude to me. Thoughtless maybe, but that's only because there aren't that many of us out there so they forget. I do miss work and golfing, which were about the only things I did preinjury that I was any good at.

We all, sci and ab, have our own handicaps. Some visible, some not. We just need to cope.


Sean, I hope you can use this, but even if you can't, it's been good for me. Ed




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