29 replies to this topic

[axl from down under]

[/color][color=#CC66CC]
Hi

I'm only new to this forum, however, since the age of 16 (for the last 21 years) I have been living with paraplegia (T 8-4) for the last 21 years.

The first 5 years were fast and furious as I underwent the turbulent journey of understanding and accepting my new life as well as discovering how resilient and adaptable the human body and mind can be.

The next 10 years to follow were brilliant as I no longer felt disabled and I followed new aspirations as an active member of the community, by completing university studies, undertaking fulltime work, finding a wonderful partner ( or should I say he found a wonderful partner) and buying our first home.

Then the I started to encounter what I refer to as "speed bumps", the upper body that I had so dearly relied on started to "pack it in" by letting me experience the painful conditions of tendonitis, bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

I feel like I have come full circle, once again I am fighting to gain independence as my abilities such as driving, transferring, gardening and being a sheep hobby farmer have been severly affected. I have since discovered that this is all part of aging with SCI..aging I ask???? I'm only 37!!!!!, they say life begins at 40 and I believed them until a few years ago.

So was wondering if there are any other "oldies" out there and how is this wonderful journey of life working out for you?

Cheers

Tanya

Ready, Willing and disAbled!

[DarkAgdistis]

Hello Tanya,

I'm roughly going through the same experiences as you : disabled at the age of 15, now nearly 36 and having a full love/work life.
And like you, I start to feel that 21 years in a wheelchair is weighting more and more on my capacities ( more frequent muscular pains, etc etc ).

Personnaly I think there're no miracles if, like me, you prefer to stay away from medications. You should rest ( yes, rest ... ) a bit longer whenever you have the opportunity. I've heard it's the best for your body.

Of course, if you have as many free times as me, then the only time I find for resting is the week-end ( I still can sleep for more than 12 hours ... even though it can also mean I'll wake up ... with a backache !

All in all : you should just raise your head and fight all the unpleasant symptoms with good will as there are no good answers to aging ( apart from suicide ... )

Cheers
DA

[axl from down under]

DA

Yeh I think thats the biggest problem wanting it all, I work fulltime and is hard to rest the body only 2 days a week.

As far as the fighting the unpleasant symptoms, I had rods put in 6 years ago over 8 vertebrea, I just had open release carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist 8 wks ago and will have my right wrist done later in the year, so there's still plenty of fight left in me. Funny thing is, I have more scars from surgeries performed post 10 years injury, the only scar from my accident is a 5cm scar on my right hand. LOL !!

One of the reasons for the post is to get some feedback on how others are " fairing up"

Tanya

[Deej]

Hi Tanya

Another one for the Yes vote !

I am 38 years old and 13 years post injury and yes I do often feel like I am falling apart. I have had elbow problems needing an operation on one of them. I now have impingement syndrome in my right shoulder - not sure yet whether I will need an op on that.

This is in addition to the usual ingrowing toe nails, haemorrhoids, constant upper back and neck pain. I am sure I would not be such a wreck but for my accident and 13 years in a chair.

But hey I'm not bitter and you've just got to get on with things - there's always someone worse off than yourself.

Take care.

[fallout55]

Tanya, I have to vote yes. I'm 51 and been a T3-4 para since I was 20. I found this forum yesterday because I was looking for some ideas online to help this painful "tennis elbow" that is restricting almost all of my activities. I have had carpal tunnel on my left wrist, but other than these two problems I guess I've been pretty lucky. I have found that swimming seems to help my physical well being more than anything else.

[DaveP]

I was 23 and am now 39 (40 next month - ouch!) and am getting the odd problem with painful elbow/s and shoulder/s. I think I've been kinda lucky as after 5 yrs in the army I was big, strong and very fit, so I think having a "strong body" to start with has helped me.

I get an Osteopath to give me a good stretch and manipulation every 4 to 6 weeks, and the problems nearly always correct themselves. It's often due to postural problems being sat in the same position too long and bones in your back, neck, shoulders becoming mal-aligned, thus causing problems like Tennis or Golf Elbow (Tennis Elbow is when the bones go one way, and Golf Elbow is when the bones go the other way, but the pain is virtually the same). Having a twisted pelvis can make the spine move to compensate, then the neck and shoulder bones have to realign themselves and then other bones move out too causing all sorts of problems - head aches, dizziness, painful elbows, tingling in the arms & fingers, etc.

I added some padding to my back-rest so it gives my lower back more support so it's arched the right way, and that has helped loads. The Osteopath has also shown me ways to stretch and click my back, neck and shoulders and I do that loads - almost a habit now.

One thing for sure, doing nothing or popping pain killers doesn't fix the problem!

[BillS]

I'm 48 years old and have been a para for 30 years. Yep, I'm falling apart. But I talk to a lot of my AB friends and they aren't doing too great either. Old age catches up with all of us and just like every other part of life us SCI people have it abit harder then the standard AB person.

So far my major problems have been:

A massive tear of my right rotator cuff which is so bad it's inoperable. But I've worked around it very well and as long as I don't lift anything heavy with my right arm I do pretty good.

An Ulnar nerve problem in my right elbow that was causing numbness and pain in my right hand/forearm. I actually allowed my doc to operate on me for this one. He promised me I could use my right arm the next day after surgery if he did a subcutaneous transposition of the ulnar nerve. I was able to use it, it hurt like heck but I used it. Two days after the surgery I was transferring and even driving.

Scoliosis. It's a real pain in the back. ;) It's not too obvious unless I take off my shirt but it does cause back pains.

Syringomyelia. This one scares me! I've got a cryinx(sort of like a cyst) that travels from my injury at T8 up to the top of my spinal cord. My doctor monitors it with yearly MRIs and it hasn't really changed in the past 3 years so he doesn't want to operate yet and I don't want him to operate. But someday that cyrinx could give me trouble and I could be totally paralyzed.

With all of the above I get the normal aging stuff. Stiffness when waking up. Weight gain that's harder to lose as you get older. Reading glasses, loss of hair, growth of odd hair...

Getting old isn't for wimps.

[axl from down under]

Hi

Thanx for those of you who have replied so far..

With my orignal posts I hope noone thought I was trying to come across as bitter or negative about how aging has impacted on me physically. My comments are "tongue in cheek"- Dry Aussie humour!

Well I certainly don't feel alone any more, and as some of you have been in chairs longer then myself- I certainly have alot to look forward to. '

Cheers

And heres to the next 30 years.

Tanya

[wooffwooff]

axl from down under, on Apr 17 2007, 02:27 AM, said:

[/color]
Hi

I'm only new to this forum, however, since the age of 16 (for the last 21 years) I have been living with paraplegia (T 8-4) for the last 21 years.

The first 5 years were fast and furious as I underwent the turbulent journey of understanding and accepting my new life as well as discovering how resilient and adaptable the human body and mind can be.

The next 10 years to follow were brilliant as I no longer felt disabled and I followed new aspirations as an active member of the community, by completing university studies, undertaking fulltime work, finding a wonderful partner ( or should I say he found a wonderful partner) and buying our first home.

Then the I started to encounter what I refer to as "speed bumps", the upper body that I had so dearly relied on started to "pack it in" by letting me experience the painful conditions of tendonitis, bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

I feel like I have come full circle, once again I am fighting to gain independence as my abilities such as driving, transferring, gardening and being a sheep hobby farmer have been severly affected. I have since discovered that this is all part of aging with SCI..aging I ask???? I'm only 37!!!!!, they say life begins at 40 and I believed them until a few years ago.

So was wondering if there are any other "oldies" out there and how is this wonderful journey of life working out for you?

Cheers

Tanya

Ready, Willing and disAbled!

axl from down under, on Apr 17 2007, 02:27 AM, said:

[color=#CC66CC]
Hi

I'm only new to this forum, however, since the age of 16 (for the last 21 years) I have been living with paraplegia (T 8-4) for the last 21 years.

The first 5 years were fast and furious as I underwent the turbulent journey of understanding and accepting my new life as well as discovering how resilient and adaptable the human body and mind can be.

The next 10 years to follow were brilliant as I no longer felt disabled and I followed new aspirations as an active member of the community, by completing university studies, undertaking fulltime work, finding a wonderful partner ( or should I say he found a wonderful partner) and buying our first home.

Then the I started to encounter what I refer to as "speed bumps", the upper body that I had so dearly relied on started to "pack it in" by letting me experience the painful conditions of tendonitis, bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

I feel like I have come full circle, once again I am fighting to gain independence as my abilities such as driving, transferring, gardening and being a sheep hobby farmer have been severly affected. I have since discovered that this is all part of aging with SCI..aging I ask???? I'm only 37!!!!!, they say life begins at 40 and I believed them until a few years ago.

So was wondering if there are any other "oldies" out there and how is this wonderful journey of life working out for you?

Cheers

Tanya

Ready, Willing and disAbled!

[wooffwooff]

I'm a long time paraplegic (Apr, 1970), but a first time message poster today. I know how it feels to think you're fall'n apart. At 45 yrs old I began to have doubts that eating all your veggies was going to cut-it, nutrionally speaking. At 47 I was sure I wanted to try something and was blessed to be given a copy of "Dead Doctors Don't Lie" by Dr. Joel Wallach. A full-spectrum nutritional program(contained in just three products) changed the way I feel both physically and emotionally. It cost me about $75 a month to feel the way it seemed I always felt before - about 25 yrs old(In fact now, I'm quite sure I could whip the guy I was at 25). As is mentioned on this forum regularly, no two people/SCI injuries are the same so my satisfaction/ happiness with my current existence may not translate with anyone elses experience. My main problems (besides paralysis to my hamstrings, butt and everything from knees down) were increasingly debilitating daily aches, pains(bad crick in my neck a couple of times a week, cronic sore back) and and overall feeling of despair due to the loss of confidence that I could continue to function(keep a job) and enjoy life(do what I want) for much longer. Look'n back, I'm sure some of my "despair" was depression which may have been more related to lack of proper nutrition than to any particular circumstances(Vitamin B Complex plays a big role in attitude). I felt much better in less than a month after I began the "full-spectrum nutrition program" recommended By Dr. Wallach, but ten years later and now 57, I am looking forward to breaking the record(if one exist) for longevity of a paraplegic!
As I said this is my first post so let me address one more issue. I don't know the medical terms, but if you have full use of your hands/arms and lower abdominal muscles (down to your crotch), GET OUT OF YOUR CHAIR. Yes it work to swing yourself thru life on crutches but the more you do it the less work it becomes - you get STRONGER. The muscles that do work get stronger over time, but hopefully after an active and full day, you will still be pooped. It's a great feeling!

[Texaswheelz]

I just hit 33 this year, but going on 17 years with my chair. I felt fine also the first 12 -15 years but lately have been more and more sore. Of course I'm also not in the shape I was in either, Every year for the last several I've swore I was going to get back in shape, but never have done it. But next year is my 15 year class reuniun and I am determined not to show up out of shape. So for the last few weeks I have been hitting the park near me and putting in 3-5 miles of rolling. It normally takes 2 days for my shoulders to recover, then I hit it again.

Along with that I thought I had carpal tunnel but I had them run the test on my hand/wrist to see if I did or not that didn't find anything and said it was fine. So now after the first 5 minutes at the computer every day i spend the rest of the day with a half numb half killing me pain every time I touch a key to type. Looking for a non computer related job now. The occasional back ache in the morning is now there every morning I wake up and last untill mid afternoon.

Just gotta keep on truckin and keep the pain pills in the cabinet and out of me. I'll never turn down a big joint though.

[Izziwhizzi]

wooffwooff, on May 9 2007, 07:08 PM, said:

I'm a long time paraplegic (Apr, 1970), ..... and now 57, I am looking forward to breaking the record(if one exist) for longevity of a paraplegic!

There has been a well known (not on TV but in UK SCI circles you bumped into her) female tetra just pass away after clocking up 50 years as a tetra. I think she was injured at 17. And also I saw a thing about a para who had been injured in the 2nd world war who recently died too. Those figures are quite amazing seeing the poor medical resources available in the earlier years of their injuries.

I've clocked up 25 years this year as a tetra. Loads of good times and some crap ones too. Thing is that panics me is that I really want to see all of the next 25 years too, but when I imagine another 25 years with a crap tetra body makes me wonder if I will last out both mentally and physically.

L xx

[fallout55]

[/quote]

There has been a well known (not on TV but in UK SCI circles you bumped into her) female tetra just pass away after clocking up 50 years as a tetra. I think she was injured at 17. And also I saw a thing about a para who had been injured in the 2nd world war who recently died too. Those figures are quite amazing seeing the poor medical resources available in the earlier years of their injuries.

I've clocked up 25 years this year as a tetra. Loads of good times and some crap ones too. Thing is that panics me is that I really want to see all of the next 25 years too, but when I imagine another 25 years with a crap tetra body makes me wonder if I will last out both mentally and physically.

L xx
[/quote]

I have a friend who was injured when his plane crashed in WW2. John Martinez just got his purple heart last year after 59 years in a wheelchair. He's got 60 now and still works at the VA in Houston for the paralyzed veterans assosiation. Whenever I think I'm too worn out, I look at this guy


[url="http://texaspva.org/getinvolved/index.htm"]http://texaspva.org/getinvolved/index.htm[/url]

[wheeliebear75]

I feel that way a lot. I'm in my 30's/60's. I was hurt at age 14 & am now going on 32. A doctor told me once that part of the problem is that although we have made it possible to not use legs by way of crutches or a w/c, it does not mean that the body is OK with this plan. We put our upper bodies through the wear and tear that our legs used to and were disigned for. I have some of the same problems as you. Arthitis in upper back now, tendonitis in shoulders, etc, blah blah, yatta yatta. If you find a rejuevenation potion let me know.

[jakhep]

wheeliebear75, on May 17 2007, 07:20 AM, said:

I feel that way a lot. I'm in my 30's/60's. I was hurt at age 14 & am now going on 32. A doctor told me once that part of the problem is that although we have made it possible to not use legs by way of crutches or a w/c, it does not mean that the body is OK with this plan. We put our upper bodies through the wear and tear that our legs used to and were disigned for. I have some of the same problems as you. Arthitis in upper back now, tendonitis in shoulders, etc, blah blah, yatta yatta. If you find a rejuevenation potion let me know.

Gee i feel kinda guilty as i have no real problems to report, im into my 42nd year as a para (had my accident in april 1966),i'm 63 now and on the whole life has been pretty good to me so far, i have kept fit through the years doing various kinds of excercise, dont drink or smoke and have a pretty positive outlook on life and i guess i have been lucky too, hopefully it will continue for a long time yet..

[kermit]

Hi All,

I am a 28 years post para (T8&12), aged 48. Generally my health has gone through long patches of greatness and weakness over the years. Lowlights : Bladder troubles in 80's, ischial skin in 90's. But really pretty good overall.

However in last few years "niggles" have started in neck/shoulder/elbows. Really all manageable, just live through/with it. Then 4 months ago I broke/compressed another vertebra (L2)! Now I have terrible sweats in lower body. The L2 bone doesn't seem to be healing/knitting - apparently as para spine bones aren't properly weight bearing, they become osteoporotic over time. Maybe could have prevented by using "standing frame" every day. And my scoliosis has now become pretty major. Doctors still not sure what to do with me. (Osteoporotic bones limit ability to do rod surgery). It is quite a worry as I am truly uninformed about the real status of my ruined spine, and wonder if it is it on a degenerative spiral. My healing not helped by my regular falling out of my chair - something I've always done in the past with no consequences. Now I am taking things gently, doing everything I can to not fall out of my chair while this is sorted out. Unlike my original healing in 1979, the doctors have NOT told me to stay in bed 24&7. Seems that bedrest is now "debunked".

I am also trialling lateral supports on chair for scoliosis, which is a bit like going from a sports car to a cruiser sedan - built for comfort not speed. I am pretty hopeful that my L2 break is just another glitch along the way, and I will get back to my everyday life soon. Miss my handcycling which is so good for the body & soul - I am absolutely positive this exercise is very good for my longterm health.

As part of the first big "wave" (late 1970') of disabled to survive, we (including medicos) are on a voyage of discovery finding out longterm effects of living in a chair. The rumour I have heard is that our tickers tend to clap out in the end (better a fast exit, eh!). I reckon if I can have a good quality of life up to about 70 that'll about do. But if I do make it to 70, I'll bet I'll want to push this out to 75!

[nomis]

I’m 59 and 38yrs T4. I began getting hints of osteoarthritis first in one hand about 10 years ago. It was a mystery at the time but obvious when joined by the other. Some years ago I was in real pain with both hands but it’s not so bad now.

Firstly, I began to manage my hands better by not giving them such a hard time – stopped grubbing in the garden and other jarring activities. Also began including with breakfast a fish oil tablet and a glucosamine&condroitin mix. I don’t know if that works but my hands are so much easier to live with I’m too scared to change the regime.

I still have pain. They ain't getting better. But it’s nowhere near as bad or unpredictable as when it first began.

I’m lucky. The elbows and shoulders so far are holding up. I’m taking more interest in my back posture knowing that if I don’t I’ll be in for bigger trouble.

Actually, I should be a bit ashamed of my laidback life as it is likely my joints are mostly ok cos I haven’t stressed them too much as is inevitable with athletes and other hard goers.

I’ll be presumptuous and say that those with wear and tear arthritic problems may put up with excruciating pain in the early stages but, managed well, you’ll handle it easier eventually and get on with your lives. I don’t accept your bodies are falling apart (not just yet), they’re just making an early protest.

[wheels5894]

Well, the only good thing about this thread is that one cn see eevryone gets the same problems. I was paralysed, T6 in 1983 at the age of 34. We were tough in those days as the steel E and J chair weighed up to 50lbs! Ouch! I reckon lifting these chair didn't help. I 'enjoyed' tennis elbow for some years due to the way I lifted the chair over the back seat inot the boot to make rom for the family.

Anyway, 24 years later and I have aching shoulders, elbows, wrists and sometimes fingers too. being a woss, I have been using Celebrex but moved onto Diclofenac this year. Add Tramadol SR and I can not worry to much about the aches! My GPV is still a little heavy and bulky so I am awaiting delivery on Monday (wow, can't wait!!!_) of my new Quickie Ti which, by the feel of it probably floats into the car! the weight reduction is supposed to save my arms etc but I don't know how well. Perhaps a new thread in 12 years when (or if) I reach 70 and I'll let you know.

Meanwhile I looking at the scary face of 60 in 2009 and quite frankly, apart from the aches, I don't feel that old at all. I don't really feel that much older than 34 and I have avoided most of the nasty things like pressure sores so I really should be pleased and I am really. I hope others are too as there's lot to enjoy and lots t do.

[Califanna]

JAKHEP[/quote]
Gee i feel kinda guilty as i have no real problems to report, im into my 42nd year as a para (had my accident in april 1966),i'm 63 now and on the whole life has been pretty good to me so far, i have kept fit through the years doing various kinds of excercise, dont drink or smoke and have a pretty positive outlook on life and i guess i have been lucky too, hopefully it will continue for a long time yet..
[/quote]

When you say you have had a positive outlook on life, are you really saying that you don't allow yourself to label your aches and pains as getting older. You sound like my neighbor, when her husband began to have trouble walking and working in the garden. She would tell him that he is not trying or he is giving in to being old; until he was ultimately found crawling towards the back door because he could not pull himself up. Like my neighbor, I don't think you are really being honest with yourself. 42 years as a para and you don't have 'no real problems to report'. Give me a break.

Edited by Califanna, 19 August 2007 - 03:30 AM.

[wheels5894]

I think you must be right, Califanna. Surely anyone pushing a wheelchair for even 10 years will have some joint problems and into the 60s mpst people have joint problems of some sort. It is a lucky person indeed who manages to get tp their 60s without ny problems -even an AB.

[jakhep]

I added my post nearly 3 weeks ago and the only response it gets is negativity, why am i not suprised, the only thing that suprises me is the arrogance of some to label others as they label themselves, it really doesnt bother me one jot whether you believe me or not but i can assure you that I am certainly not in denial about my life in a wheelchair , and yes i have been lucky in some areas, i have no shoulder problems or skin problems , some of that is maybe down to genetics but a lot of it is down to plain common sense.
It seems like there is no place for positivity for some people in here, im sure if i had been complaining about this and that i would have had many replies telling me they have had the same problem, i have done the things which i know have benefitted my life, i have always taken the attitude that im willing to try something new and it has worked for me.

[wheels5894]

Hang on a bit, jakhep, the original question here was to do with how long term people were doing.

Quote

I feel like I have come full circle, once again I am fighting to gain independence as my abilities such as driving, transferring, gardening and being a sheep hobby farmer have been severly affected. I have since discovered that this is all part of aging with SCI..aging I ask???? I'm only 37!!!!!, they say life begins at 40 and I believed them until a few years ago.

So was wondering if there are any other "oldies" out there and how is this wonderful journey of life working out for you?

Now we have, for the most part put down the problems we have encountered in our wheelchair lives - arms, shoulders = that sort of thing. It is no good pretending and saying to our questioner that there are no problems because that is not true and not helpful. That we have all put this sort of thing down, however, is nothing to do with positive or negative attitudes but simple fact.

If you want to know about peoples# attitudes to their disability then look in other areas of the forum and see what everyone is up to. Apparalysed had described his trip to new Zealand for example. on way and another we are all busy and I think, for the most part, enjoying life and living. Is that positive enough? I am a treasurer for a tennis organisation that keeps me a bit busy and then I shop and cook for the family too, (curries my speciality!) as well as sing in ad hoc choirs. Is that positive?

[nomis]

I've got no problem believing you jakhep. It's comforting to hear of such veterans. I can't quite match your years but I'm in that experienced group and also have held up reasonably well.

Rather than negativity, I think people here are being openly factual. The physical stresses and strains from a wheelchair do tend to cause wear and tear. In which case, what do we do about it?
My own feeling is that a bit of joint pain is to be expected, particularly for those putting more stress on their bodies as with athletes.
It happens in the ab population only they mostly bitch about hips, backs and knees.

It's still a reasonably recent phenomenon to have people living most of their lives with a wheelchair. Not a lot a research or knowledge exists around the long-term consequences and possible solutions. I'd be interested in what you reckon are factors in your fitness.

[jakhep]

I know full well what the original post was wheels5894 but a direct accusation was made against me by Califanna, (Backed up by you) that i was in some kind of denial, thats what annoyed me so much, i certainly dont dispute other peoples quality of life and i would expect to get the same attitude about me and not suggest i was a liar, its very presumptious and rude to make statements about people they know nothing about.

[jakhep]

Isnt it a terrible indictment on the state of some peoples mind's that you have to defend yourself for looking after yourself too well.

[4estGimp]

I was 16 at time of injury and I'm now 38. I've has some shoulders issues off and on. The biggest problem I ever had with my shoulder came from sleeping with it wrenched under my pillow. It overstretched my rotator cuff and led to shoulders that almost wanted to pop out of socket. Luckily, they never fully popped out. It only took me A FEW YEARS to realize I was the cause of the issue.

Fish oil is GREAT for connective tissue. Biotest makes a wonderful blend called Flameout. http://www.t-nation....re.jsp#flameout Most people start noticing a difference in about 2weeks or so.

Carlson's lemon flavored fish oil is also very good. Go to www.amazon.com and do a search for it.

I'm a bit of a gym rat and have been back training a lot the past year. Copy/paste is my friend. So here is my shoulder rehab/prehab post I put on training forums. The links given below are for various training exercises, HOWEVER, many of them could be performed at home with simple weights, soup cans, bands.... etc. Even if you are not into training, the articles may have some good information for you.

********************************************************************************
**

This is a bit of a repost concerning joint health and rehab/prehab. However, there is a ton of good info in these articles. I'm now training heavier, with lower reps than ever before, and my shoulders feel good as ever.

Basically anything by Eric Cressey or the other authors is worth a read. I've used info in these article to help impingement issues that have plagued me since high school. Face Pulls, and pushups have helped me a LOT. I never thought about how important it was to have exercises that involve the scapula. My warmups always involve using a shoulder horn, pro-grip face pulls and a pushup substitute. Pushups won't work for me so I used band presses (band behind back).

8 Weeks to Monster Shoulders
by Alwyn Cosgrove and Chad Waterbury
Phase one of this is what I use on deload weeks.
http://www.t-nation....ic.do?id=818555

Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs...for Strong and Healthy Shoulders!
by Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson
http://www.t-nation....c.do?id=1426252

Shoulder Savers: Part II (also, links back to part one)
by Eric Cressey
IF NOTHING ELSE, READ BOTH PARTS OF THIS
http://www.t-nation....c.do?id=1055409

Waterbury Rules
by Chad Waterbury
Rule #5 has some good exercises.
Be sure to read the thread following this article.
http://www.t-nation....c.do?id=1379910

While I was at it.....

13 Tips for Mighty Elbows & Wrists
by Eric Cressey
http://www.t-nation....c.do?id=1270397

and

The 10 Rules of Corrective Lifting
by Eric Cressey
http://www.t-nation....c.do?id=1465613

[Califanna]

jakhep, on Aug 19 2007, 02:19 AM, said:

I know full well what the original post was wheels5894 but a direct accusation was made against me by Califanna, (Backed up by you) that i was in some kind of denial, thats what annoyed me so much, i certainly dont dispute other peoples quality of life and i would expect to get the same attitude about me and not suggest i was a liar, its very presumptious and rude to make statements about people they know nothing about.

I'm sorry if what I said offended you. It's just that I have found that people come on to this site and pretend to be in chairs, but their statements seem like falsehoods. If what you say is true then more power to you. It is quite amazing and like you said, your situation is quite unique. You must be blessed. Please accept my apology.

[ampman52]

My body falling apart is certainly something I have been worrying too much about lately (the worry itself is disabling, don't you think?) but in 28 years I can't say I have had any arm or shoulder pains. What I have got is high cholesterol and high blood pressure which I have started medication for. I am going to increase excercise (or that's what I say to myself) hopefully to do something for my fitness.

It's depressing that pain is a kind of sci badge of honour - I'm not looking forward to it..............in fact the last guy who said he had no pain was shot down in flames! lol

[nomis]

Hi ampman52. After 41 years SCI, pain isn't an issue for me - nothing to deserve a badge. Pain is not mandatory with SCI.

I'd strongly advise you to get on with that exercise programme. I assume you've already made the necessary diet changes. Long wheels can be enjoyable and you get to go at your own pace and to stop whenever you feel the need. But every day you miss makes it that little bit harder th next time. Best to go out every day or at least every second day.

At 28 there's heaps more living and loving to enjoy so the effort will be worth it...also, it gets easier the longer you keep it up.

[Beautiful]

I was paralyzed at a very young age, and now 15 years later, I am definitely falling apart. Dealing with my SCI so young, I didn't want to do the things that doctors said I really needed to, like stretching and a standing frame. I did it to myself so I can't really complain.