ParaPleGic PaReNtinG

30 Week Pregnancy Update

2015-06-30T10:24:00.000-04:00

Last Day of School!

2015-05-21T11:07:00.001-04:00

Today is the last day of school for ZJ. I remember the first day of school. I was so sad that my baby had to leave me during the day. For the most part, I feel like I have coped well this school year. I have enjoyed going to the school for programs and parties. Its always nice when ZJ brings home paintings and crafts that he made for me too. There were times when having a moment of silence in the house was enjoyable.
In all, I have to say that I did miss my little booger being at home during the day. Some days I hated to drop him off at school and even went home feeling empty and alone. My favorite part of the day is always picking him up from school and listening to his stories about what happened during the day.

Today I feel happy and sad. I am happy because for the next two months I get to spend all day with my little man. I am sad because I realize that he is growing so fast and will be in Kindergarten when he goes back to school. So, for me the last day of school is bittersweet! I hope everyone enjoys their last day of school and summer break!

Thanks for stopping by!

Beverly

Don't Miss Your Chance to Win a Special Prize!

2015-04-02T10:40:00.000-04:00

There are only 2 days left to be entered to win this special prize. See the video below for details!

How Does a Paraplegic Ride an Escalator?? Wheelchair and Escalator Video

2015-03-31T14:04:00.001-04:00

Spend the Day with us! Vlog #2

2015-03-25T08:17:00.000-04:00

1st Vlog Ever!

2015-03-25T08:12:00.000-04:00

Big Announcement!

2015-03-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

Paraplegic Circulation Issues-Ideas to stay healthy

2014-10-10T13:42:00.000-04:00

Lately my energy level has fluctuated from very poor to extreme. In my younger days, I always had energy and never stopped moving until time for bed. These days it depends on how I wake up. Some days I wake up jumping out of bed and buzzing around like a bee on a flower. On other days I wake up having to drag myself out of bed and then mope around the house like Eyore from Whinnie the Pooh all day. This week I happened to notice that something had an affect on my energy level. On the days that I woke up with extreme energy I had worn my Ted Hose the day or night before. Ted Hose is what I call support hose. They look like pantyhose but are thicker. When I was in Shepherd at Rehab they gave me a pair and instructed me to wear them daily. I was 14. I never wore them. Mine were white and I am very fashion conscious so I chose fashion over my health. I know not a great thing to do. I never really noticed feeling different without them when I was younger. Now that I am nearing 30 I feel a huge difference when I wear them.

People with spinal cord injuries are prone to circulation issues. According to studies circulation issues are one of the common reasons for poor health and even death of someone with SCI. I recently did research on circulation issues for myself. There are many ways to increase circulation as someone with SCI. Here are a few ideas I found helpful:

1. Ted Hose or Support Hose
Wear these on a regular basis to increase circulation in the legs. I found a few pair online that I like. They have them for men and women. Here is a picture and link to one of the pair:

http://www.1800wheelchair.com/product/jobst-opaque-knee-high-stockings-15-20-mmhg/

2. Exercise Regularly

Exercising the parts of your body that are paralyzed on a regular basis will increase circulation. Just moving around helps, but your legs and arms (if you are a quad) need more attention that just everyday movement. I've used different exercise equipment throughout the years. I really like the workout that you get from using armbike machines. These machines workout your arms and legs. If you are a high level quad try a machine that is power operated if you don't have use of your arms. Other ways to get exercise on a regular basis would be to join a sports team or take up swimming and cycling. Also, I have a post from a while back on paraplegic yoga. Participating in a yoga class or even doing yoga at home could increase circulation. See my post here: http://paraplegic-parenting.blogspot.com/2013/05/adaptive-yoga-yoga-for-paraplegics-and.html

3. Massage Those Legs and Feet

Another great way to improve circulation would be to have a leg massage. Massaging increases blood flow and circulation in the body. You can find deals on massages sometimes. If you cant afford one or don't feel comfortable with some stranger rubbing you down , like me, you could recruit a family member. When I was younger, I visited my aunt who used to be a nurse. The whole time I stayed with her she massaged my feet and legs. She said it would help me and I believe that it did. Like I said before, I never really noticed a difference in the way I felt when I was younger. My husband now massages my legs and feet. He probably does this once every other week. One thing I do notice after a foot and leg massage is a decrease in pain. Sometimes I have horrible nerve pain in my legs and a massage decreases my pain level.

Those are just a few ideas I found that helps me. If anyone has anymore tips or ideas or even experience with circulation issues please comment. I love hearing from you guys!

A Paraplegic Girl with Shoe Problems

2014-10-06T11:53:00.000-04:00

I am currently trying to find a nice pair of boots for fall. I am really loving the tall leather riding boots that are hot for fall right now. So, I am looking for a pair of those. I normally go into a store to buy my shoes. This time I have decided to buy a pair online to get a better price. There's just one problem...well maybe a few problems, from my experience as a paraplegic girl I have a hard time finding the perfect shoes. First, I want to make note that the foot plate on my chair is set for heels. I asked for this because I normally choose heels over flats. Even though I have been in a chair for 15 years I still do not know how to adjust the foot plate on my own. Judge if you want, but repairing chairs is my least favorite thing to do. Anyways, so occasionally I will come across a cute pair of flats that I love. I know that I can't wear them, but end up buying them anyway. When I say that I can't wear them, I mean that my feet don't touch the foot plate when I wear flats and I end up with dangling feet. Since my foot plate is lowered at and angle for heels when I'm not wearing heels my feet just hang there. Moving on, the boots that I really want are flats. So in order to wear them I would have to figure out a way to "fix" my footplate. Another problem with these shoes is that some of them slide onto your feet. Remember now that I mentioned these boots are tall. They go up to your knees. By the time I slide them up to my calf I'll probably break my ankle. Just saying from experience. So, I will need a pair of boots that zip. I did find some that zip but they only zip half way! What's up with that?

Since I refuse to give up I have come up with an alternative. I know that its just a pair of shoes to some. To me, shoes mean a lot and can make or break an outfit. Just because I'm in a wheelchair doesn't mean that I have to wear things that I don't like. So I will find a way around it. Here is my solution. I found some of the style boots that I like with a slight wedge. This will help with the foot plate issue. After searching longer there are some of the tall boots that zip up ALL THE WAY in the back. Yay! So even though I didn't just grab the first pair I liked I can still buy some that I want. This will be my first time buying shoes from the internet. I'm wondering if anyone else has had experiences buying shoes off the web. Is it better to buy in a brick and mortar type store or on the web? Let me know guys! Check out the boots below... And I am not getting paid to advertise these boots. I just like them.

Playing Wheelchair Basketball

2014-09-22T11:27:00.002-04:00

When I was a teenager I was introduced to wheelchair sports. I was invited to attend a wheelchair sports camp and was instantly intrigued. I had an uncle who was a quadriplegic and he was a swimmer. Before I became a paraplegic I remember attending his swim meets. That was the only time I had ever seen any type of disabled sport. I was overcome with excitement. Before my accident I was involved in sports. I didn't realize the opportunity out there to be a wheelchair athlete.

After attending the all sports camp I signed up for the next camp and also wheelchair basketball. I had already made several new friends and we were all going to play sports together. Our team traveled out of our area for most of the games. Getting to travel together was one of the best parts of playing wheelchair basketball. Our team was really close and we had so much fun together. We also had the best coaches ever. They always kept us pumped up and motivated. They made a commitment to themselves to help others and went on to start the adapted athletics program at the University of Alabama.

Playing wheelchair basketball opened up a lot of doors for me as a young, newly paralyzed girl. For one, the exercise I got from practice and games kept me healthier and built strength in my arms. I believe that the most important part of playing wheelchair basketball was that I gained self confidence. I didn't go into detail about the friends that I made or my coaches. These people helped me to see that there is life beyond your disability. I gained confidence from watching them and how they continued on with their lives. Now I use the same confidence I gained from my teammates and coaches to live my life to the fullest.

I played wheelchair basketball and attended sports camps until I graduated high school. My advice to other people who have a disability would be to get involved in some type of activity. Surround yourself with others who have disabilities. As a person with a disability, I go through things on a regular basis that able bodied friends and family cant relate to. Spending time with other people similar to you will give you encouragement and hope. Don't limit yourself to staying home because you have a disability. Get out and do something to live YOUR life to the fullest. YOU determine YOUR future.

In case you are wondering, here are a few facts about my wheelchair basketball team:

+I played for the Georgia Blazers from Warm Springs Georgia. They are also the ones who hosted the sports camps. Here is a link for more information: http://www.blazesports.org/

+My coaches are both now coaching for the University of Alabama and have led their wheelchair basketball teams to many victories. Coach Margaret and Brent Hardin are amazing people. Check them out here: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20130212/NEWS/130219961?p=1&tc=pg
Find out about the program they started at the University of Alabama here: http://alabamaadapted.com/

+I was initially enrolled to go to the University of Alabama to study Fashion Design and Marketing and play Wheelchair Basketball with them on their first year as a team. I chickened out at the last minute (the day before I was supposed to move into my dorm). I thought the school was too far away from home so I decided not to go. Looking back I know now that I was an idiot.

+I still have contact with some of my teammates from the Blazers. We have all continued on to do great things with our lives. Everyone is dong well.

Going to School

2014-08-12T10:10:00.000-04:00

My son has started Pre-K. My husband and I debated a lot over the past couple of months on whether or not to send him to public school. Still a bit unsure, we went ahead and sent him to public school. Today makes the third day of school and I am still unhappy with my decision.

So far, my son loves school. He tells me everyday that school was awesome. I know I should feel better when he tells me this, but I don't. The house is way too quiet during the day while he is at school and I am so bored. I try to keep myself busy doing housework but it's still way too quiet. Am I the only parent that feels like this?

People have been telling me that I have to give my child independence and let him grow up. I don't mind giving him independence but it's really hard to watch my baby grow up. Time went by so fast that I never stopped to realize he was growing up. One day it just hit me that my baby was now a big kid. So, hopefully I will get through this school thing. Are there any parents out there that feel the way I do? Do you hate being in a silent house all day and wish your child was home with you? Is there someone out there that experienced this but has overcome? Please let me know your thoughts. Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Beverly

Wedding Planning-Finding a Dress for a Bride in a Wheelchair

2014-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

While planning my wedding, the one aspect that I was looking forward to was finding my dress. I love Fashion and shopping so I thought this would be so much fun. I was so wrong! I had in my mind the type of dress I wanted to wear. Me and my sister drove over an hour to the nearest David's Bridal to find a dress. This was during their $99 sale. When I first arrived I naturally went over to find the "perfect" dress for $99. None of them were perfect. I then searched the store far and wide, trying on so many dresses that I lost count. Let me add in that while I was trying on all these dresses, my sales lady was peeking in to check on me. This irritated me to the max. Eventually, I made my sister guard the dressing room so I could struggle in private. Finally, I found the perfect dress. One like I always imagined wearing at my wedding. It was beautiful, had sparkles,was fluffy, princess like and it fit great. Actually it fit great until I pulled it over my legs. It draped over my wheels like little miss muffet and I couldn't move my wheels. I couldn't move my wheels because the dress was so puffy that it covered my whole wheelchair. Bummer! I tried to figure out every way possible to be able to wear that dress. I never figured out a way. Here is what the dress looked like:

After leaving David's Bridal I spent several weeks checking every store possible for a dress. I even got so frustrated with trying on these dresses, that I recruited someone to try them on for me. My cousin who is just a little younger than me, but at the time somewhat my size, agreed to try on dresses for me. By this time I knew what type of dress I needed for my type of wheelchair and my size. I am tall and slender and usually wear heels (my foot plate on my wheelchair is set for high heels) so I needed a long, slender dress. I decided against a train, but have seen many beautiful ways to use one with a wheelchair. Stay tuned for a post on those. I was still looking for something to go with my princess like wedding theme that had sparkles. There was this little shop downtown that sells formal attire for weddings and prom. It was not on my list but I stopped. That is where I found my dress! The dress was perfect and beautiful! I never tried it on until my wedding day. My cousin tried it on and I knew it was the one. The only problem I had was the dress being too long. Five minutes before rolling down the isle I decided to tie the bottom in a knot so the dress wouldn't snag in my smaller wheels. It looked fine, but I regret not trying it on before the wedding. I've already posted this pic but here is what my dress looked like:

My advice to other wheelchair brides is to find a dress you like that fits you and your wheelchair. Don't pick something that you don't really like because you use a wheelchair. I shopped around for over a month until I found what I liked. You will be happy that you spent the extra time searching. If you use or have access to an electric wheelchair then you should be ok wearing any dress. I wish I could have found one to use because I would have wore the puffy dress I liked most. Also, another tip is to try on your dress before the wedding. If your dress is too long it can be altered. Don't be like me and wait until the last minute, literally. Please let me know if this helps. If you have any questions about this post that I didn't mention just comment below. If you want a more private conversation you can always email me.

See You Next Time!
Beverly

Wedding Planning-Finding an Accessible Venue

2014-07-08T15:32:00.001-04:00

One of the first steps to planning a wedding is deciding on where to host it. I searched all over my area and at the last minute decided on my church as a venue. As a wheelchair user, we are always faced with the question of accessibility. We make decisions on a daily basis on whether or not something will be accessible.
Thanks to the ADA laws, most public places are accessible. When deciding on a place to host your wedding keep in mind that there are several options. Below I have made a list of venue options for an accessible wedding:

Hotels (most of them have banquet halls)
Event Centers
Public Parks
Beaches (Check my post on accessible beaches)
Someone's Home (You'll be surprised how beautiful a backyard wedding can be)
Churches

These are just a few ideas for venues. Try doing a Google search for wedding venues in your specific area. If you have anything to add or any requests for future posts please comment below.

See You Next Time!
Beverly

Where have I been???

2014-07-08T15:11:00.002-04:00

   As most of you have probably noticed, I have been MIA for sometime now. First, I would like to apologize to my faithful followers for letting them down with no posts. Second, I would like for you to know that I have dedicated to posting at least once a week now. So, its safe to check back for new posts once a week.
Where have I been? A year ago we bought a house. We bought a house that needs some TLC. Needless to say we are still giving our new house some TLC. Stay tuned for posts on updates we have done and are doing to our house.
Obviously buying and repairing a house doesn't leave you MIA for over a year. I ran into a few health problems that set me back quite a bit. I've had a lot of up and down kinda days. Now that I am feeling better I have the energy to blog for you great people.
   Last but certainly not least, I know you are wondering about my handsome yet adventurous little boy. He is doing great! He has grown so much and exploring every inch of pretty much every thing. We are approaching school age and I intend on blogging more about that in the future. I have lots of stories to share about new experiences with being a para mom.
   Stop by soon for new posts and videos. If you have any requests or would like to say hello please comment below. I love emails from followers so please send them!

See You Next Time!
Beverly

Baby Sleeping under Wheelchair-New You Tube Video

2013-05-08T16:24:00.000-04:00

My son loves my Wheelchair so much that he fell asleep under it! I recorded this obstacle to show others what I did in this situation. Watch below....

Adaptive Yoga-Yoga for Paraplegics and Wheelchair Users

2013-05-08T13:29:00.002-04:00

I have been interested in doing Yoga lately. After doing a little research I've decided to go ahead and try it. Yoga is good for you mentally and physically. Yoga has been found to help with flexibility, breathing, mental focus and stress. Also, Yoga has benefits to your internal organs. As a parent of a toddler, there are days when I am in much need of stress relief and mental focus! I found a few resources and decided to share it with everyone. Check out the links below..

Adaptive Yoga Video

Benefits of Yoga

Paralyzed Yoga Instructor

Let me know what you think.. Was this helpful to you? Do you have any resources to share for adaptive Yoga? Comment below...

Paraplegic gets a Ticket for Parking in a Handicap Parking Space

2013-04-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

The other day I received quite an unusual piece of mail. I was sent a parking ticket from when I was in college, back in 2005! What was even more unusual, was that the parking ticket was for parking in a handicap parking space. Needless to say I was appalled. I called up the number on the letter and informed the lady on the phone that I was in fact a paraplegic and more than qualified to use the space. She asked me if "I remember using my handicap tag". I was thinking to myself is this lady crazy?! I don't even remember this ticket, how would I know if the tag was there. All I know is that I have been a paraplegic since 1999 and this happened in 2005. Common since would tell you that I was using a wheelchair at that time. So now I have to give them proof that I was issued a handicap parking tag during that time. What happens if I don't show proof? She said I will have to pay the fine of $100.

I'm curious to know if this has happened to anyone else. Please share what you think and any experiences you have had regarding this issue in the comments below.

Paraplegic Bride-A Wheelchair Wedding Anniversary

2013-04-03T11:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday marked my 5 year wedding anniversary. In honor of my anniversary I decided to add a little something special to my blog. I will be adding a new page to my blog specifically for weddings. This page will include photos from my wedding and tips for paraplegic brides. I will also post theme ideas for weddings, bachelorette parties and wedding rehearsals. Be sure to enter your email address in the "follow by email" box on the right to receive updates of my new page. Below you can see a photo of me from my wedding to give you a sneak peek of what's to come.

Wheelchair Accessible Beach

2013-03-27T11:13:00.001-04:00

We were able to stop by the beach for a little while the other day. I absolutely loved how accessible this beach was and wanted to share it with everyone. This video is a short narration of my experience. Please remember that everyone is different. I do not like to use the beach wheelchairs because I am a hard headed individual and refuse to be limited in any way. I don't look down on anyone who has to use beach wheelchairs. Thanks for stopping by!

Wheelchair Accessible Park

2013-03-16T10:46:00.001-04:00

We took my son to the park yesterday and since I LOVE how accessible it is, I decided to share it. The area of the park we were at has an "Astro Turf" type material on the ground instead of grass and dirt. I'm not sure what its called but I did find a material similar to what our park has. The material I found online is called PebbleFlex. Here is a view of the ground at the park.

Here is a close up of the material on the ground:

The material looks hard but its actually very cushioned. There were two levels in the area of the park we visited. Both of the levels were equipped with the special material on the ground. There was also a very convenient ramp placed between the two different levels for easy access. You can see the transition of the levels with the ramp here:

I live in a fairly small town and was very surprised to find such accessibility. If you're interested in finding accessible parks in your area I would suggest using Google search. Also another idea would be to install this Astro Turf like material around your childs play area at your home.

*UPDATE* I came across a company that makes playground equipment for wheelchair users. This would be great for children with disabilities. I thought this might help someone. Here is the link to their site: http://www.playlsi.com/Virtual-Catalog/Pages/Virtual-Catalog.aspx .

Deep sea diving ... in a wheelchair

2013-03-02T09:58:00.001-05:00

This woman is truly amazing! I'm going to try this one day.

How do You??? You Tube Tutorial...

2013-02-21T16:14:00.001-05:00

This is a You Tube tutorial I made to demonstrate carrying my son to the car. He was much younger in the video but I wanted to have a demonstration with a smaller child. I hope this helps!

Things People Say to Paraplegics

2013-02-15T08:19:00.001-05:00

This happened to me more than once!

Shoe salesman asks a paraplegic woman "How do those shoes feel"?

Paraplegic woman replies "I guess they feel great".

Runaway Toddler

2013-02-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

My son is full of energy and he is letting loose. I think it is great for him to run and play. That is until he decides to do it at church or in the grocery store. Lately, grocery store visits have been a constant battle of up and down and run around. My son doesn't want to sit in the buggy anymore. He now wants to hold his daddys hand and walk. When he was smaller I could convince him to ride in my lap during a grocery store trip. This tactic kept him well behaved the entire time but no longer works. My husband and I have put on our creative thinking caps to come up with a way to make shopping trips easier for everyone. Please comment any ideas or advice that you have to help keep this energetic little one entertained.

Disability Self Defense

2013-02-07T17:15:00.000-05:00

I have had a scare lately with someone creeping around my house. So far the police have been called twice. I am now getting ready for some disability self defense 101. And maybe a gun... Not liking that idea though. Just wondering if anyone has information regarding self defense classes for wheelchair users. If so, please comment. I will also post an update when I have successfully completed training. Stay tuned...