Life After Paralysis with Tiffiny Carlson

In episode 51, we spoke with Chris Hrabik, based in a small town in Missouri, who was paralyzed nearly 20 years ago in a car accident at the age of 18. An incomplete quadriplegic, he went on to become a talented metal artist and fabricator as well as a rally racer after his injury. And he has a new project - starting his very own adaptive driving school where anyone no matter their ability (even people who are blind, as they will have a closed 4 mile track) are welcome.

— Follow Chris on IG: https://www.instagram.com/crabik713/

— Follow Chris on FB: https://www.facebook.com/UnHolyRoller/

A former high school theater kid and aerobics instructor paralyzed in 1990, Katie Rodriguez Banister has been living life as a C5-6 quadriplegic for over 33 years. Post-injury, she found a passion for speaking and writing about SCI issues like managing/finding caregivers, and during Covid she decided to turn her autobiography into a play with the help of a friend.

The end result "ROLL WITH IT! (film) disability, humor, hope and F-bombs" went on to be a hit in the St. Louis theater scene and was nominated for "Best New Play" and Katie also acts in it. The play shares her life's ups and downs and she isn't afraid to speak her mind, swear, talk about sex and more. In our 30 minute conversation, Katie shares what drove her to return to theater nearly 30 years after her injury and her longtime husband Steve makes an appearance as well. Thank you Katie for sharing your story and energy

"ROLL WITH IT!" is permanently available to view on Eventbrite for $5 if you use the code "discount 50% off" here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roll-with-it-film-disability-humor-hope-and-f-bombs-best-new-play-tickets-503707581937?fbclid=IwAR3vxtYWFPuxKe0rghYGKTJYD43_C2ui2X59Cy42lGuqpQN0-maf3ReG43Y

Find Katie on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/katierodriguezbanister/

https://www.facebook.com/katie.banister

Tim Taylor, a C5 quadriplegic from Pennsylvania, has experienced a lot since his injury nearly 20 years ago, and he has a lot to share in this episode. We talk with him about his car accident that resulted in the death of two individuals, how he made it through the depression that followed afterwards and how he ultimately found his calling since he was no longer able to pursue his previous career.

From making money on his YouTube channel to flipping vintage items he finds at thrift restores and reselling them on eBay, he has used his business mind to keep himself afloat financially. Tim also shares his first arm contracture surgery experience, which he underwent earlier this year as part of his 2022 year of self improvement. His next goal is getting his driver's license for the first time since his injury. Episode run-time is 32 minutes

— Tim's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/timay618

— Tim on IG: https://www.instagram.com/this_is_wheel_life/

Beth Beckley is not your average married lady living life in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs with her spoiled fur babies (although her dogs are insanely cute). Injured 13 years ago when she was 21, Beth, now a T4 paraplegic, has an appreciative perspective on life. She shares her injury story, how recently lost 40 pounds and how she's forging ahead with a new healthy lifestyle.  

Beth also shares how she lost the weight with help from the Shepherd Center, one of the best SCI rehab centers in the US. Married for 10 years, she also talks about how she met her husband on eHarmony as well as how she deals with a less than harmonious mother-in-law. They're also currently trying to get pregnant. Listen to our 25 minute chat with Beth Beckley below.

- Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9y4LdgRj4

- Follow Beth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelingwithmebethb/

- Follow Beth on Youtube (she makes DIY crafts): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeR4T7wgd8T0DhmLmHDyE6Q

- Read her guest post on our blog, "Guest Post: Life is Still Worth Living" by Beth Beckley, here: https://spinalpedia.com/guest-post-life-is-still-worth-living-by-beth-beckley/

- Shepherd Fitness Center: https://www.shepherd.org/promotion

In Episode 29, Pt. II of Working After a Spinal Cord Injury,  we chat with Alex, a C4 quadriplegic from Miami injured in 2018, who still works as a real estate agent, and then we speak with Kenneth, a C5 quadriplegic from Colorado. Kenneth was a Walmart store manager for several years and now works for Colorado Cross Disability Coalition - ccdconline.org.

In Episode 29 and for October Disability Employment Awareness Month, we chat with César, a C4 quadriplegic from Tijuana, Mexico, who has his own online business, and we speak with Derek, a C5-6 quadriplegic from Mississippi, who has worked as a financial advisor and many other jobs during his 29 years post-injury.

- Check out César's store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/yannichingaz/shop?asc=u

- Check out César's article on becoming independent for Audacity Magazine: https://www.audacitymagazine.com/independently-dependent/

In Episode 28 of Life After Paralysis, we interview two paraplegics who've traveled during the COVID-19 pandemic, both traveling to the state of Florida. We first speak with Dick, a 60 something paraplegic injured for over 40 years, who shares his favorite airline right now and his travels in Tampa. Our second guest is Corey, a paraplegic and a seating specialist who is still traveling on the road during the pandemic. He shares his travel advice for road trips, as well an adaptive SCUBA trip he went on with his son. Show run time is 45 minutes.

In Episode 27, we chat with three people who share their amusing and sometimes frustrating stories of discrimination after becoming disabled. In many cases people just don't understand that our brains aren't affected as well, which leads to some funny stories. We chat with Sean Dineen, a professor with spastic paraplegia, Ken Macdonald, a quadriplegic and former quad rugby player, and Antonia Sinibaldi, a vent-dependent quadriplegic, singer and author. Podcast run-time: 1 hr, 27 mins

- Listen/watch Antonia sing: https://www.antoniasinibaldi.com/

In Episode 26, we chat with two more people about quarantining and having a spinal cord injury. Our first guest is Noel Joyce, a paraplegic from Ireland, who is a industrial designer. He shares insight into the designs occurring as a result of COVID-19 and how they benefit people with disabilities. Our second guest is Misty Dawn Piker, a paraplegic and theater usher from Indiana. She too has been home since March and shares how she's been getting everything done while home alone, from getting her mail to her plans for celebrating her birthday later this week.

- Follow Misty on Twitter: @mimi_dawn_piker

- Follow Noel on Instagram at @noeljoyce

Episode 24: Vent Life

In episode 24, we talk to two people with quadriplegia who use a ventilator to breathe. We first speak with Drew Clayborn from Michigan. Injured in high school, he went on to attend the University of Michigan and is the founder of The Drew Crew Charitable Organization. Next, we speak with Loa Griesbach from Washington who's been injured 18 years. She too went on to college shortly after her injury and is an Ambassador for Ventec Life, a ventilator company. 

- Follow Drew @drewclayborn

- Follow Loa @loagriesbach

In episode 22, four people with paralysis share their stories about driving post-injury. They share the adaptive driving programs they use, their fears about driving again, and the technology they use that enables them to drive. Tiffiny talks to Heather Wood, a mom with Guillain-Barré syndrome from Massachusetts, Mike Gerhard, a paraplegic who's been driving for over 20 years from Pennsylvania, Kenneth Folkman, a paraplegic who builds custom VW hand-controls from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Kimberly Ivory, a C7 quadriplegic who just got her license from Houston, Texas.

In episode 21 and the first episode of 2020, Tiffiny is joined by Brandon, a father of 4 who's been injured for only one year following a motorcycle accident and has already been through so much, including depression, a relationship ending and losing his job. He shares his story and how he's making it through this difficult time in his life. We want to give Brandon a HUGE thanks for his story.  He reminds us all that human resiliency is one of the greatest traits of our species. 

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Shawn Dean, a lawyer and C6 quadriplegic who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently works for US Bank.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Garrison Redd, a paraplegic from Brooklyn, NY, who worked FT for the IRS then decided to switch careers, becoming a wheelchair model and actor.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Brian Denny, a high-level quadriplegic who works full-time as an Outreach Coordinator at the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association. He is also married and has three children. Brian was injured in 2010 in an injury at work.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Cody Bowman, a 32 year old with spina bifida from Florida, who's currently working PT in retail while attending college. She is studying for her Bachelors in Communication and was a contestant in Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2014.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Doug Maurer, a paraplegic of over 40 years who has an amazing career in computer programming. Originally from Wisconsin, he lives in South Carolina with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with with Dick Crumb, a paraplegic of over 45 years who is retired after working in the Agribusiness for several decades. He resides in Stillwater, Minnesota with his wife. 

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Joey Carlson, a former speed skater who works in Marketing Communications at Medtronic Corporation. He is a C5-6 quadriplegic from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Bill Fertig, a longtime disability advocate from Virginia who is the Director of United Spinal’s Resource Center. Bill was injured in 1999 in an off-duty police office motorcycle accident. 

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about their careers post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with Kelly Morse who is an optometrist (eye doctor) from Pennsylvania. She is also a paraplegic and was injured while in college. Kelly knew since she was a little girl that she wanted to be an optometrist and hasn't let her injury put a damper on her career goals. 

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In October, we celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month, speaking to people with paralysis about finding a career post-injury. In this interview, we chatted with the hardworking John Michaels, a C6 quadriplegic since 1994, who has 3 jobs. He is also engaged and lives in Maryland. 

To be matched with a FREE disability employment benefits counselor please fill out this three-minute survey: https://forms.gle/Nix93TjEaEZzjcDm7

In episode #8, Tiffiny talks with two men with quadriplegia who've changed their diets to get healthy and lose weight after becoming paralyzed. She is joined by Brian Kasper from Minnesota who eats clean/Vegan and shares tips on using food to strengthen the body after paralysis. And she is joined by Damon Keoki Piikalama Boiser, a quadriplegic from Hawaii, who recently lost 40+ lbs by changing his diet, ie, cutting out rice and more. They also discuss how mental health/being Bi-Polar can affect your weight. Enjoy!

In Episode #7 of Life After Paralysis, Tiffiny Carlson interviews two quadriplegics about the travails of online dating after their injuries. She interviews Rob Cella from Thunder Bay, Ontario and Brook McCall from Portland, Oregon.

To learn more about SPINALpedia.com, visit: https://spinalpedia.com/about

To learn more about Tiffiny visit: https://beautyability.com/about-3/

Service dogs make the lives of thousands of people with spinal cord injuries safer, happier and healthier everyday. The joy a service animal can bring to your life is priceless, but for quadriplegics, even moreso. The amazing tasks and companionship they provide cannot be beat. In Episode 6, Tiffiny has on three guests, all with quadriplegia, who share their lives with their service dogs. Show run-time is 1 hour, 21 minutes. Guests descriptions and time stamps can be found below.

Guest #1) Erin Thompson (1:45 mins): A new college graduate from Minnesota, Erin is a C5-6 quadriplegic and her service dog is Mia. Follow them @miatheservicedoggo and @mizhoneybadger

Guest #2) Allie Leath (25 mins): A brand new service dog mama to Taylor, who she received this Summer, Allie is 32 years old and a C7 quadriplegic.

Guest #3) Dan Guillou (50:45 mins): Paralyzed for over 30 years, Dan is a C5-6 quadriplegic from Oceanside, California originally from Wisconsin and Narha is his service dog.

Spinal cord injuries are considered one of the worst things that can happen to people, or so they say. What did you do when you found yourself with a spinal cord injury? How did you move on?  This is something many of us are asked by family and friends, even strangers. In episode five, Tiffiny interviews four people with spinal cord injuries about their injury story and how they were able to move on. Each person has unique advice that is worth a listen. The show run-time is 1 hour, 39 mins and the guests are as follows (time stamps are included so you can jump ahead):

- Darin from Oklahoma (2:40 mins): Paralyzed a few years ago, he shares moving on in a rural area and with an incomplete injury.

- Jason from Maine (28:30): Paralyzed in his 30s, married, and with kids, he shares how helping others helped him.

- Justin from Wyoming (51:30): A passionate hunter, he shares how his love of the outdoors helped him heal.

- Lindsey from Oregon (113:15): An incomplete quad, she shares her journey dealing with chronic pain.