KARRN Convention

So, this week I was invited to the Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network's second annual Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Conference in Somerset, KY at the Center for Rural Development. The trip was really cool, and the place was packed out with doctors, therapists, students, and counselors who work in the rehab field. We had a lot of fun!

The first speaker was a Dr. Deborah Backus, who works for Emory College and for the Shepard Center, which are national centers for research and innovation for spinal cord injuries. Dr. Backus took us on a journey down the spinal cord, explaining how each level of injury manifests in the person and how it affects their ability to participate in the community. I learned a few things, one of the most interesting was the revelation that at my injury level (the T6-T7 region), damage to the parasympathetic nervous system can short out your body's ability to self-regulate temperature. I thought I was having hot flashes and cold spells, but it turns out it is likely a result of my injury. I learned last year that parasympathetic nervous system damage also causes elevated cholesterol and other health issues. Dr. Backus knew her stuff, and it was a pretty neat little presentation.

Next up to the podium was Ms. Susan Bachner of Susan Bachner Consulting. Her firm does home modifications for aging in place, disability, mobility issues, or basic universal design. They do some really neat stuff, and in fact, I have asked her to come look at my house and see what she thinks. Ms. Bachner discussed lots of technology and other doo-dads that can make life easier for those with disabilities, whether at home or out in the world. She also discussed the concept of 'visit-Ability'; that is, making your home accessible so that you can be visited by folks in wheelchairs. In essence, she believes that we could all end up in that place some day, as could a family member, so why not build all houses to be friendly to wheelchair users?

After a little break, three of us with disabilities sat on a panel. We discussed our experiences living in rural areas while coping with disability, and we took questions from members of the audience. It was a whole lot of fun, and a good way for some of the therapists (and especially students) to get some insight on what life is like in the outsde world.

Lunch was catered. Had lunch with my crippleologist, Dr. Sara Salles, and David Brough, who has been following me ever since my wreck; he stalked me at Pitt in North Carolina and followed me to Lexington. Topics of discussion included secondary effects of the Atkins diet, as well as a certain blonde doctor who shall remain nameless. And clueless. Bless her heart.

After lunch we had a bunch of breakout sessions. There was a session on recreation activities, one that showcased fancy vehicle technologies, and one that was a presentation on modifying your home to be more useful to you on a shoestring budget. The guy who taught that one is a favorite therapist of mine at the Hill, Keith Grewe. What a nut.

We saw these really cool vehicles at the show. There was the classic truck-with-a-crane-in-the-back, a tractor that had been modified with a seat lift and joystick controls, a Braun Rampvan, and this thing over here in the picture. It is a new concept, and it costs about 25 grand. It does, however, let you drive your truck. The door is on an actuator and slides out, along with a platform that lowers to the ground. Simply back a wheelchair into the automatic locking mechanism and raise the platform. the door and platform slide back into the truck, and the driver is ready to drive, still seating in their chair. It was probably the very coolest vehicle conversion I have ever seen in my whole life. Brand new it retails for about $52,000, which is a bit out of my price range, but it would be a really cool thing to have for someone who really needs a truck.

All in all, it was a really neat little convention. I hope that they ask us back next year, I think we did a nice job and it is something that I'd love to continue my involvement in. They are going to post video and audio through UK, I'll add a link when that comes in.