"Spinal Cord Injury: Top 10 Questions for the Newly Inj - Reeve Foundation

Spinal cord injuries redefine lives without warning, leaving patients painfully little time to process their shock as they plunge into an unfamiliar new world. For many, the days and weeks following an injury are marked by a panicked struggle to identify and understand the challenges that lay ahead.

The Reeve Foundation’s latest booklet, Spinal Cord Injury: Top 10 Questions for the Newly Injured, provides immediate answers to empower overwhelmed families during this complicated transition.

Though every injury is different, the booklet tackles topics that impact all patients, from what kind of medical interventions to expect at the hospital to how to access insurance coverage. Diagrams and detailed explanations of the four regions of the spinal cord help families begin to understand injury levels and to build the necessary vocabulary to speak with doctors about treatment and care.

Depending on the specific injury, many aspects of a life will be changed, including overall health. The booklet describes the potential secondary conditions —from pressure sores and urinary tract infections to pneumonia and autonomic dysreflexia –that patients and families will need to monitor.

Other topics include:

• How to choose a rehabilitation center
• Locating resources for funding rehabilitation and necessary medical equipment
• Understanding clinical trials and promising research
• How to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSDI and SSI)
• Adjusting to life with a spinal cord injury and supporting mental health

Since 2002, Information Specialists at the Reeve Foundation’s Paralysis Resource Center have fielded phone calls, emails, and letters from families around the world as they navigate newly shaped lives. Spinal Cord Injury: Top 10 Questions for the Newly Injured is one of dozens of booklets and fact sheets available through the PRC’s vast resource library.

To get a copy, call our team at 800-539-7309 or go to ChristopherReeve.org/ask.