Quad Clothing
You don’t always think about clothing when you think about someone living with paralysis. As an able-bodied person, I take my clothes for granted. I buy my size, and I wear what I like. I was uneducated about spinal cord injuries until my son Zack was injured.
Let’s talk about being a Quadriplegic and clothes. Dressing another person takes getting used to you learn the techniques that are comfortable for both people. Zack adapted quickly to athletic shorts and T-shirts the first few years after his injury. During this time, simple outfits made sense since he was working out 4-5 times a week.
As the years went by, living in athletic clothes was too casual. Zack didn’t want to wear pants because of his leg bag; he wore a condom catheter, which he is very particular about and causes great stress. He likes to be able to get to the leg bag easily to empty it or adjust it as needed. We did buy regular jeans with the waist one size bigger. Now these pants worked okay, and it was nice not to see the leg bag, but it was difficult not to have it as accessible. Sitting in a regular pair of jeans was not as comfortable as athletic shorts, but he did look good.
We eventually heard about quad jeans, so I looked them up online and saw that they have a zipper all the way down the inseam of the inner pant leg, making it very easy to get to the leg bag and drain the urine or change the condom catheter. The butt part of the jeans is also made bigger giving that extra room for people sitting in wheelchairs. This gives them more room and the pants fit and looks straight. The jeans were pricey, but to me, worth it. Plus, Zack does not wear out his clothes; they last a long time.
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For his shirts, we look for the extra-long so that they don’t ride up his back. We buy shoes and socks one size bigger because, at the end of the day, his feet can be really swollen. Zack likes over-the-head hoodies and his flannels or jackets with buttons over zippers because of how it lays while sitting. Over the years, Zack’s wardrobe has improved. During his college years, he wore a combination of athletic and non-workout clothes. There seems to be a natural change in taste as you get older, plus your style usually changes.
This simple act of getting fully dressed and putting on clothes that you like can make a difference in your day. I know I feel more energetic when I’m dressed a little nicer. Even something as simple as putting on different earrings or a collared shirt vs. a T-shirt works for me. This has been a small but very helpful tip because the bottom line is when you look better, you feel better.