STIMULATING QUALITY OF LIFE BC PARALYMPIANS SCORE RELIEVING PAIN WITH POISON theSPINAL CORD INJURY BC spinSUMMER 2014 the incomplete issue Putting into perspective the mixed blessings of life with incomplete spinal cord injury SUMMER 2014 THE SPIN 1 Leading the way to healthier, independent lifestyles. Call toll-free 1-877-215-7609 Put ShoppersWith over Home 60 locations Health across Canada,Care Shoppersto the Hometest and experienceHealth Care the® is sales,Canada’s serviceleading retailer and ofrental home satisfactionhealth that care our equipment clients & supplies.have come to expect. Every day, we provide thousands of Canadians with the From customability modification to maximize their ofindependence. seating and mobility equipment to wheelchair vans or simply aids to improve daily living, BURNABYShoppers Home Health Care is dedicated to #101-8289 North Fraser Way providing you the best and most affordable solution. 604 326-1117 VICTORIA KELOWNA BURNABY VANCOUVER 1561 Hillside Ave. Capri Centre Mall Burnaby Central Service Hub 370 East Broadway #101-8289 North(Opp. Fraser Hillside Way Mall)Unit 2021835 – Kingsgate Gordon Mall Drv. 604 326-1117250 370-2984604 876-4186250 717-1850 E-mail: [email protected] KELOWNA VANCOUVER WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES Capri Center www.shoppershomehealthcare.caMall Vancouver General Hospital 1835 Gordon Dr. 2790 Oak St. SERVICE & REPAIRS 250 717-1850 604 739-4645 PORCH LIFTS, STAIR LIFTS LANGLEY VICTORIA & HOME ELEVATORS Langley Crossing 1561 Hillside Avenue 6339 - 200th Street, Unit 304 250 370-2984 BATHROOM SAFETY PRODUCTS 604 514-9987 INCONTINENCE & URINARY CCAREARE WHITE ROCK PENTICTON Central Plaza AIDS TO DAILY LIVING 1301 Main Street, Unit 709 15182 North Bluff Road 250 492-7592 604 538-3400 SURREY 12080 Nordel Way 604 597-2097 www.shoppershomehealthcare.ca 2 THE SPIN SUMMER 2014 13 contents SUMMER 2014 features 8 9 Stimulating Quality of Life The recent, well-publicized SCI epidural stimulation research taking place at the University of Louisville has more important benefts than leg movement. 13 Conquering Canada Spanish-born Manu Heras has embraced virtually every aspect of Canada in his short time here. 14 Cover Story Author Richard Holicky looks back at a life with incomplete injury and concludes it’s been an affair with a fckle mistress. 9 18 Incomplete Injury: You’re Not Alone Four SCI BC peers give a very personal account of their own experiences with the mixed blessing of incompleteness. 22 22 Raising the Bar BC athletes helped lift Canada to a third place fnish at the surprisingly accessible and successful Sochi Paralympics. 26 Relieving Pain with Poison An Australian scientist has developed a powerful neuropathic pain-relieving drug based on cone snail venom. 28 BC Doctors Train for Pain A new training regimen strives to give our province’s family doctors the tools they need to help you with your pain. 27 departments 4 editor’s message Do we need a new universal symbol for disability? 30 6 gear & gadgets New products, devices and aids to daily living that might make a difference in your life. Spinal Cord Injury BC Online 8 events WATCH the latest in our Accessible Travel Series Important dates for your calendar. 17 research youtube.com/SpinalCordInjuryBC UBC researchers want to know if you trust your doctor. LIKE US to get our latest news and event updates 29 ask The Spin doctor The very real hazards of smoking for people with SCI. facebook.com/SpinalCordInjuryBC 30 last word FIND, RENT, & SELL accessible housing David Parke is undertaking a massive cycling journey to raise funds for SCI BC programs and services. AccessibleHousingBC.ca Cover Photo by Maya Pankalla SUMMER 2014 THE SPIN 3 editor’s message ■ thespin The Spin is the quarterly magazine of Spinal Cord Injury BC. An online edition of The Spin is available on the SCI BC website What symbolizes you? www.sci-bc.ca. Executive Editor .................................................... Chris McBride I recently received a call from a provincial government employee who was won- Managing Editor ...................................................... Cliff Bridges Assistant Editor ................................................... Maya Pankalla Design ..................................................................... Cliff Bridges Symbol of Access, frequently referred to as the disability symbol. We all know Contributors ....................Maureen Brownlee, Fernando Romero the original symbol—a white stick person sitting in a wheelchair on a blue back- SUBSCRIPTIONS Free subscriptions are available for BC residents and health ground, the one on accessible parking and bathroom stalls everywhere. The professionals: T: 604.324.3611 TF: 1.877.324.3611 E: [email protected] ADVERTISING I was pleased that a ministry employee would take the time to consult com- Advertising rates and a publishing calendar for The Spin are munity stakeholders on a matter like this. Unfortunately, I wasn’t all that helpful available online at www.sci-bc.ca, or by contacting: Gary Steeves E: [email protected] T: 604.326.1210 because I really don’t know what our members and readers think on this matter. SUBMISSIONS So, I said I’d ask. Ask you, that is. But what to ask? The original International Submissions, suggestions and comments are greatly appreciated—please email these to [email protected] or send Symbol of Access was developed to designate places and facilities that people with by regular mail to: Assistant Editor, The Spin physical disabilities (particularly those using mobility aids) can access. It seems Spinal Cord Injury BC, 780 SW Marine Drive to do a good job at conveying this. So do we really need a new symbol? Does the Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 5Y7 wheelchair symbol even represent people with disabilities? Does it even matter? COPYRIGHT You are welcome to reproduce material from The Spin after Personally, I think that like words, symbols matter. Pictograms like the Inter- gaining permission from the Executive Editor. All reproduced material must be appropriately acknowledged. national Symbol of Access have become part of a universal language: they mean The opinions expressed in The Spin are not necessarily those the same thing to everyone, no matter what language or dialect one speaks. of SCI BC. Also, SCI BC does not endorse nor is responsible for the products or services advertised within The Spin. The Or, at least that’s the theory. Pictograms may cross the language barrier, but information contained within The Spin is presented for the they can get caught up in cultural divides. Culture changes faster than language, purpose of educating people about spinal cord injury. Nothing contained in The Spin is intended to be used for medical which likely explains why there is a push to create a new version of the wheel- diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. chair symbol. Attitudes toward people with disabilities have changed a lot in Publications Mail Agreement #: 40684573 recent decades, but there is still a long way to go, and constructive imagery and ISSN #: 1922-9445 language must be used to build greater access and inclusion. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Spinal Cord Injury BC, 780 SW Marine Drive The complaint about the current symbol is that it evokes the perception of the Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 5Y7 T: 604.324.3611 person with a disability as passive, requiring special assistance from society—it’s To update/change delivery address, email [email protected] or call 604.324.3611. not exactly an image of independence and self-empowerment. SCI BC HEAD OFFICE Newer versions of the symbol depict an active wheelchair user—the stick 780 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 5Y7 T: 604.324.3611 TF: 1.877.324.3611 F: 604.326.1229 E: [email protected] that people with disabilities are active, independent participants in their com- REGIONAL PEER CONTACTS munities. While the design (by a team in New York) has received glowing praise Fort St. John: Lori Slater, Peer Program Coordinator T: 250.787.1912 E: [email protected] Kelowna: James Hektner, Peer Program Coordinator high performance wheelchair athlete—dynamic, but maybe overly so. Some say E: [email protected] Nanaimo: Bert Abbott, Peer Program Coordinator it makes them feel excluded. Some quadriplegics with limited or no arm move- T: 250.616.1186 E: [email protected] ment don’t feel it represents them. In fact, some like the current symbol because Prince George: Brandy Stiles, Peer Program Coordinator it can be inclusive of those who use hand controls to maneuver their chairs. T: 250.563.6942 E: [email protected] Quesnel: Alison Duddy, Peer Program Coordinator In this day of political correctness, people tend to overthink things. Is the wheel- E: [email protected] chair symbol an example of this? Maybe. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of people Vancouver: Kirsten Sharp, Peer Program Specialist T: 604.326.1259 E: [email protected] out there who wouldn’t even notice or care if the symbol changed. But there are Richard Peter, Peer Program Coordinator many who do care, and for that reason alone, the debate is a good one. T: 604.326.1230 E: [email protected] Vernon: Sonja Gaudet, Peer Program Coordinator It’s pretty rare to achieve full consensus on any design, let alone one trying E: [email protected] to represent such diversity as those with disability. Perhaps the more important Victoria: Scott Heron, Peer Program Specialist thing with all of this is not actually the design itself, but the discussion it creates. T: 250.812.0773 E: [email protected] Williams Lake: Sandra Stuart, Peer Program Coordinator SCI BC wants you to be part of this discussion. In the coming weeks, we’ll be [email protected] inviting your thoughts and opinions on the International SCI BC acknowledges the financial support of the BC Access Symbol through an online poll we’ll be running on Gaming Commission, the Rick Hansen Institute, and the BC Paraplegic Foundation.