Fall Connections "The most Important things In life aren't things" -Unknown November 2020 What's New How to Stay Socially Connected In a Social Distanced Era MSKTC Factsheet Resource on Respiratory Health A member spotlight on how she persevered at life after her traumatic spinal cord injury. Research Updates 24th Annual MetroHealth Announcements SCI Forum Recap How to Stay Socially Connected In a Social Distanced Era Megan Hammond & Ariel Jordan According to Brigham Young University psychology professor and researcher Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, being socially connected is considered a fundamental human need. Social support has been known to positively influence life satisfaction and health, and even mortality, among those living with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and disorders. Our connection to others enables us to better battle diseases and take part in a meaningful, productive life. And research shows that those that take part in social activities generally live longer, have a sense of purpose in life, and maintain a better mood. Individuals with SCI have had a long history of social isolation. 2020 has been no exception. For the first time, everyone has been struggling to stay connected with friends and loved ones while maintaining social distancing protocols. It’s estimated that 1 in 20 Americans will experience depression in their lifetime, yet for the spinal cord injury population, it’s 1 in 5. COVID-19 has increased these rates (3 times), which is why staying connected is especially important during this time. Ways to stay connected: Join Facebook groups. There are many groups on Facebook that are specific to SCI/D. Here you can bounce ideas off of others, get advice about a struggle you are experiencing, or just chat and make new friends. Some of the groups we recommend are United Spinal Association Northeast Ohio Chapter, Spinal Cord Injury USA Group, Spinal Cord Peer Support USA, The Wheel Woman Hole (for females only), and United Spinal Spinal Cord Injury (SCI/D) Support Group, but this list is not exhaustive. Find a couple that you connect with and start there! Invite friends for a one-on-one Facetime/Zoom Meeting. Even though you wouldn’t be in person, it’s a safe alternative that still provides face time with those you care about. Other platforms could include Skype, Google Meets, Snapchat video calls, FB Messenger video calls, etc. Set up a Happy Hour/Social Hour Chat with a group of friends/family members. Gone are the days of group outings (for the time being anyway), so why not take those hangouts online? With some planning, you could create some interesting “themed” discussions. Have a trivia night, or have everyone in the group buy the same ingredients and cook together, have a paint night together, or anything you can think of. Stay connected with yourself. Self- discovery is equally important when trying to connect with others. With more time by ourselves, it’s important to take the time to care for yourself in order to be the best version for loved ones. Things to try journaling, meditation practices, exercise, and any other self-care strategy. Try out a new recipe/hobby/creative outlet and share it on social media. Ever wanted to knit a scarf, bake bread, try out that random recipe you saw in that cookbook that one time!? Make the most of these times and try something new. There are even online groups that you can join to learn new skills or connect with others that have the same interests. Get outdoors - Ohio weather permitting of course! Every now and then we get a glimpse of that bright yellow thing in the sky! Consider exploring nature at the various Cleveland Metroparks throughout Greater Cleveland, maybe even get to know your own neighborhood a little better. Call/text/check-in with your friends/family/loved ones. Being on video can be exhausting these days but it still may be comforting to hear from the ones we care about. Get involved in a new club, or create your own - book club, streaming movies online, or online discussions on specific topics. Opportunity to bring together familiar faces and new ones, too. Volunteer for a cause you are passionate about - lots of things to do virtually to help out your favorite non-profit. Research shows that volunteering is the gift that gives back. Volunteers not only make a difference in the lives they are helping, but also their own life as health benefits include lowered stress, reduced risk of depression, and new relationships. Send cards/letters - nothing beats receiving physical mail that is not a bill. Spread some love by sending a card or letter to someone special in your life. Bonus tip: Find your favorite local artists, content creators on social media and join their live streams! Comment and reply to other comments during the stream to connect with others watching. And who knows, maybe your favorite creator will shout out your comment. Social connections are what bind us together. Prioritizing social interactions and finding meaningful ways to connect during this time will help support each other and our own health and wellbeing. In need of any supplies?! We have disposable supplies available curated into a little care package for those in need. We have: gloves sanitizer wipes hand sanitizer disposable masks If you live in the area, these supplies can be picked up immediately from the Old Brooklyn Campus of the MetroHealth Medical System, or can be delivered once we have a group for deliveries For more Information or to "place your order" contact Ariel Jordan at [email protected] or call 216-957-3540 The United Spinal Association Northeast Ohio Chapter is going on its 10th month of operating virtual. Although none of us saw this coming, the chapter has had the opportunity to take advantage of these unprecedented times and work on growing to better serve the spinal cord population in Northeast Ohio. To date, we have sent out 100 grocery store gift cards. Each card was $50 to one of four stores that our members could choose from. We were lucky enough to receive a grant to provide this service as an aide during these unprecedented times. Some exciting “behind the scenes” happenings include growing the board (which we are always open and happy to recruit members that have the desire and are passionate about doing more with our community), revamping how we exist as a United Spinal chapter, and even more importantly, finding new and creative ways to interact and engage members of our community! Even though many things are unknown, uncomfortable and less than ideal, our community has continued to show up and our commitment to community has only grown stronger! As we are in the planning stages for the 2021 year we would love to get any input from what the community would like that to look like! Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions, concerns, comments, suggestions, wish to inquire further, or just about anything within the chapter! 24th Annual MetroHealth SCI Forum Recap Ariel Jordan Despite this year pushing the Annual MetroHealth SCI Forum to go virtual, we are overjoyed to announce the 24th Annual MetroHealth SCI Forum was a huge success! We had a presentation on the ADA as a homage to the 30th Anniversary of the ADA presented by Alexandra Bennewith, MPA the Vice President of Government Relations at the United Spinal Association. We were honored to have our Keynote Speaker Hanane Hmada describe her experience after sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2012. Buckeye Wellness founder/owner, Christopher Wynn, and MetroHealth Dietitian, Angela Majerle, RD, LD, CDE talked all things fitness and nutrition. We were even joined by Dr. James Wilson, DO, Director of SCI Medicine & Fellowship, MetroHealth, Dr. Elizabeth Dreben, PhD, Rehab Psychology, MetroHealth, Bridget Blayney, BSN, RN, CRRN, Director of Nursing – SCI Rehab, MetroHealth, Laney Dalsky, BSN, RN, SCI Rehab Nurse, MetroHealth and Gillian Gullan, MOT, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist MetroHealth for our “Ask The Medical Panel.” We then ended the day with a Dating/ Sexuality/ Relationships Panel hosted by Megan Hammond, MEd, Certified Life Coach and featuring panelists Rob Ross and Kevin Sullivan. If you were able to join us live, we thank you! For those that were not able to attend, we are thrilled to announce that the Planning Committee of the 24th Annual MetroHealth SCI Forum partnered with the United Spinal Association of Northeast Ohio Chapter to host the videos from the day! These videos will be up indefinitely (as far as we know) for anyone to check out and watch at their leisure. Replays of sessions and sponsor presentations can be found at www.usaneo.org/sciforum2020 We are already gearing up for next year. Save the date for the 25th Annual MetroHealth SCI Forum – Friday, September 24, 2021! Early Testing of Arm and Hand Paralysis May Help Guide Treatment Dr. Kim Anderson Arm and hand function is important to people living with cervical spinal injuries. There are many research efforts underway to develop new treatments to restore arm and hand function. There are some surgical options already available to improve arm and hand function, but some have a limited time window during which they need to be done in order to be effective. Nerve transfers are an example of a surgical option and they usually need to be done no less than 12- 18 months after the initial injury. The injury inside the spinal cord is messy and can be different in each person. Some damage causes spasticity to develop, which can help keep muscles bulky.