Motivation Behind Challenging Reality

Challenging Reality came about from a variety of different contributing reasons. The earliest being the lack of information and technology available when I was first injured 15 years ago despite being in a mature rehabilitation centre with ample professionals and at least one spinal cord injury patient at all times.

I had a persistent problem with sweating while I was still in rehabilitation. None of the doctors, nurses, therapists or other specialists were able to pinpoint it. I would go outside in the subzero temperatures with just a T-shirt on and yet the sweating would continue. The only thing that would alleviate it seemed to be getting out of the wheelchair I was in and into bed.

With very little computer or Internet experience at this point,  my dad searched the web based on the symptoms he was aware of to discover that it was autonomic dysreflexia. The short version being that when a person with a spinal cord injury higher than approximately T6 is in pain, but cannot feel it, there is a response in the autonomic nervous system because the pain signal cannot reach the brain and be interpreted normally. This results in a rapid increase in blood pressure which is dangerous for anyone.

It was a very relieving day when my phone rang and dad excitedly told me to get that leg strap off of my legs and search for any other sources of pain. Because the rehab department did not have a wheelchair quite wide enough for me I was in a narrower chair and wearing a strap to keep my knees together so that my hips would not rub the wheels. Wearing that strap for too long was causing the issue. As much as I had a mostly good experience in rehab it was then that I soon realized there was going to be a lot of problem-solving that would be up to me, and those closest to me, from then on. I still see this today, 15 years later. My mother was instrumental and diligent in watching for problem areas as we figured out this new life and its nuances.

It was another patient, who had returned to rehabilitation after being out for two years after a brief initial stay that resulted in little progress, that taught me how to cough strongly as quadriplegic. With paralyzed abdominal muscles expelling air with force is very difficult. It is part of the reason that many new injuries develop pneumonia while in hospital. Laying on your back for any length of time can cause buildup in anyone's lungs but it is particularly dangerous for a new injury. I demonstrated this technique to my doctors and therapists and asked that they please remember it and teach it to new patients so that they do not need to go to the same misery. Choking on your own phlegm and spending time sick in bed, when you should be working on getting stronger and getting home, is not what you are there for. To my dismay, whenever I see them again and ask them if they remember this, they do not. It will be demonstrated in a photograph some time from now.

There were significant ways that the occupational therapy department helped me both with techniques and adaptations to perform the tasks I needed to perform. However, there were times when something stronger than what can be made with plastics, fabrics and sewing machines was needed. Cue the very handy and clever fabricator that is my dad. With significant experience working with metal and wood he was, and is, able to build just about anything I need to accomplish a task. I do not take this for granted in the least. Add to that my ability to come up with a tool appropriate to complete that task and it was not long before what was once a struggle became a simple thing. I think the creativity that I grew came from dad's garage full of raw material, odds and ends to build just about anything you could come up with. His being always willing to teach me the tools and techniques and to share his experiences made all of this possible. Perhaps, with my problem-solving ability, I should have been an engineer but I do not think I would have had the wellness to complete the work load.

But that is what photography is, seeing what you want the final result look like, putting together the pieces one subject, one light and one adjustment at a time and solving problems until the actual result matches your vision. When I first started making photos it was for the fun of it. I was told I had a good eye for it so I started to read and take it more seriously. As with almost everything in my life I want it to have some greater purpose and greater value. There is nothing wrong with a bit of recreation but I do not want to spend my good days in ineffectiveness. There is capacity here to help others when I am able. Why not combine photography with that?

Because of my limitations in speed, perspective (after a while the same shooting level from a wheelchair grows very tedious) and even lung capacity to direct a person, working with people needs to be under quite specific circumstances for me to feel that I am creating the best work that I know I can. Because of this, and because of how much I enjoy working with very refined lighting, I find still life or inanimate objects more enjoyable to photograph. They cannot get excited about having their photograph made the way a person can, and that is why I still like to work with people whenever the circumstances are right, but the controlled situation levels the playing field for me when comparing my work to that of other still life photographers.

Just this past Monday my post spoke about how much easier maneuvering on a bed is when it is the ideal circumstances of our home, including the handle affixed to our headboard to help me efficiently roll to the side to get dressed more quickly.

Is much as I like to help people with my photography through photography of people, the types of photography that I prefer and the fact that the subject of this site hits home a lot more to me makes it well-suited to me. However, as with so many of the solutions that I and my dad came up with, and that he built, every spinal cord injury patient is different with each injury affecting the person differently than the next. That is why I need contributions.

The technology that I have, be it commercially produced or custom-made, is not for everyone. I need to see other people's techniques, devices, adaptations and tools so that the person in need of a solution to a problem can get ideas from more than just what I use. The person in need may have a higher level of injury and need something more complex. Or they may have a lower level of injury and not need something as elaborate, bulky or excessive as someone who has less function that they do.

So, because of that, I encourage you to tell your friends about this site and encourage them to contact me if they have something they think might really help someone else who's going through exactly what I did.

Thank you for your support and sharing with other people. Your spreading the word means a lot to me.

Jay