Spray Bottle

When most people hear paralyzed or quadriplegic they immediately think of the lost ability to walk, to the point that the narrow sightedness of its portrayal in media is saddening. Phrases such as "wheelchair-bound" or "confined to a wheelchair, just dreaming of the day they can walk again" are very frustrating to someone living with a disability where walking is but a very minor portion of the inconvenience of said disability. Not to mention that most of us do not sit around doing nothing but dreaming of when we can walk again and "resume" our lives. But, I digress.

What the media and educators fail to mention are the things more important to well being, like the inability to sweat when overheated. The increased sensitivity to temperature changes and decreased ability to regulate our own body temperature makes we quadriplegics more susceptible to temperature related discomfort and ailments.

Clothing can be added in cold temperatures to help stay warm but once we get overheated, even in shade, it can be difficult to cool back down. It's not the same as heat being removed from your body the way sweat brings it to the surface but a spray bottle or a wetted cloth or shirt can help to alleviate the overheating from a warm summer day or vigorous exercise.

With our current patio set I am unable to raise and lower the umbrella and, most of the time, that is fine with me because I typically like full sunshine. But there are the times when I appreciate having my spray bottle to allow me to stay outside longer and enjoy as much of the short Saskatchewan summers as I can.

Source: Any department store or dollar store.