WILL I EVER WALK AGAIN? | Q&A with Paraplegic and Girlfriend

Q&A with interabled couple (paraplegic and girlfriend)
This is the first ever Q&A video that we have done on this channel. Thanks to everyone who has sent us questions here on youtube as well as on facebook and instagram and by email. We've also recently passed 2,000 subscribers so thank you to everyone who has subscribed! Can we hit 3,000?
We're going to be answering some of your most popular questions including: how did we meet? what are our favourite hobbies? would we get an assistance dog? why did we start youtube? what does being paralysed feel like? does Craig experience any pain? can I buy a paralife hoodie? where are we travelling next? are our families overbearing? will Craig ever walk again? dream piece of disability equipment? and various things about custom wheelchairs and more...
If you've got anymore questions for our next Q&A video or for the batec update leave them in the comments
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We are Craig and Claire, an interabled couple rediscovering our love for travel after a cycling accident that left Craig paralysed from the chest down and reliant on a wheelchair. We are self converting a VW Transporter into a wheelchair accessible campervan that we hope to take around the world.
On this channel, we make videos about:
- Accessible travel
- Adventures in a wheelchair
- Campervan conversion
- Wheelchairs, wheelchair attachments, accessories and maintenance
- Travel guides
- Paraplegic life
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#wheelchair #paraplegic #spinalcordinjury

[@PARALIFE]

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Batec in the update video or if you have any questions for our next Q&A leave them here 😀

[@someonerandom6379]

Completely agree that most stories of paralysed people walking don’t give the details. Also in a lot of cases it’s purely down to the equipment, not actually walking in the way people think. I’ve also found that some people think if you aren’t walking again or improving constantly, that it’s somehow down to not trying hard enough which is very unhelpful.

[@PARALIFE]

I know right!? You could do a marathon in your wheelchair or drag yourself on your butt up a mountain but if you can't walk a step then you haven't being trying hard enough!

[@kgspvgsp7569]

Not all complete injuries are pain free, so I am glade to hear that you dont have pain, its horrible

[@thedisabledgamer]

Great video guys lovely to see more disabled KZbinrs over this side of the world

[@juliandickinson2403]

Thanks for sharing to the world your experiences of living with a sci. Its been 5 years since my accident and I’ve found it really useful to hear how you’re dealing with the challenges following the injury.

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for commenting 😀 We're always amazed by how many of you who've been injured much longer watch our videos. Always thought it would be just newly injured!

[@mariamal-haydari5736]

I appreciate your effort in providing information about SCI. You talked about exoskeletons, what about epidural electrical stimulation? Do you think it could help people with complete spinal cord injury?

[@nazanina2190]

Such a fantastic couple!!!

[@estherskelhorn5420]

Great video! ..and party trick form Sooty

[@flowerpetals1396]

Thank you for answering my question.

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for asking us a question 😃

[@amitviktorcourreges9721]

Yes about complete injuries, such a frustration. I also get people who tell me Doctors said I would never walk again 5 years later here I am. And it's like good for you!

[@PARALIFE]

Oh yeah and they're even worse since they should know more about SCI than the general public! We also get a surprisingly large amount of people saying we need to pray/use healing stones/all these wacky treatments!

[@amitviktorcourreges9721]

@@PARALIFE the two comments that annoy me the most at work, is wow so nice to see you working for a living so many would rather live off disability (like sure I could definitely afford that) or they find out I'm single and either try to set me up with a girl with disabilities or act like I will never get an able-bodied woman to look twice at me now and I will die alone. I mean both of those kind of make the point of like with like, if you're in a wheelchair obviously you can only date someone else in a wheelchair because bipeds are far superior

[@michaelmckeon5584]

Hi Craig . First visit to your stuff for ages. Came across your very neat fix to the age old problem of how to attach Freewheel to back of wheelchair quickly and easily. As we know the clamp provided when you buy the Freewheel is worse than useless - have resorted to my wife carrying it large shopping bag on last visit to restaurant in Latham. Really like the look of your design but need a few pictures of the tubing from the side to advise a friend on how to fabricate it. Also is the vertical silver tube we can see in the video is that welded or bolted to the horizontal wheelchair tube. Life would be great if you can provide a little more detail. Regards Michael

[@1200snoopy]

Thanks for a great channel. I'm a T5 complete and would love to find out more of your bowel routine when you travel. I would also like to travel but am 2 years into my injury and concerned about what commodes to use etc. As far as the Batec is concerned how do you go with lifting it into the car? Keep up the good work.

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for the questions!

[@riinajesus203]

I love your guys channel. My husbands a parapalegic as well.

[@PARALIFE]

Glad to have you with us 😃

[@Nesrine_Latiri]

Hello guys Thanks for sharing this 👍👍 I had a traumatic spinal cord injury myself 2.5 years ago and I'm actually paralyzed waist-down ; if you don't mind me asking, why not do physiotherapy ? It's kind of important in so many levels + lots of health benefits

[@PARALIFE]

Hey. No worries, we're happy to answer anything but do you mean physiotherapy like in the hospital or just exercises? Don't do the hospital one because first of all we have no access to it anymore but also because there's nothing they did in physio at rehab that you can't do yourself at home/in the gym.

[@ashstubbings2603]

I've kept having to edit my original comment each time you've mentioned something else, so I thought I might as well write another one! Scotland! You must go to Scotland and especially to do the North Coast 500! I know it's not quite on a par with New Zealand but it is beautiful nonetheless and well worth a visit.

[@PARALIFE]

Haha fair enough. It's easier to read multiple shorter comments than one long one if we're using our phones too! Yes we definitely will go to and are excited about going to Scotland regardless of New Zealand but if covid has taught us anything, we won't take international travel for granted anymore so we'll be leaping on the chance to go to NZ. Any recommendations for Scotland?

[@ashstubbings2603]

@@PARALIFE It's funny you should mention that! I was just about to recommend a few places actually. Anywhere in the Cairngorms and you will not be disappointed. Mountains everywhere! If you go there, a trip on the Funicular Railway up Cairngorm itself is a must! Same with Perthshire. Then if you want to go even further north, the Isle of Skye is wonderful! We stayed in a little place called Uig, (pronounced Ooig) last time we where there. But if you do travel up there, don't do what we did. We drove all the way in one day! It's a 13 hour drive! We went on a boat trip from Portree, the capital of the Island, around the Sound of Raasay. Well worth it if you can find a wheelchair accessible boat! I didn't find a wheelchair accessible boat as such but the skipper of the boat and the 'helpers' were very er..helpful! Saw Golden Eagles and White Tailed Sea Eagles! The scenery on Skye is 'Other-Worldly' it's spectacular! Hope this helps.

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for all this, it's very useful! Skye does look incredible, definitely somewhere that will have a place in our trip! Not sure about the 13hr drive in one day though! That's one of the reasons we wanted a campervan, to break up these long journeys. How long did you spend on/would you recommend for Skye? Could actually see ourselves spending quite a few months just slowly going around all of the islands as well as the mainland in the van. I wonder if we might even be able to get skiing in the Cairngorms...

[@ashstubbings2603]

I think the Jeetrike is absolutely awesome, and if I was looking for something power-assisted I would consider it myself. Craig, how much upper body strength have you got and have you looked at the Mountain Trike or the Grit Freedom Chair. I'm not sure either of them would be suitable but they might be worth looking at? Also with you mentioning the canoe polo, I'm assuming you've tried other types of canoeing since your accident? I know it's not the same but there still might be another type of canoeing that you could do. I did a lot of canoeing when I was at school (a V E R Y long time ago!!) Oh, and I can DEFINITELY recommend you having a go at skiing, it's a really fun way of getting bruises! LOL

[@PARALIFE]

Haven't tried the grit freedom chair but we've done 2 demos of the mountain trike. We wanted to love it but honestly we were a bit underwhelmed. We didn't dislike it but it for the price we didn't get the impression it would get us to many places we can't get now. For us, the jeetrike or another similar bike with suspension seem to be the best options for increasing our freedom. We've seen some videos of people doing pretty impressive things using adapted mountain bikes - not sure how realistic that is for most of us. Do you have a mountain trike or grit chair? Actually we haven't done any adapted canoeing. It is something we'd like to get back into eventually but we're a little put off because of how unexciting paddling on a lake etc feels compared to canoe polo or surf or river kayaking which we also used to do. We've been doing a lot of paddleboarding which as an adapted sport is very similar to flat water kayaking. Sounds a bit silly but because it's technically different and has a different name we don't compare it to kayaking so we enjoy it more. Really can't wait to try skiing, whenever that will be!!

[@PARALIFE]

Also do you have any recommendations for where to go skiing?

[@ashstubbings2603]

@@PARALIFE Hello you two. Well, with regard to the Grit Chair, no, I haven't got one yet, but I'm in the process of trying to apply for grants and things to get the money. But it does sound like it's not really for you anyway. If you weren't keen on the Mountain Trike, the Grit Freedom Chair is along similar lines, but slightly less 'complicated' and ever-so-slightly cheaper ($2955. I have no idea what that is in £'s!). As regards the skiing, the only places I've been to are Serre Chavalier on the French/Italian border and the Swiss Alps. Both very expensive but well worth it. Looking forward to the next video. I still like the look of the Batec! Oh! I don't! So much equipment, so little time! It's alright for you young 'uns! I'm 48! LOL

[@PARALIFE]

Good luck with the grant applications! We'd probably agree with you there but we would be interested in trying it just for the experience. That's the problem with skiing! At least it's something that's expensive for everyone though and no just disabled people. Haha, slight spoiler we do still highly rate the Batec - give it a go!

[@letsgo2274]

Decide catheter what else can we use to hearing

[@WhozOnfirst]

What do the both of you do for work and did Craig have to change his career choice because of his injury?

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for the question, we'll add it to the list for the next Q&A :)

[@kgspvgsp7569]

Japan's bathrooms r hard to wiggle around even for able bodied ppl

[@davidlarb5271]

I'm 70, and I became an incomplete paraplegic 2yrs ago. I have about 90 screws from pelvis to C7. C5 C6 C7 are glued together. Through sheer hard work and determination l can walk with a four arm walker and shuffle using a standard walking frame. I really want to travel again but my wife of 50 years isn't as confident as I feel, due to a major heart attack she suffered last year . How can I prove or say to her that all will be well with some extra planning or if we never go we'll never know. Would appreciate your feedback and advice. Regards David 20:11

[@davidlarb5271]

O

[@rondavolanski9335]

Great video, but can you please talk louder, I can barely hear you on my Android.

[@PARALIFE]

Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately it's not about the volume we are speaking at. When we talk louder our audio can peak which means that any sounds that are above 0dB will be cut off and you won't hear them at all. Right now, this is about as loud as it can be without having any peaking. We are always investing in better equipment and trying to learn as much as we can about audio editing to our videos better quality but we both acknowledge that we are much worse at audio than we are at visuals. If anyone has any good resources we're more than happy to check them out. Having said that we both have androids and neither of us have any problems with the volume level, it's definitely loud enough on max volume but plays louder out of our computers or on the TV than our phones. We do always write out captions for every video too to try and help

[@amitviktorcourreges9721]

City's whiskers are great got like a colonial mustache.

[@robfs6105]

Yes City has a very good Movember moustache!

[@PARALIFE]

🤣🤣🤣