Spinal Cord Injury and the Family : A New Guide Paperback / softback

by Michelle J. ALPERT, Saul Wisnia

Part of the The Harvard University Press Family Health Guides series

Paperback / softback

Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks

Description

Spinal cord injury, or SCI, is frequently sudden and unexpectedâ€”through accident, disease, or violence, patients temporarily lose control of their bodies and, it seems, their lives.

With rehabilitation, they can learn to navigate their world once more, retraining muscles and mind to compensate for paralyzed limbs and diminished strength.

But as Dr. Michelle Alpert shows here, there is far more to recapturing full, independent lives than regaining movement.

Central to long-term success is mending the family unit.

Combining Dr. Alpertâ€™s clinical experience with patientsâ€™ own stories, Spinal Cord Injury and the Family is for individuals and their families who must climb back from injury: for the young quad couple, both quadriplegic, who wish to conceive and raise a child; for the paraplegic dad who wants to teach his daughter to drive; for the couple wondering how they can regain the sexual spark in their relationship. The authors cover the causes of and prognosis for SCI through case studies, review common courses of rehabilitation, and answer the â€œwhat now?â€ questionsâ€”from daily routines to larger issues concerning sex, education and employment, childbearing, and parenting with SCI.

Rich in clinical information and practical advice, the book shows how real patients and their families are living full lives after spinal cord injury.