by Alicia Reagan | Dec 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
A spinal cord injury is simply broken communication. The brain sends a message, it travels down the communication highway called a spinal cord packed with thousands of nerves that relay messages, reaches the part of the damage where the bridge is out, and can go no...
by Alicia Reagan | Nov 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
“Then I will raise just one for as long as I am able!” This is my anthem and I will tell you why. Music speaks straight into my soul. It moves me.It touches me. It affects me. Which is why I learned as a teenager, that I needed to be intentional about what music I...
by Alicia Reagan | Nov 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
I was awakened this morning praying for friends who are walking through valleys of grief right now. Grief is one of those subjects that is hard to describe and talk about because it is so deeply felt and experienced. Some feelings and experiences are too difficult to...
by Alicia Reagan | Mar 12, 2022 | Uncategorized
13 is supposed to be an unlucky number…but today, on this 13th anniversary of becoming paralyzed…I feel so very blessed. 13 years ago today, I had been out of it for over 24 hours. When I was finally awaken…I wasn’t in horrific pain like I had been some 30 hours...
by Alicia Reagan | Sep 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Once you have a SCI, it is easy to know that your lungs, or arms and legs are weaker. But there is much more going on in your body that you must learn. The brain stops at the top of your neck and your spinalcord is the pathway for every single message that is sent...
by Alicia Reagan | Sep 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
When your spinal cord is injured, you get classified: Is it a traumatic (car wreck, fall, gunshot, etc) or non-traumatic (tumors, illness, blood clots, etc). They have to know this to proceed with treatment to stabilize and minimize damage.What level are you damaged...
by Alicia Reagan | Sep 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Why is awareness necessary? It is NOT because I need you to understand my life and all it’s stuff…although that may happen.It is NOT because anyone is seeking pity or “wow, your life is so hard I would just want to die!!” No, eventually, you would not want to die. 🙂It...
by Alicia Reagan | Jun 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Recently, a conversation was had in a disability Facebook group, about the trade off between receiving personal care assistance vs. losing personal independence. Specifically, “if you choose to get personal care to help you, when you can actually do it yourself...
by Alicia Reagan | Mar 26, 2021 | Uncategorized
I recently posted on Facebook that I had been chosen for a research study from the University of Washington to deal with chronic central nerve pain for those who are employed. Central nerve pain (or neuropathic pain) is caused by damage to the central nervous system,...
by Alicia Reagan | Mar 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
I remember in the early days, I would sob thinking there was NO way I could live like this for another year…let alone the rest of my life. My doctor had me go to the license bureau for a handicap tag for my car and the lady stamped a 5 year renewal stamp on it...