Living Forward with Disaboom

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Living Forward with Disaboom

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By J. Glen House, M.D.

RecentlyI was asked to explain how I came up with the name for “Disaboom,” an online resource that combinesmedical information, lifestyle articles, resources, and community for peoplewith disabilities and those whose lives are touched by disability. (And yes,it’s true, I’ve been asked that question roughly 5,000 times since we launchedlast summer!)

Myidea was that for many of us, disability changes everything we had thought weknew about our lives pre-disability. Who we were, what we would do in ourlives, the nature of our relationships with those we love and who love us, whatwe could expect our bodies to do. In a way, a disabling illness or injury “blewup” our previous assumptions, and challenged us to create a new set ofexpectations: of ourselves, our friends and family, our communities. Thus the“boom” of disability.

ButI also believe in the “boom” of positive energy that can accompany change, andwanted to incorporate that idea of explosive energy in our name to signify mybelief in the importance of living forward in any way, in any moment, that wecan.

Assomeone who sustained a C-7 spinal cord injury while skiing in my twenties, Iknow what it feels like to have that bomb go off in your life, blowing upeverything that defined who you thought you were. And I know the effort andenergy it takes to choose to live forward: going through medical school in awheelchair was one of the most difficult things I could have chosen to do.

ButI was determined to achieve my newgoal, which was to become an expert medical practitioner working with rehabpatients, and to find ways to help others live forward despite (or even becauseof) the disabilities they lived with. I love the work I do, and my “disability” hasenabled me to contribute to the world in ways I never would have consideredbefore I headed down that ski slope. So “Disaboom” is my way of acknowledgingall of the ways a disability can both blow up and energize our lives.

What is Disaboom? I think of it as theresource I wish I’d had when I suffered that spinal cord injury 18 years ago. Iwas lucky enough to have a loving family and a great group of friends thatassisted me in my recovery. However, my most invaluable resource was nothealthcare officials or counselors, but two men with a condition similar tomine that I met by chance at my apartment complex.  While we sat around the pool shooting thebreeze, these men taught me the ‘real’ information I needed to know; such aswhat kind of wheelchairs were best, how to travel comfortably, the adjustmentsI’d need to make to have a family, and much, much, more.

Nowthat I’ve gone on to become a doctor, I have all the medical knowledge of theworld at my fingertips. But, I still find I learn most from the everydayexperiences of those with disabilities. Luckily, at disaboom.com, you don’thave to choose between medical advice and real world advice, because theDisaboom team works hard every day to provide the best of both worlds.

Inour Health section, you’ll findcomprehensive overviews of a wide variety of conditions.  In our Living section, you can read storiesabout Paralympians, actors, musicians, and others who have refused to let theirdisabilities prevent them from achieving their dreams, as well as articlesabout disability-related legislation, caregiving, education issues, and muchmore. Lastly, in our Communitysection, members create content and conversation with the messages thatmean the most to them.  Our members includea broad range of nationalities, professions, and ages. But we also find thatmany of our most passionate members don’t, in fact, have a disabilitythemselves – they are instead caregivers, doctors, and friends or relatives whowant to understand and support those they care about.

Bottomline for me: The word ‘disability’ may apply to us, but it will never define us. We decide who we are, and what liveswe will create.  My goal with disaboom.comhas been to provide the information, community, and connection that will enablepeople to choose the life path that supports their new goals and dreams – anddetermine in what way they will choose to live forward.