When you’re living with paralysis, seemingly minor health problems can rapidly escalate to life-threatening conditions. When the body is compromised as it is after a spinal cord injury, constant vigilance is essential. A small tear in the skin can turn into deadly sepsis. Taking the wrong medication – or the right one improperly – can tax weakened body systems. Messages between the body and the brain can be misdirected or misinterpreted.

Safely navigating these challenges of paralysis care can be daunting yet doing so can be a matter of life and death. How does one determine when to call for help?

As a rehab nurse for 40 years, Linda M. Schultz, Ph.D., CRRN, has seen it all. In a special session at the upcoming Reeve Summit, “Critical Situations for People with Spinal Cord Injury,” she’ll share what she’s learned to help people living with paralysis make the right decisions about their health and well-being. Think of it as a private consult with a veteran nurse-specialist.

“Nurse Linda,” as she is known in many public-education materials available through the Reeve Foundation’s Paralysis Resource Center, is a trusted educator and certified provider of rehabilitation nursing for people living with paralysis, including activity-based rehabilitation strategies. She writes the “Ask a Nurse” blog, conducts monthly webinars on paralysis issues, and serves as an editorial consultant for the Paralysis Resource Center’s patient education materials. As a researcher, she focuses on promoting bladder and bowel continence and skin integrity.

The Reeve Summit 2020: Where Care, Cure and Community Connect will be held at the Marriott Marquis, Washington, D.C., from February 26-28, 2020.

Click here to register for the conference.