This is a part of the Hot Topic podcast series from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center on Managing Bowel Function After Spinal Cord Injury. Zach Young, SCI Survivor, discusses Travel Challenges.

Zach Young

Sustained a Spinal Cord Injury in 1994

My bowel program affects my social life as far as traveling and kind of staying out places because, you know, I like to make sure I have an accessible bathroom and I have plenty of time in the mornings and I’m not rushed. You know, the more I’m rushed or the more I’m stressed out, the longer it takes or the more accidents I have, so, you know, I try to be in my own domain when I have a bowel movement.

You know, so that makes traveling and stuff a little more difficult. It’s not impossible but you’re got to put all that into consideration. And, you know, or just like staying the night at somebody’s house or getting a hotel or something like that. You kind of have to think about all those things. You can’t be quite as spontaneous.

I’m able to travel. I travel a little bit. I don’t as much as I would like to. Before the injury I traveled just, you know, if I had an opportunity I was gone. Now I have to plan it out a lot more and make sure I get accessible hotels that have a shower bench and they have a, you know, an accessible bathroom at least and, you know, and stuff like that.

And you would be surprised how many bathrooms out there aren’t accessible, you can’t get a wheelchair into and that makes a big difference. Most of the time they at least have a room that’s accessible that’s available, but, you know, depends on how late you are. Somebody might have already gotten it.

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