A screenshot from the SCIO website, under research. Please visit the site to learn more.
I've been holding onto this news for a couple of years.
This September marks the beginning of my third year in the PhD program in Kinesiology at UBC Okanagan. I'm very lucky to be studying under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis and working with an exceptional group of individuals (at all levels). The focus of my work is on reducing pain (ideally solving it) for persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI).
I experience nerve pain daily, so deciding to study it was probably not the best decision (at least in the short-term). It’s common for an article or discussion to up the intensity of the pain I’m feeling at that moment. The flipside, however, is that my lived experience provides new insight into how SCI related pain is experienced and better ways to treat, or maybe someday, to even cure it. My life continues to be a pain experiment, but because I know firsthand the importance of the work that needs to be done, I feel compelled to do my part. Starting another degree in my 50's after so much time away from academia has been interesting. My brain has never been so tired from working so hard. Fortunately though, this is a good kind of tired.
Currently, I'm seeking publication of a scoping review that investigates psychological therapies and neuropathic pain. Mid-September I'll be releasing a pain survey for Canadians with SCl in partnership with Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. Collecting information from at least 200 individuals with SCI should allow me to focus recommendations and craft interventions that will be unique to this community. I'm excited.
So here I am, back in school, chasing down another big goal. It's challenging, it's rewarding, and it's exactly where I need to be right now.
photo: Nate Adams (3rd year PhD), Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis (supervisor), me, and Dr. Matteo Ponzano (postdoc).
In a recent conversation with Chloe, I mentioned how well my motivational keynotes went earlier this year. She asked, “Why aren’t you doing more of these?” Her question made me realize that, despite my enthusiasm for speaking, I wasn’t actively promoting myself. I've been so focused on moving forward that I haven't taken the time to pause and share my journey. Truth be told, looking back at my life’s challenges isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do. Also, I find self-promotion to be uncomfortable as well—I’m more comfortable working behind the scenes. But the responses I’ve received sharing my story and my book have been overwhelmingly positive, so I feel compelled to do more.
Chloe offered to help by taking the lead in promoting my work, starting with an Instagram page dedicated to my speaking engagements. She’s organizing highlights from the past few years and scheduling posts to share what I’ve accomplished, and what I’m learning.
The goal of reaching out is twofold: to hopefully inspire others by sharing how what I’ve learned about resilience, and if your organization needs a keynote speaker on resilience, to consider me. Life can be challenging, but with the right mindset combined and focused action, we can keep moving forward together.
A few days ago, Sabrina encouraged me to share on social media that my book was almost ready to launch. The response was incredible! Yet, here I am this morning, ready to launch, and crazy nervous to pull the trigger. I hardly slept.
As I set out to write What’s Next, I was determined to be open and honest about the reality of living with a spinal cord injury. While I am fortunate to have close friends who will share and discuss the messy stuff of being paralyzed, I haven’t come across any books that deal with the emotional challenges of breaking your back. Perhaps it’s just too difficult. I know I found it tough, and I think that’s why I’m nervous. Letting the world into your messy stuff makes you feel vulnerable. But, it’s the challenge of doing difficult things that typically motivates me, and with the hard work of writing and publishing done, it’s time to let it go.
Introducing my book:
What’s Next: Striving for Happiness After Heartbreaking Loss — LINK
What’s Next: Striving for Happiness After Heartbreaking Loss
Zara Buren… January 10, 2006 - September 21, 2020
Around this time last year, I was preparing a blog post on all the books I had been reading during Covid lockdown that I felt were helping me. Books on managing anxiety, perfectionism, sleep hygiene, etc. I was on a roll and noticed that if I could manage my emotions better, my pain wasn’t so intense. Then it happened. The worst thing you could ever imagine (though honestly your brain won’t let you truly imagine this). Zara died.