Latest / Numotion Ally Program Podcast / Wheelin' With Dylan: Adaptive Innovating With Casey Moore
Transcript
- riverside final casey & dylan magic episode aug 4, 2025 dylan kelly's studio: Welcome to the Wheel In with Dylan podcast, sponsoring the Ally program. My I'm your host Dylan Kelly and today we have on a Casey Moore coming all the way from Oregon. How you doing, Casey? Thanks for joining the pod. No, I absolutely w I'm really happy to have you 'cause I know we spoke a little earlier and you have a lot of really cool experiences living with a spinal cord injury and I think that anyone would love to just pick your brain and and and learn from ya. So I'm I'm excited to have a conversation. if you don't want me asking how long have you had a spinal cord injury again? Yeah, so April thirtieth of this year was twenty five years for me. Okay. Alright, so would you say you've learned a lot in the past twenty five years? Yeah, a ton. trial and error, you know, and but yes, I've learned a ton. Yeah, no, I I bet. I we talk about this all the time. I think life is all about adapting to your circumstances. but especially I think when you have a spinal cord injury, as I've learned myself just the past five years, you know, I'm just a rookie compared to you. But it's every day or every month I'm always learning something new, adapting and I love picking people's brains to see, you know, how they do things, how they get it done, and how they are able to be independent, have a good quality of life. but every spinal cord injury is different, right? When it comes to level of injury and your circumstance and just everything. A lot goes into it. that's for sure. We're all different. what level are you again? Okay. Yeah. Pretty standard, complete. I got a wrist back on my right side that's super weak, but the Tinodesis is great. And it didn't come back on my left. So really solid C five on the left and C six on the right. Okay. Great. Thanks for kinda giving us your background there. and you've you've done a lot. I mean, I I've spoken with you, you've a lot have a lot of really cool hobbies and stuff like that. Is there anything that specifically that's helped you to adapt and kind of be creative and figure out how to get things done. Yeah, lately I've I've gotten really into three D printing and just three D printing my own adaptive stuff and then printing some stuff for my friends. You can see my printers are here in the background and all the spools of filament. But yeah, this this thing is like my workhorse here. A thousand hours on that printer already really yeah, printing stuff out. So it's been it's been really fun to kind of adapt my own stuff and then also there's a huge community online where people are are making stuff so you can find some really cool designs out there. Hmm, that's awesome. And so did you say you created I know I'm sure you created a bunch of stuff. But have you created some adaptive stuff, did you say? Yeah, yes. you know, I don't have any hand or finger grip. So I've just been kinda working on some tools that help me do stuff. that that just slip over my palm and kinda slip on and off super easy. so It's been really fun. And then some folders and just yeah, little random stuff. Yeah. How did you get into that? How did you find three D printing and figure out that's something that could work for you? I think just looking online at stuff and I don't remember where I stumbled across this site of this guy that was like making some adaptive stuff and I was like, that's really cool and so it just kinda blossomed from there and I went from one printer to two and now my Why paints it because I get filament delivered all the time, But it's fun. it's fun because I also print just a lot of like cool stuff for friends. Yeah. Yeah, that's a that's awesome. That that's a that's it seems like a really cool hobby. I'm sure that you've gone through a couple different hobbies in the past and everything, and a da we have so many di different adaptive sports that we can take part of. Have you found any that's worked for you? I've gotten really into adaptive shooting, which has been a blast. it was a little hard for me at first because I was trying to pull the trigger with a a pencil in my brace, so I was pulling myself off of aim every time. But then I found this bite trigger that it bolts on to your rifle and so you you bite down and it pulls the trigger for you. And so that has helped me get just way more accurate. So I have a buddy of mine who's a para and and we go out And he helps me a ton just getting set up and stuff and it is a blast though to just get out there and, do some shooting. That sounds like a lot of fun. So is there like a group, in Oregon that does something like that, or how did you find it? no, it was just, you know, personal interests. And then a buddy of mine is really into shooting too, and so he was like all about helping me get set up. because I had tried it a few times and I was like it's fun, but I'm not very accurate anymore and so he he just really helped me get good at it. So it's been it's been so much fun. That's awesome. And I know th so you're in Oregon have you always been Oregon? Yeah, born and raised. I was born over in the Brookings Gold Beach area, little coastal town and lived there 'til I was twenty years old and that's when I dove in shallow water and broke my neck. And they flew me over to Medford and I did my rehab stay over here and just fell in love with the area and stayed in Medford. Okay. Alright, yeah. I have some family in the Washington, Oregon area. In fact my mom just went and visit them recently and I was jealous because the views there are just beautiful of just like mountains and you're s and some some places over there are you still by the water and everything and it's just like I I'm I wanna come visit, so if I do I'm gonna I might hit you up one of these days. Sounds like a plan, yeah. put Crater Lake on your list, man. That place is majestic. Awesome. So you you went camping last weekend, didn't you? I think you mentioned something like that. did you just you went you and your wife went camping or something like that? Yeah, my wife and our we have a nine year old son. we we found this accessible yurt. It was you know, maybe three hundred yards from the river. so we went out there for four nights and just got to unwind and We one of the days we literally spent eight hours at the river, barbecued lunch down there and just hung out all day and I I hadn't spent that much time by a body of water since before my injury, so it was just so nice to get out there and reconnect with nature and just kinda enjoy some family time. That's nice. Yeah. Sometimes we have to find something specific or get a little creative for us to be able to spend time with nature, right? I mean like for me, I'm in Florida so there's beaches everywhere. And I had to figure out when I first got hurt like how I can kinda get on the beach again. So I had to figure out and navigate and find those those mat what mo they call Moby mats. But you know, those those b those big blue mats, and I think they're great until the hurricane season comes over here and they take all down and then they t forget to put up for another six months, but that's another story. when it comes to camping and stuff, how did you find that accessible year? Did you just kinda look online? or did you have a connection? No, I'm mainly looking online and just just doing searches of accessible yurks 'cause not all of have a ramp in and stuff. And the yurks just work so good for me 'cause I I can't self transfer. My wife does it, and we bring a Hoyer lift and so it gives us that like flat space to be able to use the Hoyer to get in and out of bed without her blowing out her back, you know, lifting me. So it just it just works out really well. We have done some tent camping in the past but it's a lot of work. wow. Yeah, that w I would assume that's a lot of work. I haven't I haven't gone tent camping anywhere, but especially definitely since I've been hurt. and w and what do you do when you there are you say you kinda connected with the nature, you'll just hang out and grill and stuff like that? Yeah, just kinda hang out and grill and run around with my son and, you know, show nature stuff. It's so I I grew up like out in the woods and playing and in the creeks and all that stuff and sometimes I just like to try to share those things with my son and 'cause we're I don't know, nowadays kids are so connected to electronics and indoors and there's just not that same going out and playing like it used to be. For sure. No, it's good for us to to get outdoors and I know there's a lot of people with spinal cord injuries, it's think it's easy to kinda get comfortable inside sometimes. but yeah, definitely if you get the chance to to go out, kinda like you said, connect with nature. For me, maybe it's the beach, for you, maybe it's more camping and stuff like that. I think it's really important, for your for your mental health even too. You need to go and breathe some real air sometimes, you know. For sure, man. And if you ever do come to Oregon, there's a there's a non profit here called David's Chair and they have track chairs stationed all up the coast. So they have a at a bunch of beaches, you can borrow for free and just Get out and be able to cruise the beach and just enjoy the sand without without it being a ton of work. And the Moby Mats are awesome, but you're still stuck on that mat, you can't explore and get out, so the track chairs make it really cool for that. That's awesome. Yeah, I've tr I was able to try a track chair out one time when I was in like in physical like therapy when I first got hurt, but since I've actually been living in Florida and stuff. I'm sure there's something around me, but I haven't found anything. But those track shares are pretty sick. they'll go through pretty much anything, right? Yeah, they they will. I I've been through so much snow and mud and sand and all that stuff and it's it's a lot of fun. That's awesome. That's fun. So speaking with you, I I appreciate kinda what you do a lot because you've gained a lot of experiences this past what you said twenty five years, right? Yeah. and you've you've learned a lot, you've adapted, you have a family and you're independent. And so you s work for the in with Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection. Did I get that right? It's on y it's on your hat, so if I can read your hat good enough too. can you kinda tell us for the I wanna know too, but the our viewers and listeners as well, kinda what that is and what made you interested in in getting into that in the first place? Yeah, so th Oregon Spinal Courtney Reconnection is a non profit based up in Portland. I'm down here in Medford. But it's it's all about just community, you know, connecting people with community, providing some education, outdoor recreation, you know, just just getting people together. it it's so powerful. That's awesome. And so are you Speaking with people who are first get hurt, like new spinal cord injuries or Yeah, yes. So, my roles I'm I'm a community health worker with them and I do go in and meet newly injured in the hospital, like when they you know, out of ICU just getting into rehab. And so I'll go in and meet with them and try to build connection and just get out in the you know, out in the community when they get home. you know, provide some home assessments if they need, and and provide some information on making things accessible when they get home. then we we run like a monthly meetup so that's awesome. Yeah w w if for for those who are are not part of like a community, whether that's online or in person and stuff like that, why do you think it's really important to meet others with spinal cord injuries or d a disability, and stuff like that so that you can learn from each other. Like why do you think that's so important? Yeah. No, that's a g that's a great point. I talk about that all the time, you know. Visibly it's like, you can't walk and you're you're in a wheelchair. It's like, yes, that's that's part of it, right? But that is not the main thing, I like a l a lot of the time. It's that bowel and bladder bladder management for a lot of people. And I know with with my job even, so when somebody does suffer a spinal cord injury or something, typically I try to help them get set up. on the right catheter and different stuff before they get di discharged and go home. And there's a lot of questions that that go into that. do you is there like a common question that people are always asking you, is there any advice that you give to someone when it comes to managing bowel and bladder that you think helps a lot? Yes. Yeah. Right. Well I'm glad that's working out for you. And people have to figure out what's gonna work best for them. and for those so probably twenty years or so when you did self cath, how do you have How did you manage, you know, your your schedule and your time and figuring out like how did you plan out your day basically? When knowing that someone was going to need to help out and and s and catheterize you and stuff like that. Do you have any tips on that? No. Yeah, that you you don't you don't want to do that. I mean so in your case it's it's finding family and friends who are going to be at the event that you're going to Or if they can come with you or someone like that, you're probably reaching out to them and trying to coordinate schedules and everything. But can see why it's a lot, I mean it it's good that you were able to to get it done obviously and self cath and like do it in a healthy way and not neglect it. But yeah, you don't want to be dehydrating yourself at the same time like you were saying, like that's we know that's not good. That's a UTI waiting to happen I'm sure. Right, exactly. And so you speak with with with the organization that you're with and everything like that. Stuff like bowel bladder program comes up and and everything. do you have anything when you're speaking with a patient that kinda takes you back to when you first got hurt that you try to relate to them and and give them advice on and almost like give them a heads up on anything? Yeah. No, that that's that's great advice 'cause you do have to kick butt when when you're in that inpatient therapy. I mean, if you don't it's gonna catch up to you, you're gonna realize it once you go home, right? And that that's that's great advice and once they are once you are out, you have to learn a lot yourself, obviously. you know, what's gonna work for you, how to be independent. But we have a there's a lot of resources. And this the Ally program, which is, you know, something that I think is is important and it's going to help a lot of people that when they are when they do come out of th of rehab and they have questions, I'm hoping that the Ally program is a is a serves as a good resource because there's gonna there's a lot of articles and videos and then they can watch podcasts like what we're doing right now to kind of like be able to learn. Do you think that would have been beneficial maybe when you first got hurt? D do you wish you had something like that? I think I've heard something like that, yeah. Hmm. Right. Yeah, well there's a huge community for it now, you can just go on Facebook or something, right? And I think that's how you and I even had connected. and it's so cool, right? I'm in Florida, you're in Oregon and here we are having a conversation and with the Ally program it's the same thing. you can definitely go and ask any questions and there's a community chat. but those resources that you were talking about when you know you kinda have to figure out what's gonna work for you. You gotta do some research, look into what regimen that other people are doing that works for them. and and all that. So I I'm excited to talk to people like you who who get it, understand, and you you obviously are trying to help form a community. There already is one in Oregon for those who can kind of get together in person, which I think is pretty huge as well. but anyway I'm trying to think about what else I want to pick your brain while while I got ya. you have any any plans coming up? this year anything that you're thinking about already, any other trips. I know you just went for camping, so you crossed that one off. That's awesome. So yeah, and for everyone, watching and listening, I encourage you to look at what's near you. see if you can find any kind of groups like what Casey has because I think it makes a a big difference when you can meet people in person. If not, you know, we have a lot of stuff online that is super helpful. But it's really cool to be able to either whether it's a sport or just meeting up for for some food or whatever the case is to be able to relate and talk to other people with with spinal cord injuries. And I know with New Motion we have a huge community because we are the biggest wheelchair, you know, company in in the and nationwide and also we have our medical supply division with catheterizing and everything like that. and you you're a customer with New Motion, right? You have ATP over there in Oregon that takes care of ya, I hope. Well that's awesome. I I'm I'm really happy to hear that and I know a lot of people don't even realize who do have wheel wheelchairs through New Motion that we also supply catheter supplies and stuff like that. Do you think that it's that's beneficial to kind of be able to get everything through one company, especially if you have an ATP that treats you good and you know that they wanna do you right? Yeah. I like I like to tell people it's a a one stop shop. it's nice to get everything 'cause I mean when you have a disability too, I mean there's a lot of companies to c kinda come into play. You have insurances you have to deal with, so when you can kind of put that down to one, I I know it helps. and then we have your the my new motion that you can kinda log in and and see your updates on your wheelchair supplies, your cath supplies, everything like that. So I appreciate you you join and joining and being able to kinda talk to some of your experiences. is there anything else that you kinda wanted to add or anything or share or anything like that for us? Yeah, there we go. Get connected. Hopefully the Ally program will help you get connected as well with this community. You have your Facebook like the he had talked about, so many different things online. but a anything that that I can do a as well, my information is is on the screen and you can reach out to me anytime to to help we can share each other's experiences and you know we're all navigating through this this journey, right? And you're not alone. Don't feel like you have to do it yourself. You have guys like Casey who is a big part of this this Oregon spinal cord injury connection, for example, trying to help others, whether they're new or or old with spinal cord injuries, and I know myself included, because it's something that you know isn't talked about enough. So anything that we can do please please feel feel free to reach out to those in your community and reach out to me. So I appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining today, Casey. And give the Ally program a click. Go look into it. Look at the resources that there are because I'm telling you we're having a spinal cord entry is just always a learning process and we can all learn so much from each other.