Life in a Chair
Quad or Tetra? “I Didn't Break My Neck on a Quad”
People throw around "quadriplegic" and "tetraplegic" like they're the same word. Are they? Which one fits you, and why does the difference matter?
Honestly, I've been called a quadriplegic my whole life. I only heard the word tetraplegic in the last year or two.
As far as I understand it, it's Latin versus Greek. Quadriplegic is Latin and Greek squished together. Tetraplegic is all Greek.
That's right. "Quadri" is Latin for four, "-plegia" is Greek for paralysis, so quadriplegia is a Latin-Greek mashup. "Tetra" is Greek for four, so tetraplegia is Greek all the way through. Both mean four, and both mean the same thing: all four limbs are affected. Tetraplegia is the term a lot of medical and international groups prefer these days, but you'll hear both.
Actually, I like "C6 tetraplegic." It has a nice ring to it. So from now on, I'm a C6 tetraplegic. F*** the quads, lol.
Any regrets about switching teams?
Nah. I didn't break my neck riding a quad. I didn't break my neck riding a tetra. I broke it jumping into a wave, and now I'm a tetra.
