{"id":7673,"date":"2022-04-06T06:10:07","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T11:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&#038;p=7673"},"modified":"2022-04-06T06:41:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T11:41:40","slug":"blugold-still-swinging-for-the-fences-after-spinal-cord-injury-changed-his-life","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/blugold-still-swinging-for-the-fences-after-spinal-cord-injury-changed-his-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Blugold still swinging for the fences after spinal cord injury changed his life"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/42oUmhiMn9U\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Zach Caterer grew up playing baseball, so he knows that if a pitcher throws you a curveball, you must adjust your swing if you want to hit a home run.<\/p>\n<p>Four years after life threw him a curveball he never saw coming, Caterer still is making adjustments and swinging for the fences.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire sophomore was volunteering at a summer youth camp in northern Minnesota when he and his friends decided to take a nighttime swim. Then a high school junior, Caterer jumped into the lake in \u201cexactly the wrong place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His jump left him with a spinal cord injury, changing his life forever.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7688\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7688\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/research-in-the-rotunda\/improving-kidney-disease-diagnosis-using-novel-infrared-light-based-imaging\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7688 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_2022RITR_Zach-C-four-three_high-res_feature-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Zach Caterer (left) who presented the undergraduate student research he is doing with Dr. Michael Walsh (right) during the Research in the Rotunda event in March in Madison. (Photo by Shane Opatz)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7688\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zach Caterer (left) will present the undergraduate student research he is doing with Dr. Michael Walsh (right) during the Research in the Rotunda event in March in Madison. (Photo by Shane Opatz) Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/research-in-the-rotunda\/improving-kidney-disease-diagnosis-using-novel-infrared-light-based-imaging\/\">Zach Caterer&#8217;s Research in the Rotunda project presentation video<\/a>: <em>Improving Kidney Disease Diagnosis Using Novel Infrared Light-Based Imaging<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Today, Caterer is a biochemistry\/molecular biology and mathematics major enrolled in UW-Eau Claire\u2019s pre-professional medicine program. The Eau Claire native is excelling in and outside the classroom, earning a reputation as an outstanding student and an accomplished undergraduate student researcher. He\u2019s among the Blugolds who will present their research at the prestigious Research in the Rotunda event in Madison next month.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely think my injury has helped me understand that the good things in life don\u2019t come easy,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cIf you really want it, you have to work for it. It\u2019s not going to happen tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Creating a \u2018new normal\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Caterer remembers just bits and pieces of the night of his water accident. He remembers hanging out with his friends after working in the dining hall. The helicopter that flew him to the hospital. Asking a doctor to take a picture of him to send to his mom.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, he says, he doesn\u2019t remember anything about the three weeks following the accident because his doctors kept him heavily sedated as his body began to heal. He was in the hospital for three months. Then came six months of nearly daily physical therapy, which, he jokes, helped him set a record at his high school for most days missed during his junior and senior years.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s thankful that in time, he did regain some of his motor function, including his ability to walk using braces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s different for everyone, but most people with this injury expect to always be in a wheelchair,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cI\u2019m fortunate that I can get up and move around and walk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While his physical recovery has plateaued, Caterer still describes his recovery as \u201congoing\u201d because he\u2019s continuously tweaking what he considers to be his \u201cnew normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI say I\u2019m still in recovery because I have a lot of goals that I want to achieve,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cI keep pushing myself to be better. I\u2019m never completely satisfied, so there is always that next \u2018something\u2019 that I want to accomplish. I see being in recovery as meaning that I\u2019m still growing, which is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For now, Caterer\u2019s \u201cnew normal\u201d mostly revolves around his college classes, his undergraduate student research, his job on campus as a math tutor and \u2014 best of all, he says \u2014 his dog, a golden retriever named Koda, who he got early in the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<h3>Finding Inspiration<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7693\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7693\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7693\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer1-spinal-cord-injury-rehab.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Zach Caterer, who was in the hospital for three months after a water accident left him with a spinal cord injury.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer1-spinal-cord-injury-rehab.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer1-spinal-cord-injury-rehab-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7693\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zach Caterer was in the hospital for three months after a water accident left him with a spinal cord injury.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While the months he spent in the hospital were hard physically and mentally, he\u2019ll always be grateful for the incredible team of doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other medical professionals who guided him as he found his way forward. Their passion, kindness and care helped him get through even his darkest days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like I was in the hospital because everyone there absolutely loved their jobs and brought their energy and passion every single day,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cThey always had a positive attitude and always were uplifting and always came in with a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Four years after his injury, Caterer isn\u2019t expecting to regain any more nerve or muscle function naturally. He is hopeful, though, that advances in medicine, science and technology may someday lead to new regenerative or other therapies to treat spinal cord injuries like his.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always in the back of my mind,\u201d Caterer says of potential medical advances. \u201cI\u2019m aware there is work that\u2019s ongoing. But for now, I consider my situation to be normal for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Caterer loves math and science, so he\u2019d always had vague thoughts of maybe being a doctor someday. His time in the hospital \u201csolidified\u201d that idea. So, while he\u2019s not closing any other doors quite yet, he\u2019s \u201cdefinitely leaning toward\u201d medical school and a career as a physician. Specializing in spinal cord injuries is a possibility, though there are other areas within medicine that also interest him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe one thing I do know is that I want to use my science and math to help people,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cI want to go to work with a positive attitude and to love my job every day, just like the people I was with in the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A new path<\/h3>\n<p>A standout high school student and athlete, Caterer knew he\u2019d go to college, but he assumed baseball would be a deciding factor in where he\u2019d go. When baseball was no longer an option, he had to rethink what mattered most to him when choosing a college.<\/p>\n<p>He was considering several schools \u2014 some nearby and some farther from home \u2014 when COVID-19 hit. He knew that if he had to quarantine or had other COVID-related issues, he didn\u2019t want to be living in a dorm room far from home with people he didn\u2019t know. So, Caterer decided UW-Eau Claire was the best place for him.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7695\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7695\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7695\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer_four-three_outdoor-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Zach Caterer, a biochemistry\/molecular biology and mathematics major enrolled in UW-Eau Claire\u2019s pre-professional medicine program.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer_four-three_outdoor-portrait.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer_four-three_outdoor-portrait-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7695\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zach Caterer is a biochemistry\/molecular biology and mathematics major enrolled in UW-Eau Claire\u2019s pre-professional medicine program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Two years later, he says coming to UW-Eau Claire was the right decision for reasons that go far beyond the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m glad I chose it because the faculty and staff here are wonderful,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cEau Claire has really good programs in my areas of interest. And I\u2019m doing research here that\u2019s usually reserved for graduate students, research that I got into when I was still a freshman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When he was a freshman, Caterer loved his biology lab. Curious about everything they were studying, he had lots of questions, so he regularly visited his professor, Dr. Michael Walsh, an assistant professor of materials science and biomedical engineering, during his office hours.<\/p>\n<p>Walsh says he was \u201cimmediately impressed by Zach\u2019s interest and curiosity in biology and medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When Caterer learned that Walsh does health care-related research with a team of undergraduate students, he was intrigued. He admires Walsh\u2019s passion for his work, and the professor\u2019s research areas align with his own interests. He knew right away that he wanted to join Walsh\u2019s research team.<\/p>\n<p>By then, Walsh already knew Caterer would excel in research, so he was happy to add him to his team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZach is an extremely curious person, which makes him perfect for being both a student and researcher,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cHe also is very conscientious, detail orientated and organized, which are also important skills to have. Furthermore, he is very well liked and respected by his peers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Caterer appreciates the research opportunities Walsh and UW-Eau Claire offer undergraduate students, opportunities he says he likely would not have had if he\u2019d gone to another college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was super excited because he got me started on a project right away,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cI have friends who go to bigger universities, and they say they don\u2019t even see their professors. Here, I was a freshman already doing research with my professor. It\u2019s been a great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Already, he\u2019s been part of multiple research projects.<\/p>\n<p>Caterer is excited to present his current research next month at Research in the Rotunda, an annual event held in the state Capitol that showcases research done by undergraduate students at UW System schools. Each campus selects just a handful of students to present their research during the daylong event, which is attended by state legislators and others.<\/p>\n<p>Caterer will present the research he does with Walsh that aims to help people with end-stage renal disease, a disease that results in the loss of kidney function. No treatments exist for many types of ESRD, so patients receive kidney dialysis and hopefully a kidney transplant. However, many complications can occur that are difficult to identify early, which can lead to the loss of a transplanted organ. The UW-Eau Claire researchers are working on a new high-resolution imaging tool that can identify earlier the patients who are having complications, allowing more time for doctors to intervene.<\/p>\n<p>Given his work on this and other research projects, Walsh is confident that Caterer will have a bright future in whatever career path he chooses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe Zach is going to be very successful post-UWEC,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cI look forward to seeing where his career goes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Caterer says his relationship with Walsh has given him confidence to reach out to other professors, whether it\u2019s to ask a question about coursework or to discuss any physical or other accommodations he might need in a class. Those interactions give him a new appreciation for the hard work the faculty do, as well as for how much they genuinely care about their students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of the professors I talk to really want to help their students,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cTheir classes aren\u2019t easy, so you need to put in the work, but they will help you if you ask. Every professor I\u2019ve talked to has wanted to answer my questions, talk to me and do what they can to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The journey continues<\/h3>\n<p>While Caterer is thriving in college and preparing for what he expects will be a happy life and meaningful career, getting here hasn\u2019t been easy. Fortunately, he has a strong network of family and close friends, people who love, encourage and believe in him. They\u2019ve also given him great advice, which he leans on during the hard days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was talking to a friend about going to the gym and trying to get stronger and he said, \u2018All you need to do is make yourself a little stronger today than you were yesterday,\u2019\u201d Caterer says. \u201cThat\u2019s really stuck with me. I\u2019m trying to remember that small steps are more manageable than trying to take big steps. It\u2019s really a good way to look at life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still another friend encouraged him to embrace the \u201cfive by five\u201d rule, which says if it won\u2019t matter in five years, don\u2019t spend more than five minutes worrying about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, if I get frustrated or angry or sad, if it won\u2019t matter if five years, I try to give myself five minutes to cry or be mad, and then I move on,\u201d Caterer says.<\/p>\n<p>Still, even with all the advice and support, he\u2019s not quite gotten past not being able to play sports, which always was a big part of his life. He still misses the competition, the camaraderie and everything else that goes with being part of youth and high school sports teams.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t realize until I got out of the hospital how much I defined myself by my sports and activities,\u201d says Caterer, a talented athlete who excelled in multiple sports. \u201cThat\u2019s been really difficult. I tried to do the stuff that I once really enjoyed, but it was hard to not be able to physically do it anymore. I\u2019m still trying to figure out how to have that competitive aspect in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s tried new sports and new activities but hasn\u2019t found \u201cthat one thing that gets me up and going every day; that thing I wake up looking forward to.\u201d But he\u2019s not giving up; he always has a list of new ideas to try.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7697\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7697\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7697\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer-dogKoda-four-three.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Zach Caterer, who trained his dog, Koda, as a therapy dog. They visit Eau Claire-area nursing homes once or twice a week.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer-dogKoda-four-three.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/03\/EAU_research_ZachCaterer-dogKoda-four-three-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7697\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zach Caterer trained his dog, Koda, as a therapy dog. They visit Eau Claire-area nursing homes once or twice a week.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While COVID-19 has made life more difficult for Caterer in many ways \u2014 including making it harder to meet other Blugolds in the same way he might in a more typical time \u2014 it did bring Koda, his golden retriever, into his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s really quite wonderful,\u201d says Caterer, who first trained Koda to be an emotional support dog. \u201cI know he\u2019s always there if I need him or if I\u2019ve had a tough day. It\u2019s been great, especially during COVID, when there were a lot of those days because we were encouraged to not socialize or see other people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, he \u201crealized how much support and joy he could bring other people too,\u201d so Caterer trained Koda to be a therapy dog. Once or twice a week, they visit area nursing homes, which Caterer says is \u201cquite a fun way to connect with people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Koda also gets Caterer outside and moving every day. The fresh air and exercise is good for his physical and mental health, he says. Their long morning and evening walks give him time to think, clear his mind and appreciate the good things in his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I\u2019ve always been pretty positive and always see the good things and try to be optimistic,\u201d Caterer says. \u201cI did go through some depression, and there were days I definitely was not super optimistic. But one of the good things I\u2019ve been able to recognize is that every situation is what you make it. You can make it dreadful, or you can make it enjoyable. I try to make the most of any situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h6>Written by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/profiles\/berthija\/\">Judy Berthiaume<\/a><\/h6>\n<h6>Video by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/profiles\/yangjess\/\">Jesse Yang<\/a><\/h6>\n<p>Original story: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/news\/news\/blugold-still-swinging-for-the-fences-after-spinal-cord-injury-changed-his-life-5026\/\">https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/news\/news\/blugold-still-swinging-for-the-fences-after-spinal-cord-injury-changed-his-life-5026\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zach Caterer grew up playing baseball, so he knows that if a pitcher throws you a curveball, you must adjust your swing if you want to hit a home run. Four years after life threw him a curveball he never saw coming, Caterer still is making adjustments and swinging for the fences. The University of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":7688,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[96],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-7673","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-eau-claire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/7673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=7673"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=7673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}