Well, I know people who have a SCI have significantly shorter life spans do to several factors, but as a lot of you may know several people who had a SCI (I do not) that may have passed away, how old were they? What was the oldest age? The youngest?

My mother-in-law recently passed away and now I cannot thinking about how much time I have left. I am about to turn 35. What are things we can do to prolong our lives? What things shouldn't we do? What factors attribute to our short lives?

Obsessed lately!

Actually, life expectancy is only dramatically reduced for SCI patients that are ventilator dependent, due to the complications that arise from it.


Aside from that, the other factor that has a lot to due with reduced life expectancy is infection. Catheters are a portal for infection, as is a pressure sore. They can both eventually lead to sepsis, and death.

Another problem is blood clot due to inactive lower extremities. DVT's are extremely likely for the immobile.

Obviously everything that applies to able bodied people in regards to a healthy long life is true for us. Don't smoke, Don't drink excessively, Try to exercise atleast a bit, etc etc.

The best way to lead a long prosperous life is to not skimp on health today. Make sure you get a routine checkup, make sure you avoid pressure sores any way you can, make sure you use STERILE technique as much as you can in regards to catheters. You may not be able to avoid the inevitable bone density loss, but proactive movements towards the avoidance of pressure sores and regular range-of-motion in order to promote circulation will in the long run promote a healthier life, and a hopefully more healthy and pain free old age.

Where did you learn that,,, or is it assumed? I was told that that was not the case,, at least, not significantly. Maybe it was me that was misinformed.

Either way, statistics mean very little when talking about an individual ( you). You could be hit by a bus tommorrow,,, or be hit by a piece of blue ice,,, any one of a thousand other things could make the accuarial tables wrong.

Like the song says "Don't worry,, be happy",,, and eat dessert first, just in case.
ed

Since my spouse was injured 6 months ago I have been asking the same question about him. I looked up all the statistics and stuff - and I would get so depressed about it all. I realized that perhaps our time together may be shorter than I expeceted (who really knows for sure) but that I would hate to spend it worried all the time. I decided to let it go.

I have read that since the treatments for SCI are more effective and administered much quicker then in the past - the life expectancy is sort of "unknown" because most statistics are based on "old info".

I hope this is true but in the mean time if anything were to happen to my Paul I will feel much better knowing that we spent our time happy.

I've known three quads who have died young. A friend named John, a C-6, gained a bit too much weight and was stressfully working to start an internet business and had a heart attack about 7-8 years after his injury, he was about 26-27. An acquaintance named Matt, a C 3/4 I think, died about 10 years ago (not sure what from) and he was about 30 or so. And a guy I went to school with named Sam, C 6/7 or so, OD'ed a year or two after his injury; he was about 22 I think. I'm 37 and have been injured for nearly 19 years, and for the most part, am pretty healthy.

At one time I was told 20 years after injury on average but I doubt the statistics were new and they didn't specify if the cause of death was SCI related or not. Neither of the two other guys in rehab with me in '92 lasted five years but one was old, in poor health and had a heart attack and the other died from leukemia but the vast majority of SCIs that I know personally are 20-30 years post injury and going strong. If you think about it though, there really aren't that many things directly related to SCI that can't be treated or avoided completely.

Theres no reason why your life expectancy wont be the same as an able bod. unless u trying everything possible to not make it.

Due to a birth injury, my husband has been a quad his whole life, so.... 28 years. He is in relatively good health and other than having to have a few surgeries on his spine, he's expected to live a long, healthy life (however long that might be).

I agree with hikkakaru in assuming that the life expectancy for an sci is similar to that of an ab. I don't think that there are good statistics at all in regards to the le of an sci, because there are too many variables. You just have to live your liFe in the most healthy way that you can, avoid injuries and infections and most of all.......

DON'T STRESS THE SMALL STUFF AND BE HAPPY!!! =)

Hi edlee,

It is statistically true. As you said though, most should not be worried as much with statistics as they should their own well being.

One of the reasons that our statistics plummet after injury is suicide and depression 6-12 months post injury.

Here is a few documents that everyone in this thread might find useful.

The first is 'Recent trends in mortality and causes of death among people with spinal cord injury' by Michael J DeVivo (http://www.apparelyzed.com/articles/Life-E...les/devivo3.pdf)

The other is relating to the statistical probability of suicide after spinal cord injury

'Spinal cord injuries and attempted suicide: a retrospective review' by P. Kennedy (http://www.nature.com/sc/journal/v37/n12/pdf/3100932a.pdf)

Hope these documents help clear some questions for you.

Sam

Here's a breakdown of my SCI friends and acquaintances . . .

Nev . . . male, para, SCI'd at 19, died 65+
Geo . . . male, para, SCI'd at 45+, died 70+
Rus . . . male, quad, SCI'd at 20, now 45+
Hei . . . female, para, SCI'd at 22, now 45+
Ros . . . female, para, SCI'd at 15, now 45+
Gra . . . male, quad, SCI'd at 30, now 55+
Dan . . . male, para, SCI'd at 13, now55+
Joh . . . male, quad, SCI’d at 19, now 55+
Ann . . . female, para, SCI’d at 40+, now 75+

Added to these folk are a number of others who have CP and MD, all contracted young, and who are all now 45+, having spent most of those years permanently in a wheelchair.

None of these people lead particularly healthy lives . . . many of them smoke, and/or drink, and do little formal exercise. All are, however, active. They work, socialise, network, play sport (some anyway) and generally get on with their lives.

Due to the fact that my paralysis was not from an accident but from Progressive MS, I have had this same battle in my mind. What made MS pick that I should be paralyzed from my waist down and not my neck down? What about if it takes my voice or my ability to breath tomorrow morning when I wake up, since I literally woke up paralyzed? Since this is a progressive disease, when will the next "progression" occur and what will it be? The thing I have learned, is that I have no control over the tomorrow's but I do have control over today. If worse things happen, then I will deal with it when it happens. My grandma always said "Honey, don't live through things twice." There is wisdom in that. If I spend all my today's worrying about all of my tomorrow's, then I have wasted my today's. I am thankful that I am where I am at, because I know that it could be a lot worse and there are people on here that it is a lot worse for, so I am thankful. I also will NOT let my brain go into these "thinking pits" because it only leads to fear or to self-pity and neither one of those are healthy emotionally. So, brainwash yourself with good thoughts and don't let your mind wander into these places. Take one day at a time and live it like it could be your last, because none of us know what a day brings forth. I know God has helped me and He will help you too if you want Him too.

Statistical data on spinal injuries is still in it's infancy so any research on life expectancy is frail and mostly speculative.

Reliable stats only began with the American veterans from the Vietnam War 34 years ago. Those vets and many of us are the first generation of older people with spinal injuries to be statistically significant.

We're all going to die and we're all going to do it in our own unique time. Those articles suggested by Hikkakaru are about as good as info as you're currently going to find and give good indications that a reasonable life expectancy is realistic. Hilton's examples also support that.

I became SCI in 1970. I'm 61 next week, in good health and will be most appreciative if I get to 70. That gives me maybe nine years to do all I have to do in this life. I aint gonna muck about wasting time with worry. I've got important things to do, like sitting in the beautiful warm sun and saying hi to my neighbour; watching kids play; watching my own adult-kid grow; writing rubbish with relish; singing badly to the radio........

Live your life well. Eat well, be good to your body, be careful about following sterile procedure if you have to cath. Wash your hands before you eat if you've touched your wheels.

Above all, look at what you have and what you can do, and don't let stress and worry take away the joy in everyday life.

Wash your hands before you eat if you've touched your wheels - this is the one good advice you must pay attention to! - forgetting this will lead to a drastic shortening of you lifes length

I learned this one the three-days-in-the-bathroom-literally-starting-to-think-I-should-just-sleep-naked-in-the-bath-oh-lord-it-hurts hard way. Now I carry a tube of hand sanitizer and some wet wipes everywhere I go. Admittedly, I have a particularly crappy (no pun intended) immune system.

I am a great believer in:
When you are born you are giving a date to die..... simple as that & to support this how many SCI's should'nt be here, how many pulled through despite the odds.

The only guarantee we all have in life is one day we are going to die, so enjoy it while it lasts.

I'm starting to love this thread

Perhaps that's why you have a poor immune system.
You're not allowing your body to build one up.

It's a fair point that people who take a lot of antibiotics and use a lot of disinfectants can have weaker immune systems, because they don't get exposed to small quantities of germs, so their bodies don't build up an immunity. That's particularly the case with children who are over-protected.

However, that's not the case with me. My immune system is actually crap. I have a hereditary immune disorder that means my body cannot recognize certain strains of bacteria, and doesn't produce antibodies. There's not a lot I can do to build it up through exposure, but I can help it by being proactive with my diet and a little above the average level of clean with my surroundings.

From eMedicine "Rehabilitation of Persons With Spinal Cord Injuries"

"The life expectancy of those who survive SCI long enough to reach a hospital has improved over the past decades, although it is below normal. The 18-year cumulative survival for those treated at a Model System is 75%, compared to 92% for the general population. Persons sustaining paraplegia at age 20 years have an average subsequent life expectancy of 44 years, compared to 57 years for the general population. Mortality following SCI is highest in the first year after injury, after which, rates decline. ... The leading cause of death at present is pneumonia, and the risk for a person with SCI far exceeds that for the general population. Nonischemic heart disease ranks second, and sepsis is third."

This information is the result of 18 year SCI Model Systems longitudinal studies. This information is clearly non-specific to level of injury.

Take from this study what you want. Currently you may be part of the study but not part of the current outcome.

To be honest I'm always forgetting to wash my hands. On the otherhand I'm rarely ill (maybe once a year at most), and even then it won't last 24 hours.
I put it down to all the dirt I used to eat as a kid ;-)

judging from the attached article we can all improve our chances by joining Nomis and co in New Zealand [assuming that they will let us in].

They have some sort of points system for immigration, and it seems that there is plenty of space there, but aside from the way they play Rugby football it sounds a bit quiet.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/0...l-peace-ranking

Our statistical data for our life expectancy has much improved. Enjoy your life, live it to the full, keep yourself healthy in body and in mind. Keep you body as stress free as possible!! You could die in so many other ways, its not really worth thinking about! Think about living, and enjoy living!

OK bobm, you can come. But we want to keep the peace so no one else is allowed in unless they can prove they won't die. All this dying creates a bad impression and disturbs the peace.
Piece of Peace brother.

I'm so very thankful that you are "pretty healthy"...this means more time for us to spend together! :-) Love you baby!

My life span has been significantly reduced... all this god damn booze, and pills, and pot... Hmmm I guess really its all the way you live your life when it comes down to it.... BANg BANG.

Thanks for all the info and thoughts you provided. Hilton's list made me feel more at ease. I really just do not know any other people with a SCI. I am pretty sheltered in that respect. I could list on my ten fingers how many I have seen in the Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada area in the last 4 years. Anyway, I am thankful for this site. I have a beautiful wife I need to start loving properly and try to be positive and have a better outlook on life. It is just hard. I am a teacher and having my summers off seem like a prison sentence. How does this sound, I stopped contributing to my retirement because I cannot touch the money until I am 59. I love my job, but you lose the goals you had before. Before I was 55 and retired and with all these thoughts of what I would do then. I know I need to still believe and if something happens it happens just like a non SCI.

Peace.

TD

I BROKE MY NECK C5/6 COMPLETE WHEEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD 3 DOCTORS TOLD THE COURTS I WOULD LIVE ONLY 20 YEARS. I WAS 50 THIS YEAR, SO THEY WERE WAY OUT. SO I THINK I HAVE A FEW MORE DECADES TO GO.

omg so I aquired my wheels at 19 that means i hav a year

but me doc when injured said i'd probably make it to 50 so that gives me 8 year

but the there is the possibility that if I dont get the shed sorted like i've been told by the other half I may even less time than that

I live me life I wake up n find thats a pretty good start to the day, check the Obituaries and if I'm not in there I hav at least another week till the next lot come out
seems to hav worked so far

have fun u all

What date were you given CR? I hope it isn't today otherwise I'm wasting my time writing this...

How long have we got?....... How long is a piece of string?

Over 50 years for me, and at the moment it feels like 150. I hope I'm still here to drink to Nomis's health on his birthday; I might even buy some NZ Red for the occasion...

Hi I am 6 years post injury and just eat and sleep and don't exercise so I think I will die faster due to sendentary life?

Not sure Scribb’s, probably got it on a card somewhere but I’ll try & miss that appointment.
I’ll tell the all mighty I’ve got to do my BP on that day & if he works like the NHS I may get a new appointment 6 -12 months later