hey.
someone at school today said that if your paralyzed then you dont live as long as other people do.
im really concerned if this is actually true as i have never thought of it before.
i might just be making a big deal out of nothing.

maisy.
x



sorry didnt realize it had already been covered in a differnt thread.
sorry

I wouldn't take that to mean "You WILL die SOONER". More like there are a few more strikes against us. Yes we due need to be extremely cautious about sores or abrasions of any sort, & UTI's........but all in all we can outlive our Dr.s, it depends mostly on how well you take care of yourself. If you can avoid any MAJOR UTI's, or getting any infected pressure sores, you should live to be about as old as you would have otherwise. Hope this helps put your mind at ease some.

yea thats exactly what the doctors told me when i was in hospital and asked, they just said you will live aslong as you would have before, so long as you take care of yourself

If you look after you skin & drink plenty fluid (stave away UTI's) maintain a reasonably healty lifestyle, keep yr kidneys checked every year (when your older) so all problems are spotted 'before' they are problems + a few other things you'l learn along the way your life span will be close to what ever it would of been before your injury....we are technically expected to have lifespans 5-15 years shorter than average (80 yrs) due to being classed as having bodies with a sedentary lifestlye (basically the same as a really lazy uninjured person) however evidence shows people who do no exercise and are overweight are living just as long as others so its more a best guess by Dr.s I think Bottom line you'l have a long healthy life if you look after yourself & if your friends are saying your lifespan will be short tell them "they are wrong, however thiers will be if they keep sayin it" ;O)

Keep smiling :O)

Mike

I don't know how long I would have lived if I had not got myself paraplyzed, so how can I compare?
Also, I don't know when I'm going to die. Aint happened yet. There's no hurry.
Like every other person in the world I live in the moment.

Some words of advice . . .
- become more selective about whom you listen to at school,
- don't be concerned, even if it was true there is nothing you can do about it,
- you are making a big deal out of nothing, rather focus on living instead
(and loving, and playing, and learning, and working).

Keep yourself healthy, in the same manner as you would (should) if you were able-bodied.
Eat healthily, exercise, avoid excessive alcohol/drugs/medication . . . but more importantly,
keep a healthy, active, independent and clear thinking mind.

This used to be true before they knew how to take care of us properly. Like others have said, look after yourself especially your kidneys and skin. Keep having regular checkups and you'll live till you die

Didn't we just do this thread a while ago?

Maisy, don't let people at school get to you with their "statistics". The others before me have given great advice on the subject. Listen to those wiser minds.

All the best,
Derek

[quote name='maisy1996' date='Jun 18 2009, 05:30 PM' post='115461']
hey.
someone at school today said that if your paralyzed then you dont live as long as other people do.
im really concerned if this is actually true as i have never thought of it before.
i might just be making a big deal out of nothing.

maisy.
x

I have a great deal of knowledge regarding SCI life expectancy. Based on the info and experience to date, the most accurate response is that, "with optimal care, you have good potential for at least reaching a normal life expectancy for your gender/race/age group." I 1940,it would have been about 3 years. By the 1960s, estimates were in the 20s, and with medical advancements, it has continually moved upward. All published statistics are outdated because they were based on earlier "medical eras."

In closing, I will share with you that I am 71 years old and 55 yeas post injury, and still going strong.
Bob C

Don't believe everything you hear Maisy, even Adults give you wrong information.

I've been injured over 50 years and still going strong, although my batteries feel like they're running down sometimes...

Listen to 'Wise Nomis', just live one day at a time and try to enjoy it.

People are more likely to die early from smoking or drinking too much or we could just not wake up one morning.

No one knows when their time will come; your's could have been in the accident but wasn't.

Everyone worries about things, even me so you're certainly not making a big deal out of things.

I hope you have a happy and fulfilled life Maisy, so take care.

Mike

there are statistics, u can google and it will tell u if your that considered about it, i figure its out of my hands, i'll go when its time, sure how u live will determine the length and quality, that'd be a fact.............

Wow Scribs,
Bob's giving you a run for your money!!

Welcome Bob C, and post often!!!

Maisy,
What the hell kind of people are you hanging out with at school anyway?
If they smoke, they're in a whole other group of shorter lifer's than us . . . . that's for certain.

a friend died recently at 87-37 years post injury.

My healthy and quite fit father died at 70 of a fatal heart attack.

I think it's all down to lifestyle choices and how you look after yourself post injury. My dad was a fairly heavy drinker ( about 4-5 pints and a few shorts a night)and had prebiously been a smoker.