11 replies to this topic

[tyus]

I fell whem a ladder slipped out from under me about 16 feet..my spine imploded.i had a fusion done.i have hardware from t12 to l2.looks like a ladder in my back.2 rods 4 plates and 8 screws in my back/spine.what is the recovery time in this injury.i wont be able to work.the doctors said the metal will never come out of my back...does any1 have any info or have had this done and could relate to my injury?i really could use some help and info to help me through this.i also have screws in my wrist due to i broke both wrist and my back with this fall.. im on 3 different medicines percocet soma tramadol..i dont eat much and i have lost 20 pounds since 111-4-10..i would be grateful for all the info and support i can get at this time..thanks

[D. Smith]

Due to my motorcycle wreck, I'm having T10-T11 fusion going on. I know its not as large of a fusion, but I too have rods and screws in my back. I lost 35 pounds since end of April 2010. I'm no longer on any pain meds, but it took time to get off of them. I can definitely relate.

[airart1]

yep, been there done that, went thru 24 months of therapy, but u should heal pretty quick or i did, but i was young then also, but never got my function back enough to walk......hang in there and do therapy as long as u can........i was back working before they let me out of the hospital on weekends........hurt but i had families and stores to run and feed.......

[Kwag_Myers]

tyus, on 20 January 2011 - 12:26 AM, said:

I fell whem a ladder slipped out from under me...

Yeah, that's what got me, too. I lost about the same amount of weight, but three years later I've found it, and your 20 as well.

Doctors tend to be pessimistic about what you can and can't do. Just wait it out and see what happens, and enjoy the little successes. There's a member in here (can't remember his name, or maybe the father of someone) who was back working construction within a year. Seems to me he had a T12 incomplete. Also, one of the truck drivers on American Loggers suffered a burst fracture. He walks like I do (like a penguin, according to my granddaughter), and he still drives a logging truck. What kind of work do you do?

As for me, I have an office job, so going back to work wasn't much of an issue.

If I'm reading the date right, it's been about two months for you since your injury. That's about the time things really start to change for most people as the swelling goes down. You really won't know for a while yet. No two injuries are the same. When things get bad, take two tramadol and put on some Hendrix!

[T11WALKER]

Tyus,

Hang in there! I had a similiar ladder accident and have been walking the last 2 yrs, every injury is different! In my humble opinion about the only things you can control is how hard you work at your rehab and your attitude.

Steve

[harleyrider11488]

i broke or burst my t6 in a motorcycle accident july 09. im getting some sensation back and dr says i have a chance of walking again. i put a small bruise on my cord, no cuts. its beem 19 months today and i pray everyday to be able to walk someday. i have two titanium rods and had a bone fusion too. brian

[tyus]

thanks every1 for the info.im doing alot better now.just limited to what i can do.i did walk the day after it happened.doctors dont know what to think of me.he said he has never seen this kind of injury before.he calls me his miracle child.havent started rehab yet.willl soon though.but i push myself everyday.sometimes a lil too far.but i cant let it consume me so i work even harder at what i do to recover.now they even put me on a sleeping pill to aid me with my sleep.i hope you all recover greatly..thanks alot,

[Giddy Up T12]

tyus, on 20 January 2011 - 12:26 AM, said:

I fell whem a ladder slipped out from under me about 16 feet..my spine imploded.i had a fusion done.i have hardware from t12 to l2.looks like a ladder in my back.2 rods 4 plates and 8 screws in my back/spine.what is the recovery time in this injury.i wont be able to work.the doctors said the metal will never come out of my back...does any1 have any info or have had this done and could relate to my injury?i really could use some help and info to help me through this.i also have screws in my wrist due to i broke both wrist and my back with this fall.. im on 3 different medicines percocet soma tramadol..i dont eat much and i have lost 20 pounds since 111-4-10..i would be grateful for all the info and support i can get at this time..thanks

Hi, I had a similar injury in Jan of this year when I fell off a horse that spooked. All my hardware is the same. I am 11 weeks out and hoping to get the brace off next week. I am off the pain meds, but have nerve pain in both feet. I am on Gabapentin which helps and take pain meds and amitryptolene if needed for sleep. I do PT and did return to work after 7 weeks. I do office work so not a huge issue, but it is still hard as it made my feet hurt worse. Make sure that you do PT and get exercises to do at home. I have done them religiously since leaving the hospital and I continue to improve each week. Hang in there.

[alexandra]

tyus, on 20 January 2011 - 12:26 AM, said:

I fell whem a ladder slipped out from under me about 16 feet..my spine imploded.i had a fusion done.i have hardware from t12 to l2.looks like a ladder in my back.2 rods 4 plates and 8 screws in my back/spine.what is the recovery time in this injury.i wont be able to work.the doctors said the metal will never come out of my back...does any1 have any info or have had this done and could relate to my injury?i really could use some help and info to help me through this.i also have screws in my wrist due to i broke both wrist and my back with this fall.. im on 3 different medicines percocet soma tramadol..i dont eat much and i have lost 20 pounds since 111-4-10..i would be grateful for all the info and support i can get at this time..thanks

Dear Newbie,
you sound like me. A horse threw me and broke t 10, smashed spinal cord. I have just had my 3rd surgery since the accident occurred in October. It seems that my bones are not knitting back together, thus i keep pulling out my hardware. i just had the fusion 2 weeks ago, and am at home. I have pain every day, but it seems that medication doesn't help all the pain, and worse, it seems like doctors want to take you off of it like you are a druggie or something. anyway, please know that you have a friend. did you go to a rehab place?

[mellowgator]

T11WALKER, on 25 January 2011 - 07:04 PM, said:

Tyus,

Hang in there! I had a similiar ladder accident and have been walking the last 2 yrs, every injury is different! In my humble opinion about the only things you can control is how hard you work at your rehab and your attitude.

Steve

love you attitude! i repped you.


mellowgator

[BizyB]

My 15 year old son had a burst fracture of T12, a fracture of L2, and damage to the corda equina from a fall from a fence. He has a cage implant at T12 and is fused T10-L4. He takes 1800mg of gabapentin a day for neuropathic pain. Every recovery is different, I hope yours is quick and all you hope for. Due to amazing surgeons, EMTs, and healthcare providers he returned to school 3 months after the accident. He can walk with a cane and is planning to go to a local college. He will probably need a hand controlled car, but we are grateful for all the progress he has made. The biggest gains came in the first three months in the hospital and in rehab, but now, 15 months later, he is still getting some more small movement in his feet. We were told that the nerves can continue to improve for two years after the trauma. Good luck, cling to the possibility of a positive outcome, a positive mindset truly helps.

[Ginny]

I have hardware too, at the L1 and L5 levels due to a tree falling on me. It's been 16 months since my injury. I've been back to work for 7 months, drive my car like normal and walk with hiking poles, mostly because of balance problems. It sounds as if you're off to a great start with your recovery. Work at it, but rest at it, too. Your body needs to heal after something as traumatic as your fall and that is just as good for you as working to recover. I'm still in the healing process even after this much time. Give yourself the time you need to recover fully and do what you can in the meantime. I'm happy to hear that things are going so well for you this far!