4 replies to this topic

[wifeofc456incom]

I'm new here so I'm a bit nervous. Anyway, if you don't mind reading, I'd like to give a little bit of my background.

My fiance had a mva, breaking his neck in the process. He suffered a c456 incomplete injury. I'm still learning about sci's, but knowledge is power, right?

Anyways. I never knew him back then but from what he's told me, he basically just wanted to die and attempted it a few times. He's had numerous surgeries from removing a fluid pocket in his neck to removing kidney stones to repairing pressure sores and the list goes on. Shortly after his accident, after months of rehab, the doctors discovered that his left hip joint was shattered. They removed the ball of his hip and about 5 inches of his femur and somehow stuck his now shortened leg to his pelvis somehow.

Anyway, sorry for going all over the place here. I have so many questions.

I met him a little over a year ago in the hospital while I was a Health Care Aide there. We started out as friends as I was already in a relationship, but we just kept getting closer and closer until we realized that we were soulmates.

The reason that he was in the hospital was that there were not enough workers to help him to live on his own. Well I got the ball rolling and we are now living out on the farm with my daughter and 5 dogs and two horses and a cat. I look after him 24/7 and to me, it's an honor to have him choose me to be able to give him the independence that he's been looking for ever since his accident. Things are going great for the most part, but lately he's been having to go into the hospital by ambulance sometimes weekly due to uncontrollable pain.

One dr that saw him was inadvertently suggesting that perhaps, some of the nerves in his body may be repairing themselves. My fiance's father had told me that in the beginning, there was a dr that said that this might happen and that it was going to hurt like a sonofagun. How much of a possibility could this be?

I want so bad for my fiance to be able to live as full of a life as he possibly could. We both love the outdoors, but he chooses to stay in the house in a recliner chair to make sure that his pressure ulcer (on left buttock) doesn't get worse. I would love for his left hip joint to be repaird so that there wouldn't be the tendency for pressure sores on that side, but his sc dr said that it would never happen because he has osteoporosis and that he isn't weight bearing.

Isn't your lower half weight bearing when it has to hold up your upper body? He can move his arms and can pull, but can't push away and has no wrist or finger control. I don't know if he'll ever walk again and I could care less if he could or couldn't but my wish for him would be to have very little pain and to be able to use his upper body a bit more.

He was 16 years old, 6'2" and weighed 190 lbs when he had his accident. He was a big boy (still is) and was proud of his upper body. I could care less what he looks like, I fell in love with him at his lowest, but I know he would feel better about himself if he could have his upper body.

Any advice from someone would be appreciated and I apologize for all of my rambling. I just have so many questions that need answering.

[Smileyblue]

Firstly, welcome to the site! ;-) You will find your answers here as many of us have!

Secondly, as far as weight bearing goes, your hips aren't bearing weight when you're sitting, as weight bearing is considered to be pressure from both ends, thus from the leg side and from the abdomen side.. While sitting, the pressure is from the buttocks side and from the abdomen side.. If possible (and only with your doctors approval as I don't know how far the osteoporosis has progressed) try to get him a standing frame.. If you can't afford one, some physiotherapists or gyms have them.. There are also medications available to him..

He is quite right to want to keep weight off his pressure sore! That is crucial to its healing.. Allow him to heal first before you venture to the outdoors you both love so much.. And the more he keeps weight off the sore, the sooner he will heal.. ;-) Pressure sores as you may well know, are no minor thing to us paras and quads and left untreated are life threatening..

I'm a complete para myself, but have quite a few friends from rehab days that are incomplete, and from what they've told me the "nerves repairing themselves" could well be that terrible pain he is experiencing. Here I have no experience, but I'm sure someone who does will be along shortly to help you out..

Hang around, read the archives using the search function, and I'm sure you'll find many of the answers you're looking for.. People on here are always willing to help and you will soon find whatever answers you need..

Good luck to ya.. ;-)

[McTavish]

Wellcome, I don,t have any answers for your questions but I just have to say that you sound like a lovely person and I am happy that the two of you have one another. You will get lots of help on this site and you will wonder how you ever survived without it.Take care.

[Tetracyclone]

Smileyblue, on 04 February 2011 - 01:55 PM, said:

as far as weight bearing goes, your hips aren't bearing weight when you're sitting, as weight bearing is considered to be pressure from both ends, thus from the leg side and from the abdomen side.. While sitting, the pressure is from the buttocks side and from the abdomen side..

This is misleading, I think. It is true IF the hips are equal, and your man's are not. If on one side the greater trochanter aligns differently there will be a sag in the weight distribution such that more weight will sag to one side. I would ask if something might be done with a custom designed cushion so that he might sit up longer and more safely. Meanwhile, he should stay off the wounded side completely.

I have one hip that is twisted in the socket and most weight sags to that side.

Welcome, and good luck to both of you.

[Illinois Boy]

Welcome too,
I lost my right leg in 2005 to Osteomyelitis in my pelvis, but before that
I also had my hip socket and 6 inches of my femur removed for the same reason, but I don't think they attached
his femur to his pelvis ...

Sitting was and still is no problem, even though I lean sometimes to the right [I have a 2 sided Roho]...

Pain could be the start of a bone infection...... I had my sciatic nerve snipped in
my right leg before I lost it because of muscle spasms...

Man, living in the country is great for SCI therapy.... And no noisy ass neighbors to deal with....

Good Luck to you both.....
Jim