4 replies to this topic

[legselevenses]

Hey all, This is my first time here and first time posting so I hope its ok!
My name is Susie, Im 27 and when I was 22 I had a neurofribroma on my spinal cord - it took ages for the doctors to diagnose it and as a resulty by the time i had surgery my cord was so swollen I woke up paralysed. Over the years, i have been so very lucky as I have regained almost full function, though my legs are quite weak... I like to think im like bambi!

However, I find in the last 2 years especially, i get ill quite easily and sometimes my body shakes, I feel nauseous a lot and get upset stomach and generally feel flu-ey and unwell - but it is more of a persistent symptom than an actual virus or bug. I wondered if anyone else had that? Is it normal? I just dont know what the 'norm' is with spinal injuries.

ANY help or advice would be so appreciated. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired as they say ;)

x

[dom]

Hi and welcome,you will get plenty of info here,i noticed you put paraparesis on the profile i too have been told this by docs but i have bladder bowel probs too and was in a sci hospital after my accident i have read the definition is 'a weakness of members [legs/arms/] but when i read of walking quads etc can't quite 'get' the definition

[Tetracyclone]

dom, on 22 July 2011 - 09:54 PM, said:

Hi and welcome,you will get plenty of info here,i noticed you put paraparesis on the profile i too have been told this by docs but i have bladder bowel probs too and was in a sci hospital after my accident i have read the definition is 'a weakness of members [legs/arms/] but when i read of walking quads etc can't quite 'get' the definition

Dom-
The definition is accurate when you see that most of us "walking-quads" walk badly, weakly, or at least considerably weaker than before the injury.

[wheeliebear75]

A "walking quad" would be much like a "walking para" except that their arms would be weakened like their legs are. I'm a "walking para" although it's more like chair 90-95%/10-5% crutches. Yup my records also say paraparesis & "gross bilateral neurological deficit".....a bunch of fancy words for PARTIALLY PARALYZED. Welcome to the gray dingy (everyone thinks of SCI as black & white/all or nothing) traversing a sea of together. J/K! But in all seriousness we do help each-other through a lot of this crip crap we get dealt, sometimes by the shovel full. I'm not sure that there is any ONE "normal" for us....some of us seem to have little to no issues with OVERALL health while some of end up fighting infection after infection etc. What I have found through this site is that (#1) I'm NOT "the only one" who fell into that gray zone of not being 100% recovered but not a complete injury either (#2) when I get to feeling down in the dumps cuz of not feeling GOOD, I know that someone has been in that same boat & either posted to that effect or if I make a post that someone will be along to remind me I'm not the only one suffering (#3) probably MOST importantly.....LIFE does go on, with or without me, so I may as well join in on what bits I can....enjoying those moments & try to not dwell on those things I do miss out on.

Welcome to the forum!

[Harry3082]

I'm a c4 c5 quad who went through physical rehab right after my injury with a room mate in rehab that was classified a c4 c5 same as me, injured only weeks apart. One Full year after our injuries he regained some movement in one leg, then the other a month or so later. He shot back to rehab and put ALOT more into his therapy then anyone I've seen. He eventually could walk about 200 feet, struggling, straiing the whole way! After his 200 foot walk, he would be wiped out! Sleeping a couple hours from the walk. Two years later Bob was like someone not paralyzed, but more like a person with very weak muscles. He drives a car using his left leg, being it's stronger. Regained Bowel and Bladder control, almost completely!
Weirdest thing I've seen as far as SCI.
Jimmy D