25 replies to this topic

[Vicky17]

Hi, has anyone who has been diagnosed with a complete injury ever regained any movement/sensation below there injury level? Is it something we should get out of our head or is it possible? Thank you

[Trinity]

I think it depends how far down the line you are. It seems initially that many people who are initially diagnosed as complete go onto be become incomplete as the swelling on the spinal cord goes down and physio and rehab kicks in.

If you are a few years down the line then I think it's fairly unlikely to go from complete to incomplete but there will always be those who do

[M@Y]

I was diagnosed as a C-5 complete injury, it has been 4 years since my accident and the only feeling that I've regained is a little bit in my left hand. Everyone's injury and recovery is different though

[BillS]

Technically I think this question should really be for the incompletes. The completes are people who didn't get back anything. There may be incompletes out there who were diagnosed as completes to begin with who then gained back some feeling/movement.

I'm one of those completes who did not get anything at all back. Everyone's injury is different but mine is such that no signals get past the injury level. With a severing of the spinal cord or enough damage the complete injury will not change to an incomplete. If the spinal cord is not severed or the injury isn't too bad then maybe some feeling/movement can return over time. But really it is something that can't be predicted.

[Vanessamaee]

Im a complete, 4 months post injury, and I have regained no sensation. :/ but I am able to slightly contract the very top part of my ab, like right underneath my breasts... so I guess thats something. lol Still a complete though.

[LeviM]

I was diagnosed as a C7-C8 complete but after a few months I regained some sensation around T1 changing my diagnosis to C7-C8 incomplete.

[KK*]

I am also a complete but T-8(9ish). I have not regained motor or sensory functions nor do I expect to since it was a year in July. That was the very first thing I asked my Neurosurgeon when I arrived at Touro Rehab. I need to know one thing, excluding any sort of divine intervention or any thing associated with aliens, will I walk again? He started with the "Well, you nrver know...." BS and I cut him off and said YES , NO or I DON'T KNOW are the only acceptable answers.

Without a second thought, he said no you will never gain any motor or sensory skills. Therefore, no, you will never walk on your own again My spinal cord was cut from shards of bone from my burst fractures amongst other medical terms I can not pronounce much less try to spell. I thanked him and asked for 5 min alone please. They all left, I processed what I had just heard, then I catagorized it. From that day forward I keep telling myself, nowhere but up from here.
KK

[tomsov]

One year t12 complete. Honestly you probably won't gain anything major back. Each instance is completely different. my recommendation is to have hope but don't depend on it. Modern medicine really is the only hope that most of us have to get back what we lost. My suggestion is to do what ever you are capable of doing. listen to the therapist. They said that if i was going to gain anything back it would happen within one year. but rehab and strength training will promote regrowth. do what you need to do to adapt. don't dwell on what you lost rather what you have been able to conquer in the chair. the only thing that i was able to regain was a little bit of hip flexion. but not strong enough to do anything with. good luck

[snowqueeneh]

My husband is C5-6 complete. It's been 3 years and he has not regained anything beyond his level. We both hoped for something during the first year, and he worked really hard for it. When it comes down to it... if it's false hope it will only delay reality. I see no harm in that. You only get one start so make the best of it. What will be will be.

Edited by snowqueeneh, 13 September 2011 - 07:24 AM.

[justinw]

I'm a complete t9. It's been 5 years since my wreck. My legs or still dead as a doorknob. lol

[nomis]

justinw, on 11 November 2011 - 08:31 AM, said:

I'm a complete t9. It's been 5 years since my wreck. My legs or still dead as a doorknob. lol

Nope. I've never seen a doornob bleed and only rarely spasm. Your leg is as alive as ever it's only lost direct attachment to your brain. Doornobs do not make good legs, even cosmetically.

[Beautiful]

It's been 16 years since my accident. Was diagnosed complete. For the first 14, no change. They would test to see if my feet would get a signal and send it back up, but it never did. Then I had a scheduled back surgery. Did the test again. My feet sent the signal back up since then I've gotten some feeling in my thigh, and recently I've been able to move them a bit.

Never give up hope. Never let other people's stories bring you down. Every case is different. Stay positive.

[pjcstoke]

I'm T6 complete but have got back control of various core muscles as well as abductors through the right sort of exercise. Everyone is different and will have different outcomes but best if you do something as sitting and waiting will do nothing

[MrBump]

I've got a mate, c6c for 12 years, who can now almost stand up independently after putting in time at PW.
But he's spent a shitload of time and money there, and I mean a shitload.....
All comes down to exercise, whatever it is.....
I do plenty of boxing, and I've noticed quite a difference in my core, I still have the belly, but deep down there's a lot of stuff goin on I reckon....

Eat, drink well, and exercise and stay fit and you'll never know what will happen ???
More will happen that way than sittin in front of a tele

[Vanessamaee]

Everyones injuries are different, doctors dont even know whats going to happen. SCI is a weird thing no one can really predict

Edited by Vanessamaee, 13 November 2011 - 10:32 PM.

[KK*]

Why is Trinity in red?

[greybeard]

KK*, on 13 November 2011 - 10:43 PM, said:

Why is Trinity in red?

Trinity is a Moderator. Note the capitol letter (I'm grovelling!)

[pistol_pete]

greybeard, on 13 November 2011 - 11:00 PM, said:

KK*, on 13 November 2011 - 10:43 PM, said:

Why is Trinity in red?

Trinity is a Moderator. Note the capitol letter (I'm grovelling!)

Together, she and Simon form the "Mod Squad".
Do not mess with the Mod Squad.

[Tetracyclone]

Beautiful, on 11 November 2011 - 09:48 AM, said:

It's been 16 years since my accident. Was diagnosed complete. For the first 14, no change. They would test to see if my feet would get a signal and send it back up, but it never did. Then I had a scheduled back surgery. Did the test again. My feet sent the signal back up since then I've gotten some feeling in my thigh, and recently I've been able to move them a bit.

Never give up hope. Never let other people's stories bring you down. Every case is different. Stay positive.

Beautiful, Your recent gains are very instructive. It must be a brave new world for you.

[Ewilson055]

I am a C5/6 complete with my spinal cord partially severed. And I have hope...I went to University of Michigan for rehab. Google Brock Mealer. His spine is partially severed. He is the bomb!

[Raspberry]

It could be psychosomatic, but I swear my right foot still tingles after every cigarette...just like it always used to.

[Wheels08]

C6/7 three years after injury and I am getting a little movement in my left fingers. Like it has been said, never give up! I will keep praying!

[T A]

Vicky17, on 11 September 2011 - 10:01 AM, said:

Hi, has anyone who has been diagnosed with a complete injury ever regained any movement/sensation below there injury level? Is it something we should get out of our head or is it possible? Thank you

Get on with living! My cord was severed completely, made it easier to get on with my life with what I could do physically.

[wangqi]

Vicky17, on 11 September 2011 - 10:01 AM, said:

Hi, has anyone who has been diagnosed with a complete injury ever regained any movement/sensation below there injury level? Is it something we should get out of our head or is it possible? Thank you

i regain my sensations in the anus. however it suffers when the feeling came back because i feel clearly when the bowel cares are performed

[davediver]

I've been C6 complete for nearly 6 years now and, like most here, have regained nothing whatsoever. I suppose it all boils down to how accurate the diagnosis was. I mean, if you are deemed a C6 complete, for example, and you regain either movement or sensation below the level of injury, then they'll simply reassess you as a C6 IN-complete. Hope that helps somewhat

[munkypoop]

In my home town. They originally diagnosed me as complete. They went by that MRIs and whatnot which was stupid. Of course, the hospital's and therapy places in my town are not very good for paralysis. Even though the therapy unit claims to be good with it all, they are not! Anyways four years later my parents, friend, and myself drove a couple thousand miles to Baltimore. Which was 1 million times a better therapy place in my home town. They actually did the Asia test instead of assuming by looking at my MRIs at the time of my accident. After this. I was diagnosed as incomplete which was a great thing in every way!