522 replies to this topic

[saultite]

This thread is just as good as the walking quads one. I was very interested to hear about how cold affects walking ability. It was great to see the video of Joel walking. I dont know how to add a video to a posting here, but if any one is interested in seeing my husbands progress you can visit his facebook page. http://www.facebook....191797194223682

[lavenderthistle]

LOL tetra...I list to the right when I turn my head that way to look at anything. I'm strangely ok looking to the left.

As far as cold. it sets off nasty spasms and I do have to spend time in my chair. I'm just over a year, so this is all still new for me.I have some clues as to when the spasms will start or how many pairs of tights to put on or long underwear.

I also notice that hypersensitivity increases at certain times. The massage is helping for the most part, but there are still days that bring me to my knees with it. I often embarrass my son wearing socks (toes cut off) on my arms to keep anything from touching them. I may have already said this, I sometimes repeat myself. It gets hard remembering where I've posted what.

[randomryan007]

I suppose I should jump in on this. I am a walker. I feel guilty thou because so many with sci's can't. I do very well but tire easy. When out away from my home I don't even risk it. I have my chair. at home I use my chair quite offten. away from home 95% spent in my chair. at home its 50% plus i spend in my chair. I do think I do very well walking althou I always have my chair in tow. never know when my legs will have a mind of thier own. just yesterday my legs and I got into a fight. I wanted to do one thing and they wanted to do something else. needless to say I had people looking at me like I am crazy because my left leg locked up and would not play nice. so I was punching it tring to get rid of the spazum. well 10 minutes later it desided it was tired of me abusing it and desided to play nice. I have scapes and bruises all over from falling. it is what it is! I worked very hard to get were I am and still am working on it. anyone who thinks this road is easy is wrong. well thats my walking adventures!

Edited by randomryan007, 17 February 2012 - 03:24 AM.

[MTB John]

I can walk a dozen or so paces before my left leg locks. I can use elbow crunches but generally prefer the choo choo train technique. (Walking behind someone with my hands on thier shoulders)
I've also developed a trick for getting myself down stairs. I walk backwards, leaning on my chair for support. The brakes on my chair are a little soft so the chair won't roll away but I can push or in this case pull the chair down the steps behind me.
I've not tried going up steps yet but think it will be possible..

[MissyM]

My husband Earl is a walker. He is 10 months out from a T12 burst fracture after a 30 ft. fall from a tree (he was a tree climber by profession). Earl is walking with AFO braces on both feet and he uses a cane if we go anywhere. He does pretty well with it, and has just a slight limp when using his braces and cane. Although, when he gets fatigued, the limp gets worse.

This is my first post on this forum too. I was really unsure with posting about walking when so many others have much more severe injuries. I finished my profile tonight, and honestly felt guilty listing Earl's issues. I wanted to put them out there for informational purposes, but I didn't want it to be mistaken as complaining.

Best of luck to everyone, and keep up the good work with the walking!! :-)

Missy

[ClaraTaylor]

My husband Earl is a walker. He is 10 months out from a T12 burst fracture after a 30 ft. fall from a tree (he was a tree climber by profession). Earl is walking with AFO braces on both feet and he uses a cane if we go anywhere. He does pretty well with it, and has just a slight limp when using his braces and cane. Although, when he gets fatigued, the limp gets worse.

This is my first post on this forum too. I was really unsure with posting about walking when so many others have much more severe injuries. I finished my profile tonight, and honestly felt guilty listing Earl's issues. I wanted to put them out there for informational purposes, but I didn't want it to be mistaken as complaining.

Best of luck to everyone, and keep up the good work with the walking!! :-)

Missy

Morning! Wonderful to see you posting. It's always so nice to hear of people with SCI's doing so well especially so soon after injury. Never feel that you can't vent when you're having a bad day or ask for help / advice / other people's experiences when you're struggling with something no matter how minor they might appear.

[greybeard]

My husband Earl is a walker. He is 10 months out from a T12 burst fracture after a 30 ft. fall from a tree (he was a tree climber by profession). Earl is walking with AFO braces on both feet and he uses a cane if we go anywhere. He does pretty well with it, and has just a slight limp when using his braces and cane. Although, when he gets fatigued, the limp gets worse.

This is my first post on this forum too. I was really unsure with posting about walking when so many others have much more severe injuries. I finished my profile tonight, and honestly felt guilty listing Earl's issues. I wanted to put them out there for informational purposes, but I didn't want it to be mistaken as complaining.

Best of luck to everyone, and keep up the good work with the walking!! :-)

Missy

Don't give it another thought. We all need to hear that recovery is possible.

I imagine that tree climbing regularly put a lot of stress on his body so your man must have become a real tough bugger. That will have helped speed his recovery.

Welcome to the forum. Regardless of walking ability, like your husband, most here have to endure bad pain and other issues. There is/should be no element of competition among us.

[julibugs]

My husband Earl is a walker. He is 10 months out from a T12 burst fracture after a 30 ft. fall from a tree (he was a tree climber by profession). Earl is walking with AFO braces on both feet and he uses a cane if we go anywhere. He does pretty well with it, and has just a slight limp when using his braces and cane. Although, when he gets fatigued, the limp gets worse.

This is my first post on this forum too. I was really unsure with posting about walking when so many others have much more severe injuries. I finished my profile tonight, and honestly felt guilty listing Earl's issues. I wanted to put them out there for informational purposes, but I didn't want it to be mistaken as complaining.

Best of luck to everyone, and keep up the good work with the walking!! :-)

Missy

Welcome Missy,

It's great for us walkers to be able to talk to each other. It sounds like your hubby is doing really well - tell him to keep up the good work,

[Soryfam]

I am currently a walker, using a cane or walker, or sometimes "wall walking" around the house. I tire easily and if I have to go very far I use the chair. When shopping I use the grocery cart. Over the last five years I've had many surgeries, and have at time been chair only. It took me about9 months to be able to walk the first time.

Sandy

[Shane G]

I'm a walker, about 50% of the muscles function on my right side so I walk with a noticeable limp. Some days I walk better than others, it just depends on the stiffness of my leg and how well I stretched in the morning.

That's a great video Joel, you walk great! I think I'm going to shoot a video of myself walking so I can see what it looks like.

Hi Shane G!

We seem to have many things in common. I also feel stiff in my legs, some days better and some days worse. My left leg is weaker than my right. Do you train your weaker side more or do you train equally? Would really like to see some videos. Take care

My accident happened in 1997, I trained really hard for the first few years then I plateaued and didn't train very much for several years. In the last few months I have really stepped up the training on my weak side (right) and also implemented a diet program because I've gotten fat again which has allowed me to lose 35lbs.

I'm going to be out of town for business next week but when I get back I'll see about making a short video.

Thanks for the reply!

[Shane G]

never know when my legs will have a mind of thier own. just yesterday my legs and I got into a fight. I wanted to do one thing and they wanted to do something else. needless to say I had people looking at me like I am crazy because my left leg locked up and would not play nice. so I was punching it tring to get rid of the spazum. well 10 minutes later it desided it was tired of me abusing it and desided to play nice. I have scapes and bruises all over from falling. it is what it is! I worked very hard to get were I am and still am working on it. anyone who thinks this road is easy is wrong. well thats my walking adventures!

Haha! I know what you mean when you say punching your legs! My legs will get extremely tight or start to spasm and I'll start punching my legs or sometimes my legs contract and shoot straight out.

I also have scars on my knees and hands/wrists from falling and catching myself.

[randomryan007]

never know when my legs will have a mind of thier own. just yesterday my legs and I got into a fight. I wanted to do one thing and they wanted to do something else. needless to say I had people looking at me like I am crazy because my left leg locked up and would not play nice. so I was punching it tring to get rid of the spazum. well 10 minutes later it desided it was tired of me abusing it and desided to play nice. I have scapes and bruises all over from falling. it is what it is! I worked very hard to get were I am and still am working on it. anyone who thinks this road is easy is wrong. well thats my walking adventures!

Haha! I know what you mean when you say punching your legs! My legs will get extremely tight or start to spasm and I'll start punching my legs or sometimes my legs contract and shoot straight out.

I also have scars on my knees and hands/wrists from falling and catching myself.

it sucks. it is what it is thou!

[Dank]

I am a walker, if going for distance I wear my AFO's. Immediately after my injury when I walked un-aided I had to think about my steps and would trip up easy. I was fitted for AFO's two weeks after my surgery and I no longer had to think to walk. It was an amazing feeling.

[ClaraTaylor]

I am a walker, if going for distance I wear my AFO's. Immediately after my injury when I walked un-aided I had to think about my steps and would trip up easy. I was fitted for AFO's two weeks after my surgery and I no longer had to think to walk. It was an amazing feeling.

Morning! Nice to meet you! Congratulations on making it so far that you don't have to think about it! That's really great news. Do you find you can walk long distances or does it wear you out quickly like many others experience?

[Dank]

I am a walker, if going for distance I wear my AFO's. Immediately after my injury when I walked un-aided I had to think about my steps and would trip up easy. I was fitted for AFO's two weeks after my surgery and I no longer had to think to walk. It was an amazing feeling.

Morning! Nice to meet you! Congratulations on making it so far that you don't have to think about it! That's really great news. Do you find you can walk long distances or does it wear you out quickly like many others experience?

Hi Clara,
I have not gone out yet to see how long I am able to walk either in distance or time. I know when I am out shopping my heals will get pretty sore after about an hour or two, (and no that's not just an excuse). I may be able to last longer if I keep moving but I guess I will have to test out my theory some time. I will be doing some hiking with my family in the Rocky Mountains in Canada at the end of March so we will see how that goes. I think I may find some walking poles before the trip.

[harlton]

I to, am a walker, and I'm a right walker at that. I've had some pretty normal years for the last 5 or 6, but that's fading fast now, and it's back to limping and paying for it for days after.
Which is a bummer as we just got a new puppy. My left side is my weakest, if I get off my motorbike on the wrong side I fall over. Back to using a cane.

Ian

[ClaraTaylor]

I am a walker, if going for distance I wear my AFO's. Immediately after my injury when I walked un-aided I had to think about my steps and would trip up easy. I was fitted for AFO's two weeks after my surgery and I no longer had to think to walk. It was an amazing feeling.

Morning! Nice to meet you! Congratulations on making it so far that you don't have to think about it! That's really great news. Do you find you can walk long distances or does it wear you out quickly like many others experience?

Hi Clara,
I have not gone out yet to see how long I am able to walk either in distance or time. I know when I am out shopping my heals will get pretty sore after about an hour or two, (and no that's not just an excuse). I may be able to last longer if I keep moving but I guess I will have to test out my theory some time. I will be doing some hiking with my family in the Rocky Mountains in Canada at the end of March so we will see how that goes. I think I may find some walking poles before the trip.

Hiking in the Rocky Mountains? That sounds truly amazing!

[Kitson]

Walking with a comedy limp and the ability to topple over at the drop of a proximal hip!

I went running last week, tripped and ended up limping home bloody and in spasm - how to those para olympians looks so good?

[chickadee]

Hi all,

I'm a walker in my house, as well as my parent's house. I use AFOs and KAFOs daily, but I need to be careful as to avoid sores in some spots. When I walk, I'm either using the furniture for help (my house is pretty small - 5 paces and you're in the next room), or use forearm crutches. When people ask if I walk, I say no - but that I do a spot on constipated penguin dance. Otherwise, with a few exceptions, it's all wheelchair, all the time. I fell a few times on the ice last winter, and screwed up two more discs in my back - I don't really want to chance any more fun times in the hospital!

<3

[Tetracyclone]

Hi all,

I fell a few times on the ice last winter, and screwed up two more discs in my back - I don't really want to chance any more fun times in the hospital!

<3

Please explain how this fits with your other post today saying "hockey, and have recently got hooked on sitskiing. I also handcycle and play wheelchair softball. "

Edited by Tetracyclone, 04 March 2012 - 02:42 PM.

[chickadee]

Please explain how this fits with your other post today saying "hockey, and have recently got hooked on sitskiing. I also handcycle and play wheelchair softball. "

*headdesk* See, you are the voice of reason, Tetra. To which I will promptly ignore. You, and my mom. And my doc. And most sane people.

[Tetracyclone]

Please explain how this fits with your other post today saying "hockey, and have recently got hooked on sitskiing. I also handcycle and play wheelchair softball. "

*headdesk* See, you are the voice of reason, Tetra. To which I will promptly ignore. You, and my mom. And my doc. And most sane people.

Good girl! You uphold my faith in youth. I would not lecture you- like so many here, how do you think I got gimped?

[lavenderthistle]

I simply blame my sofa and years of ignorance for my new circumstances. I always (kind of) played it safely. I sort of regret that now. My husband tells everyone I should say roller derby injury.


On another note! I'm happy/sad to see there are so many of us here.

[ClaraTaylor]

I simply blame my sofa and years of ignorance for my new circumstances. I always (kind of) played it safely. I sort of regret that now. My husband tells everyone I should say roller derby injury.


On another note! I'm happy/sad to see there are so many of us here.

I can't remember where it is but someone commented how a spinal injury is like an ex-girlfriend. Well I LOVED that! And more to the point in hand - used it the other day when some busy body was wanting to get involved in my business (they probably thought it "polite conversation" but I didn't think it polite to ask about his prostate and he was well over 50)... Seriously you should all use it as a reason behind your injury. The look on his face had me and a chap at work near wetting myself with giggles when he left (and it stopped all further questions - bonus).

Lavender - when we first chatted about SCI-walkers I thought there was only going to be one or two of us here lurking in the background. I was most surprised when people kept popping into the limelight and announcing themselves as "one of us", Well done you for raising the subject in the first place

[Miss Donna]

I can stagger around. I look drunk and my legs go every which way. If I try for a distance of more than a couple hundred yards, my chest and diaphram tighten up so I can barely breathe. The legs stop working, too. I am not authorized use of a wheelchair (the doctors claim that I do not have any problems, except they keep giving me gabapentin and baclofen for my non-existent non-problem), so if the distance from where I am to anywhere else is more than those couple hundred yards, I simply don't get to go there. I fall rather spectacularly, which doesn't improve my chances for keeping my job. Life just sucks.

I wish you lived closer to Brooksville FL, I have a power chair that just needs batteries. It is sitting in my shed. Long story why I have thqt ooek; I got a new one after the MvA. I'm not a walker...kust saw your post ajnd wish I could help

[Bigwheels80]

I am a C5 C6 incomplete and right now I am 8 months post. I have cam such a long way and I am not the type of 20 year old to give up until I walk good.! Right now I need braces on my legs to lock my knees out and use my hips and parallel bars to swing my legs through to advance forward.! My trunk control has gotten a lot stronger as well. I was just wondering wat all you walkers did to get to where your at? Like what therapy ? What workouts worked best ? Thank you in advance for your help.!

[Wobbly]

Im a walker too, its taken a lot of small steps to get here but i can get to work on the london tube now. I tire easily and use a cane and have to concentrate to keep my gait good, i also have to be blunt and throw people off the disabled seats a lot, i hear myself saying " im sorry but do you need that seat " a lot, i find this hard but get on with it. For very short walks i can get away with no cane and look almost normal now, something that just 18 months ago i would have thought impossible. If i dont move everyday and do my physio i soon lock up and i go backwards ( figuratively not literally) Im careful at the gym everything is rhythimical and repetitive and slow to try and remind my legs what they should be doing, properly as i am damaging my hips and knees. Ive thought of using a chair for long trips and concerts etc, but at the minute am either cutting the trips short or simply missing out.

[ClaraTaylor]

I am a C5 C6 incomplete and right now I am 8 months post. I have cam such a long way and I am not the type of 20 year old to give up until I walk good.! Right now I need braces on my legs to lock my knees out and use my hips and parallel bars to swing my legs through to advance forward.! My trunk control has gotten a lot stronger as well. I was just wondering wat all you walkers did to get to where your at? Like what therapy ? What workouts worked best ? Thank you in advance for your help.!

Lots of practice!
Sorry I can't be of more use - I'm sure someone with a sensible answer will appear soon.

Im a walker too, its taken a lot of small steps to get here but i can get to work on the london tube now. I tire easily and use a cane and have to concentrate to keep my gait good, i also have to be blunt and throw people off the disabled seats a lot, i hear myself saying " im sorry but do you need that seat " a lot, i find this hard but get on with it. For very short walks i can get away with no cane and look almost normal now, something that just 18 months ago i would have thought impossible. If i dont move everyday and do my physio i soon lock up and i go backwards ( figuratively not literally) Im careful at the gym everything is rhythimical and repetitive and slow to try and remind my legs what they should be doing, properly as i am damaging my hips and knees. Ive thought of using a chair for long trips and concerts etc, but at the minute am either cutting the trips short or simply missing out.

I had a stage where the pain meant I couldn't stand for long and I'd be too tired to enjoy events. I regularly cried myself to sleep because I'd be in agony and still missed out on most of the evening. As my mobility worsened I bit the bullet and got the chair. I would recommend it to ANYONE who social life suffers because they can't stand at concerts etc. For the first time in years I was able to be there with my mates til the very end - they weren't having to worry about me and we all had fun. The depression and frustration lifting and I found myself going to places that I thought were now things that just happened to other people.
Life is too short to miss out on the good stuff - get a chair that fits, a flattering shirt, and get out there in the thick of it!

[Wobbly]

I am a C5 C6 incomplete and right now I am 8 months post. I have cam such a long way and I am not the type of 20 year old to give up until I walk good.! Right now I need braces on my legs to lock my knees out and use my hips and parallel bars to swing my legs through to advance forward.! My trunk control has gotten a lot stronger as well. I was just wondering wat all you walkers did to get to where your at? Like what therapy ? What workouts worked best ? Thank you in advance for your help.!

Lots of practice!
Sorry I can't be of more use - I'm sure someone with a sensible answer will appear soon.

Im a walker too, its taken a lot of small steps to get here but i can get to work on the london tube now. I tire easily and use a cane and have to concentrate to keep my gait good, i also have to be blunt and throw people off the disabled seats a lot, i hear myself saying " im sorry but do you need that seat " a lot, i find this hard but get on with it. For very short walks i can get away with no cane and look almost normal now, something that just 18 months ago i would have thought impossible. If i dont move everyday and do my physio i soon lock up and i go backwards ( figuratively not literally) Im careful at the gym everything is rhythimical and repetitive and slow to try and remind my legs what they should be doing, properly as i am damaging my hips and knees. Ive thought of using a chair for long trips and concerts etc, but at the minute am either cutting the trips short or simply missing out.

I had a stage where the pain meant I couldn't stand for long and I'd be too tired to enjoy events. I regularly cried myself to sleep because I'd be in agony and still missed out on most of the evening. As my mobility worsened I bit the bullet and got the chair. I would recommend it to ANYONE who social life suffers because they can't stand at concerts etc. For the first time in years I was able to be there with my mates til the very end - they weren't having to worry about me and we all had fun. The depression and frustration lifting and I found myself going to places that I thought were now things that just happened to other people.
Life is too short to miss out on the good stuff - get a chair that fits, a flattering shirt, and get out there in the thick of it!

I know, it's just a big head space jump to make, I was the same with the blue badge and the stick (s)...I think that's why I'm here, on this forum,- for encouragement and good jokes to mask it!

[ClaraTaylor]

Try hiring a chair and going out of the day with a trusted companion to somewhere you aren't known (i.e. a day trip to the seaside for instance).
Give it a go using it and realising just how much energy you have to enjoy the day! And of course... enjoying how little you suffer afterwards.