14 replies to this topic

[Rdaysha]

I ran across this in a recent thread. Please give the definition of hope and false hope. What's the difference and who judges that ones hope is false. Is there a such thing as false hope? My opinion is guided by the doctor never ever giving me hope to walk again. I believe in hope whether its smaller than a mustard seed. ~determination is hope`

[richo]

: yea i woulent be wating for any doctor for hope,dont think theyve ever herd of it.just keep beleving what you want

[A trophy guy]

Rdaysha, on 29 January 2012 - 11:09 PM, said:

I ran across this in a recent thread. Please give the definition of hope and false hope. Is there a such thing as false hope?

Just doing as you've requested, ma'am.

http://www.dictionarist.com/false+hope

http://www.dictionarist.com/hope

Edited by A trophy guy, 30 January 2012 - 12:00 AM.

[Rdaysha]

A trophy guy, on 29 January 2012 - 11:57 PM, said:

Rdaysha, on 29 January 2012 - 11:09 PM, said:

I ran across this in a recent thread. Please give the definition of hope and false hope. Is there a such thing as false hope?

Just doing as you've requested, ma'am.

http://www.dictionarist.com/false+hope

http://www.dictionarist.com/hope

I don't mind answer to questions I ask sir! The definition didn't come up on the link

[mellowgator]

yes most dr.s never give hope. if they don't know they should just say so. i'd love it if a dr. for once said "i have no idea if you will walk or not". instead of telling a recently injured person there's no hope.

a few people did walk out of rehab and others of us didn't. but the ones who did walk were the ones who had some movement in their lower extremeties early on.



mellowgator

Edited by mellowgator, 30 January 2012 - 12:09 AM.

[Rdaysha]

mellowgator, on 30 January 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

yes most dr.s never give hope. if they don't know they should just say so. i'd love it if a dr. for once said "i have no idea if you will walk or not". instead of telling a recently injured person there's no hope.

a few people did walk out of rehab and others of us didn't. but the ones who did walk were the ones who had some movement in their lower extremeties early on.



mellowgator

I didnt walk out but i sure did walk with a walker into his office on my 2nd visit. The PA said to the doctor "Mrs Mckenzie is here and shes walking" ****love it****

[Spinner]

mellowgator, on 30 January 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

yes most dr.s never give hope. if they don't know they should just say so. i'd love it if a dr. for once said "i have no idea if you will walk or not". instead of telling a recently injured person there's no hope.

a few people did walk out of rehab and others of us didn't. but the ones who did walk were the ones who had some movement in their lower extremeties early on.



mellowgator

@mellowgator, do you think from your experience that if a doctor tells someone with no movement early on they have a chance of walking it is false hope? It seems like it has to be a tough call for doctors. They probably don't want to over-promise when there is really no telling what might happen, but if they come out and say a person won't walk, they run the risk of dashing their hopes. I wonder how often a doctor can really give a definitive answer (or at least a fairly definitive) answer as to what an outcome might be. There are miracles every day and then there are folks who don't do as well as a doctor might have thought they would. It is a pretty thin line IMO and I think it would be a tough one to straddle.

Edited by Spinner, 30 January 2012 - 05:12 PM.

[wheeliebear75]

False hope can also = BALLOON OF HOPE EXPLODING IN YOUR FACE!

I can understand WHY Dr.s would rather tell a person they probably won't walk & be pleasantly surprised by this gain in function than they (Dr.s) go around giving FALSE HOPE telling everyone "Oh just keep trying cuz we just don't know.". And yes there are a good handful of patients who will gain back a fair amount of function but HOW are they to KNOW which among us will or wont?

I'm glad Children's NEVER "lied to me"! They told me my cord wasn't severed and there was a CHANCE of walking again but no promises.

The HELL I/we went through in those 1st weeks & months was bad enough of an emotional roller-coaster on it's own. I think had I been one of those who did NOT gain back enough function to do any hobbling around....I could have taken/swallowed "NO hope" a lot easier than FALSE HOPE which would prevent me from learning to cope with what IS.

[Rdaysha]

wheeliebear75, on 30 January 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

False hope can also = BALLOON OF HOPE EXPLODING IN YOUR FACE!

I can understand WHY Dr.s would rather tell a person they probably won't walk & be pleasantly surprised by this gain in function than they (Dr.s) go around giving FALSE HOPE telling everyone "Oh just keep trying cuz we just don't know.". And yes there are a good handful of patients who will gain back a fair amount of function but HOW are they to KNOW which among us will or wont?

I'm glad Children's NEVER "lied to me"! They told me my cord wasn't severed and there was a CHANCE of walking again but no promises.

The HELL I/we went through in those 1st weeks & months was bad enough of an emotional roller-coaster on it's own. I think had I been one of those who did NOT gain back enough function to do any hobbling around....I could have taken/swallowed "NO hope" a lot easier than FALSE HOPE which would prevent me from learning to cope with what IS.

I could have taken/swallowed "NO hope" a lot easier than FALSE HOPE which would prevent me from learning to cope with what IS.I could have taken/swallowed "NO hope" a lot easier than FALSE HOPE which would prevent me from learning to cope with what IS.
Wow i never thought of it that way!!!!!!light bulb on!!!!!!!!

[Tetracyclone]

I liked my surgeon a lot. Rehab guy said no hope, and I was certainly discouraged as nothing in the lower extremities moved after 4 weeks. He kept saying,"I think you will get something back. It did not look that bad" and he is the guy who actually saw it.

Last day under his care he came in and asked, "Any movement?"
"No" I said.
After he left I realized I had replied without trying. I tried and shazamm! The legs drew together.

He was a young guy unafraid to offer his opinion, which happened to be hopeful.

[goose]

I understand doctors are just trying to cover their backs by being as general as possible. However, I think they should tell people that with hard work it IS possible to continue improving for at least a few years and maybe a little longer. I honestly don't remember what my doctor told me. I believe I worked hard (I always signed up for extra PT or OT whenever they would stay late) but I do think if I had been told I would continue to improve , I would have tried even harder. I'm glad I was observant and watched what others were doing so once I came home I could apply it to my program.

This should apply to PTs & OTs too. After I left Shepherd and tried out patient therapy , they looked at SCI as hopeless. We mainly worked on range of motion instead of function.

[Rdaysha]

goose, on 30 January 2012 - 06:59 AM, said:

I understand doctors are just trying to cover their backs by being as general as possible. However, I think they should tell people that with hard work it IS possible to continue improving for at least a few years and maybe a little longer. I honestly don't remember what my doctor told me. I believe I worked hard (I always signed up for extra PT or OT whenever they would stay late) but I do think if I had been told I would continue to improve , I would have tried even harder. I'm glad I was observant and watched what others were doing so once I came home I could apply it to my program.

This should apply to PTs & OTs too. After I left Shepherd and tried out patient therapy , they looked at SCI as hopeless. We mainly worked on range of motion instead of function.

I was initially accepted at shepherds but I turned it down to stay at the hospital rehab in fort Myers Florida. I was never given hope until the last week of my inpatient rehab by my physical therapist. I was so determined to stand, I had to fight and throw tantrums before they finally stood me. My hope came from within

[Parachute]

Hi Rdaysha

I believe Hope is when someone is unsure of an outcome or when someone makes a wish that something will/may happen.

False Hope is a fantasy eg. "I will be better and fitter one day than how I was pre-injury even though I have aged or any other extremly unlikely outcome.


Parachute

[jules]

I see false hope as being told if you keep trying you will get better, hope is keep trying you may get better, one word different but worlds apart in what they mean.

It is fighting the battles that are worth fighting, this has become even more apparent to me with my lung disease, it is like me being told now that my lung disease is curable, that would be false hope. It would also be false hope to be told that it is not going to kill me.

[Rdaysha]

jules, on 30 January 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

I see false hope as being told if you keep trying you will get better, hope is keep trying you may get better, one word different but worlds apart in what they mean.

It is fighting the battles that are worth fighting, this has become even more apparent to me with my lung disease, it is like me being told now that my lung disease is curable, that would be false hope. It would also be false hope to be told that it is not going to kill me.

one word makes the difference! love this