[Angela250153]

Last July I was admitted as am emergency to Atkinson Morley from Kingston A&E after a friend took me there because my walking had gotten so bad that I was in constant danger of falling over.
I had an MRI and 2 days later surgery on my spine. Considering that on the morning of my operation I walked into and stood in the shower, if rather wobbly, I was quite shocked when I came around to find that where I had only lost sensation in patches I suddenly could not feel my legs and I also could not stand, but I could move them lying on the bed. I was there for 5 days and then transferred back to Kingston. From there I went to Queen Mary's in Roehampton 3 weeks later. In hindsight I do not understand why I was sent there as this is a re-hab facility predominately for amputees. The physio was good but only 1 hr a day and some bed exercises. I have gradually been able to walk again with crutches and as my flat is on the 1st floor of a converted house I even learned to walk up and down the stairs again. At work I use a wheelchair, at home crutches.

In all this time, 10 months, I have never met or had contact with someone with SCI and the consultants don't seem to be too keen on answering any questions properly.

I found this forum via the SCA website and really hope to talk to someone who had a laminectomy around the T10/T11 area and is walking.

I still have a lot of problems with my balance and I can only stand without holding on to something for a short period of time. Also when I do that I tend to get a dull ache in the area of the operation.
I would like to know if this is normal and also what the chances are of my balance recovering to a point where I can walk maybe with 1 stick.

Although I have taken myself off pain medication as it made me feel drowsy and tired I still have a lot of pain in my thighs when I stand up or stretch my legs. It does get better after exercise and when I have walked a bit. Also I can get my legs more straight then, but then I sit down and get up maybe 1/2 hr later and I am back to square one. I can't quite tell if it is a nerve pain or muscle pain or what. I have regained some sensation in my left leg but my right leg is still not very good.

Sorry to write such a long post, but this is the first time I have been able to make contact with people with SCI and hopefully get some advice from someone who may have had a similar injury.
BTW my injury was probably caused by a series of hard falls on my knees over the years and 1 particularly nasty one a year earlier.

[essexscipilot]

Sorry Ang I cant answer your questions, i'm a C4/5 tetra but please do stick around, join in and get to know people here.

They are a great bunch and will over time will greatly assist you.

[Angela250153]

No need to apologize essexscipilot. I just wish I had found this board a lot sooner.