[Rudy]

I am a 45 year old C3-4 quad. This March will be 30 years since my accident [my, the years do go by fast]. Up till recently I always held out hope that they would soon find a cure for SCI. But after reading how far the scientist's really are in research for the cure, I finaly have come to the conclusion that the cure is 20 to 30 years away. To late for me.
After all the years of thinking I may walk again, its been a hard realisation. GOODBYE HOPE !

[jenn2782]

Aww Rudy..Don't feel that way. I know thats easy for me to say but Hold on to your hope. You never know what tomorrow may bring. There could be a major break through tomorrow. Look at how far China has progressed with Stem Cell. They have treatments that restore function and it won't be too long before the US will too.

Stay Positve and keep hope alive.

[nomis]

With apologies to Jenn2782, I’d disagree with hanging on to hope.

Rudy, it sounds like you’ve weighed up the situation for yourself after many years SCI and come to a decision. I respect that decision, not because I know any better, but because you made it for yourself.

My own understanding on this is that no significant “cure” is going to be available to me in my lifetime but there may be for younger, newer SCI’s. To me, it’s a big relief not to be searching and waiting for a medical breakthrough. It means I can accept what is and get on with my life.

Hang on to hope where it is realistic. Get on with your own life when that seems more real.

[wheeliebear75]

"Letting it go" is not the same thing as "giving in". And I'm with nommis in that since YOU were the one who decided that it would be a mute point to "hold out for" it was probably a good one. My level of injury is nowhere near as high as yours, and so when I say this please DON'T think I'm saying they are; it may not be apples to oranges but at least oranges to tangerines. LOL But once I gave up on the idea of "normalcy" and accepted the fact that I was what I am. I found a sort of "peace" with that. I stopped feeling like all I was doing was getting through the next day.....because it might be different......I might be different. Don't look at the loss of the idea of a "cure" but instead the weight off your shoulders (in time) from no longer worrying about it.

[Alin Steglinski]

Rudy, on Aug 28 2007, 12:22 PM, said:

I am a 45 year old C3-4 quad. This March will be 30 years since my accident [my, the years do go by fast]. Up till recently I always held out hope that they would soon find a cure for SCI. But after reading how far the scientist's really are in research for the cure, I finaly have come to the conclusion that the cure is 20 to 30 years away. To late for me.
After all the years of thinking I may walk again, its been a hard realisation. GOODBYE HOPE !

all depends on your theory, my theory is "walking sucks anyways" and if your on a ventilator "breathing sucks anyways. let the machines do it!" and for those of you who use AAC (alternative augmentative communications) "speaking sucks, i let my computer do it for me"

[dorkette]

Hi! I'm with the rest, I believe that hope and faith and such is a solely independent decision so I'm not here to be convince you of something either way.

However... haha... I've been SCI for 19 years, whole life (which seems sort of cheap compared to your 30) but I've never really thought that one day I'd be magically "cured." I never thought if I went to someone's church and they pressed their hand to my forehead and screamed halleluiah really dramatic I'd automatically jump up and do a little jig screaming "I'M SAVED!" (haha, sorry stuff like that just cracks me up) Not to saying that I'm objected to falling asleep tonight and God doing a little divine intervention miracle and me wake up tomorrow doing cartwheels, ;) If that happens I'll be sure to give a shout to you guys on the national news, hahaha.

On the flip side, I've always hoped/wished/prayed for some really, crazy smart people out there to find a way to fix a spinal cord (personally I believe that God has a little helping hand in science and medicine though). Even now I live with the idea that they will do it someday whether I'm still around to see it or not. I don't think I've given up on the idea that they won't find a cure in my lifetime but rather I live with the thought process of if they don't that’s okay, if they do even better. However at the same time I've wondered that what if they come out with some really promising but still experimental procedure... would I do it? And I've always thought that it all depends on what stage of my life I was that. If I had a family, husband, kids.

side note: Watching HGTV Design Star and one of them is doing a bedroom for a girl in a wheelchair (usually when I happen to see stuff like that I find at least half a handful or problems with the room, hee.)

Also You probably didn't mean it like this, but you say 45 like it's ancient. Now I'm off to roam the SCI research thread.....

This post has been edited by dorkette: 03 September 2007 - 05:37 AM

[Alin Steglinski]

dorkette, on Sep 3 2007, 12:35 AM, said:

Hi! I'm with the rest, I believe that hope and faith and such is a solely independent decision so I'm not here to be convince you of something either way.

However... haha... I've been SCI for 19 years, whole life (which seems sort of cheap compared to your 30) but I've never really thought that one day I'd be magically "cured." I never thought if I went to someone's church and they pressed their hand to my forehead and screamed halleluiah really dramatic I'd automatically jump up and do a little jig screaming "I'M SAVED!" (haha, sorry stuff like that just cracks me up) Not to saying that I'm objected to falling asleep tonight and God doing a little divine intervention miracle and me wake up tomorrow doing cartwheels, ;) If that happens I'll be sure to give a shout to you guys on the national news, hahaha.

On the flip side, I've always hoped/wished/prayed for some really, crazy smart people out there to find a way to fix a spinal cord (personally I believe that God has a little helping hand in science and medicine though). Even now I live with the idea that they will do it someday whether I'm still around to see it or not. I don't think I've given up on the idea that they won't find a cure in my lifetime but rather I live with the thought process of if they don't that’s okay, if they do even better. However at the same time I've wondered that what if they come out with some really promising but still experimental procedure... would I do it? And I've always thought that it all depends on what stage of my life I was that. If I had a family, husband, kids.

side note: Watching HGTV Design Star and one of them is doing a bedroom for a girl in a wheelchair (usually when I happen to see stuff like that I find at least half a handful or problems with the room, hee.)

Also You probably didn't mean it like this, but you say 45 like it's ancient. Now I'm off to roam the SCI research thread.....

well i have an idea on how to "fix" spinal cords..

what about creating a fiberoptic spinal cord, cleaning out the remaining spinal cord, implanting a small encoder at the brainstem which would translate the neurochemical signals back into totally electrical signals as they were in the brain. the old spinal cord would be removed and the new fiberoptic spinal cord would be inserted and connected to all the nerves and everything, i estimate that the operation would be very lengthly and delicate therefore i estimate that one fiberoptic spinal cord could take 2-3 days or longer in the operating room (thats with neurosurgeon(s) working 24 hours on it.

This post has been edited by Alin Steglinski: 03 September 2007 - 08:20 AM

[Somebody]

I never thought I'd walk again on this earth with my human body.
If they found a cure, Medicare probably wouldn't pay for me to get it.
They'd pay a million to care for me like this,
than a half million for a cure, with their weird logic.

I look forward to walking in Heaven with my new heavenly body.


Here on earth my biggest wish is for someone to come get me up.
Health Care stinks.

This post has been edited by Somebody: 03 September 2007 - 05:14 PM

[hockeydahc]

Alin Steglinski, on Sep 3 2007, 03:16 AM, said:

dorkette, on Sep 3 2007, 12:35 AM, said:

Hi! I'm with the rest, I believe that hope and faith and such is a solely independent decision so I'm not here to be convince you of something either way.

However... haha... I've been SCI for 19 years, whole life (which seems sort of cheap compared to your 30) but I've never really thought that one day I'd be magically "cured." I never thought if I went to someone's church and they pressed their hand to my forehead and screamed halleluiah really dramatic I'd automatically jump up and do a little jig screaming "I'M SAVED!" (haha, sorry stuff like that just cracks me up) Not to saying that I'm objected to falling asleep tonight and God doing a little divine intervention miracle and me wake up tomorrow doing cartwheels, ;) If that happens I'll be sure to give a shout to you guys on the national news, hahaha.

On the flip side, I've always hoped/wished/prayed for some really, crazy smart people out there to find a way to fix a spinal cord (personally I believe that God has a little helping hand in science and medicine though). Even now I live with the idea that they will do it someday whether I'm still around to see it or not. I don't think I've given up on the idea that they won't find a cure in my lifetime but rather I live with the thought process of if they don't that’s okay, if they do even better. However at the same time I've wondered that what if they come out with some really promising but still experimental procedure... would I do it? And I've always thought that it all depends on what stage of my life I was that. If I had a family, husband, kids.

side note: Watching HGTV Design Star and one of them is doing a bedroom for a girl in a wheelchair (usually when I happen to see stuff like that I find at least half a handful or problems with the room, hee.)

Also You probably didn't mean it like this, but you say 45 like it's ancient. Now I'm off to roam the SCI research thread.....

well i have an idea on how to "fix" spinal cords..

what about creating a fiberoptic spinal cord, cleaning out the remaining spinal cord, implanting a small encoder at the brainstem which would translate the neurochemical signals back into totally electrical signals as they were in the brain. the old spinal cord would be removed and the new fiberoptic spinal cord would be inserted and connected to all the nerves and everything, i estimate that the operation would be very lengthly and delicate therefore i estimate that one fiberoptic spinal cord could take 2-3 days or longer in the operating room (thats with neurosurgeon(s) working 24 hours on it.

that sounds good. or the whole doctor octopus thing. and you get extra arms that way. and all sorts of abilities.

[dorkette]

Quote

well i have an idea on how to "fix" spinal cords..

what about creating a fiberoptic spinal cord, cleaning out the remaining spinal cord, implanting a small encoder at the brainstem which would translate the neurochemical signals back into totally electrical signals as they were in the brain. the old spinal cord would be removed and the new fiberoptic spinal cord would be inserted and connected to all the nerves and everything, i estimate that the operation would be very lengthly and delicate therefore i estimate that one fiberoptic spinal cord could take 2-3 days or longer in the operating room (thats with neurosurgeon(s) working 24 hours on it.

When I was like 6 I asked my dad why couldn't they just "fix" a spinal cord and he said it was like taking a ribbion and cutting it and half then trying to reconnect it. And at first I was sort of excited because that didn't seem like it'd be too difficult because you know, doctors are supposed to be smart and stuff. But then he was now instead of one ribbion, it'd be like 2,000 and they'd all look the same and not only would you have to reconnect all of them you have to figure which half correctly go with which. So I was thinking well, that complicates things but still sounds do-able until he told me it'd take way to long that a person would bleed out and die on the table.

Even then I knew and know now that he has no medical experence whatsoever and that he was probably only making up stuff as he went along to placate me. But for somereason your 2-3 days made me think of it. Although a fiberoptic spinal cord would be cool as hell. Has anyone seen Bisentenial Man with Robin Williams? It makes me think of that too.

[wheels5894]

I think you dad was right, Dorkette! The spinal cord is immensely complicated and joining cell to cell would not only be very time consuming but would need high power magnification and a yet uninvented method of joining. Surgery is not going to solve the problem.

Of course, very few cords are severed so looking through and finding which nerves are damaged and which not. Risks would be damaging working nerves in the process. not that practical I think.

I think stem cell treatments might be made to work but the joining up of upper and lower might well men the wrong bits join together to afterwards, telling you right leg to lift might have an entirely other action.

Whilst I think being 'normal' again would be great, it is not going to happen in my lifetime I think, but who knows.

[Somebody]

On 20/20 at least 10 yrs ago,,,,

they showed a Chinese man with a rat.
He severed the spinal cord completely mid waist.
The mouse was running around dragging his back legs.

Then it showed the rat 6 months later running around normal.
Completely healed with stem cells.

So we can be healed if they'd let us.

[Captain Pike]

Right somebody, all rats look alike to me, I don't know, call me prejudiced.

I have had a complete C5 injury for only 2+ years, and I remember just a little bit ago I passed through another membrane of denial. Now my attitude towards PT is a lot better. I really (secretly) expected that after a few months, I would begin to start twitching my toe, or moving my legs around a little. What I DO have new happening is some very strange and interesting pain!

If you imagine the spinal cord being a big cable with many hundreds of millions of very small, similar looking wires, and the SCI a cut through, or terribly mashed assult to that wire, then you begin to see the very terrible, simple impossibility of a repair. That fiber optic idea, while ingenious, would probably result in a cable 6 inches in diameter. Not to mention what the connector would look like.

What they ARE doing in America is transplanting nerves, to allow us to move a finger, for example, using a nerve that previously controlled wrist flexion. I miss being able to give people "the finger".

I think some level of acceptance is the key, whether we'll ever get better or not. I get terribly bummed sometimes, and then, there are the other times. Check out these photos, of me bringing kids to the beach... it never was better than this back when I was able bodied.

[Trail-Boss]

[I think some level of acceptance is the key, whether we'll ever get better or not. I get terribly bummed sometimes, and then, there are the other times. Check out these photos, of me bringing kids to the beach... it never was better than this back when I was able bodied.]

Hey Cap'n Pike,
What a great idea. Trail-Boss will be 2yrs. post, come Jan.
He used to do so much with the grandkids, horses, tractors, 4wheelers, the list goes on and on. Memories are the best things you can leave your children. I am going to go out and rig something up right now...I wonder if the pony would lead behind him, well, we'll find out...YEE-HAAA!!!
Great pix!!!

Stick-Tight

[Alin Steglinski]

Captain Pike, on Sep 4 2007, 02:39 PM, said:

Right somebody, all rats look alike to me, I don't know, call me prejudiced.

I have had a complete C5 injury for only 2+ years, and I remember just a little bit ago I passed through another membrane of denial. Now my attitude towards PT is a lot better. I really (secretly) expected that after a few months, I would begin to start twitching my toe, or moving my legs around a little. What I DO have new happening is some very strange and interesting pain!

If you imagine the spinal cord being a big cable with many hundreds of millions of very small, similar looking wires, and the SCI a cut through, or terribly mashed assult to that wire, then you begin to see the very terrible, simple impossibility of a repair. That fiber optic idea, while ingenious, would probably result in a cable 6 inches in diameter. Not to mention what the connector would look like.

What they ARE doing in America is transplanting nerves, to allow us to move a finger, for example, using a nerve that previously controlled wrist flexion. I miss being able to give people "the finger".

I think some level of acceptance is the key, whether we'll ever get better or not. I get terribly bummed sometimes, and then, there are the other times. Check out these photos, of me bringing kids to the beach... it never was better than this back when I was able bodied.

he he now that is what i call talking advantage of the powerchair

oh and nice ride you got TDX5 TR+ELRs not extremely sure on the ELR's but its obvious its a TR rig i can tell

you can see a description of the powerchair i will most likely be getting at http://alins.zapto.o...Powerchair.html

you can check out the rest of my website there too

and about the spinal cord cable/connector it would not need to be that huge in diameter due to the new technology of nano-fiberoptics which would probably be able to be 0.5-1.5 inches diameter, the brain stem would be rewired to a probably coaxial "screw/lock" connector since they exhibit easy replacability and impeccable resiliance to shock and movement

This post has been edited by Alin Steglinski: 05 September 2007 - 02:37 PM

[wheeliebear75]

Hey CaptPike those are cool pix, looks like you and your little girl are both having a blast.

[Alin Steglinski]

wheeliebear75, on Sep 4 2007, 07:11 PM, said:

Hey CaptPike those are cool pix, looks like you and your little girl are both having a blast.

IDEA ill get my powerchair on credit and then to pay it off ill hook up a wagon to the back and call it "red cab" since my powerchairs gonna be red, people can hop me for a ride in the high school lol 5 bucks a ride to your class

wheeliebear75, on Sep 4 2007, 07:11 PM, said:

Hey CaptPike those are cool pix, looks like you and your little girl are both having a blast.
______
*Enjoy every sunset, but be grateful for every dawn.*
Wheelchairs are made of a special ocular magnetic alloy......they're "eyeball magnets".

i stole your siggy, but changed it a bit...
tell me if u wont want me to do this...

This post has been edited by Alin Steglinski: 05 September 2007 - 02:38 PM

[nomis]

Good stuff Capt Pike. That's what it's about, doing your thing your own way. Kids are fantastic ( wish I could be one again, I try ).

[ecool_390020]

Rudy, on Aug 28 2007, 10:52 PM, said:

I am a 45 year old C3-4 quad. This March will be 30 years since my accident [my, the years do go by fast]. Up till recently I always held out hope that they would soon find a cure for SCI. But after reading how far the scientist's really are in research for the cure, I finaly have come to the conclusion that the cure is 20 to 30 years away. To late for me.
After all the years of thinking I may walk again, its been a hard realisation. GOODBYE HOPE !

hey rudy... as far as i know the stem cell operations are done in india... try finding out bout that and its nt that we are 20 30 yrs far frm the cure.... inventions may happen even in a night or it may never happpen... u can t judge nething... jas be positive and have faith in nature...

Captain Pike, on Sep 5 2007, 01:09 AM, said:

Right somebody, all rats look alike to me, I don't know, call me prejudiced.

I have had a complete C5 injury for only 2+ years, and I remember just a little bit ago I passed through another membrane of denial. Now my attitude towards PT is a lot better. I really (secretly) expected that after a few months, I would begin to start twitching my toe, or moving my legs around a little. What I DO have new happening is some very strange and interesting pain!

If you imagine the spinal cord being a big cable with many hundreds of millions of very small, similar looking wires, and the SCI a cut through, or terribly mashed assult to that wire, then you begin to see the very terrible, simple impossibility of a repair. That fiber optic idea, while ingenious, would probably result in a cable 6 inches in diameter. Not to mention what the connector would look like.

What they ARE doing in America is transplanting nerves, to allow us to move a finger, for example, using a nerve that previously controlled wrist flexion. I miss being able to give people "the finger".

I think some level of acceptance is the key, whether we'll ever get better or not. I get terribly bummed sometimes, and then, there are the other times. Check out these photos, of me bringing kids to the beach... it never was better than this back when I was able bodied.

captain pike... looking at those pics i m really motivated... life is really worth living thats wht i have learnt from u... and i luk upto u and i have a lot of respect for u sir... hats of to u sir and give my luv to u sweet little gals... u are a lovely and best father to them...

[Ben]

I've been at it almost 18 years and I was mad as hell at first. Then I sort of got on with it. Then I wanted too feel sex again and that pretty much sums up the next 171/2 years. I have really bad days and then i have days where I want too shoot myself but, the next day I get on with whatever I have too do. Hope for a cure doesn't come up too often. I think in north america we live in a money hungry way. Way more than some and a cure isn't important too anyone in a drug company or a big care home. When this happened too me I was told 5 years and I'd be back up again. Well that came and went and it doesn't enter my brain at all anymore. I just get on with life and that pretty much takes over and other than having too monitor when I goto the washroom, I'm too busy with things too think about it. and the drugs have helped too but thats another story altogether!

[milosNS]

HOPE DIES LATS!!!

[wuzzbie]

Firstly i do not thinking giving up hope at 45 makes sense, sure u dont have to spend all your time praying or anything but saying goodbye to hope is pointless. And i also dont know where you are getting the 20 to 30 years from it seem like from the research this year that they are much closer then that tho some of them may not be suitable for a break at your level such as the bypass type. But i think there will certainly be readily available clinical trials that could greatly improve your condition and possibly even more then that within the next decade.

[qbounce]

I read the same thing recently , Wuzzbie.

In the most recent New Mobility Magazine it stated a cure could be attained within the next 7 years in the US, and the Chinese and Indian cures were falsely propagated, because they weren't using the right type of cells, nor could they prove that stem cells were even being used.

I feel as if I've been offered to try a different lifestyle for awhile. . . that all this is some sort of temporary trial. It's like a living video game, take away certain functions and let's see if I can make it to the next level.

I hit a wall when I was AB and everything was so mundane and the same, but not anymore. Now days are filled with everything I used to easily do. It's getting easier, and very soon now I'll be ready to go back to being AB. I kinda miss the mundane and sameness of every day life.

[nomis]

I'm sure, gbounce, if you tried harder your life now could be more boring. If you don't exercise your lethagy you'll lose it. It's all about commitment and discipline - they get in the way.

[qbounce]

Haha, Nomis. On the contrary. . . my life couldn't be boring if I DID try. Just got pressure sores on my feet recently from sitting up in the chair longer (they're gone now), and then this week, a UTI.

Seems there's always something needing my attention!

But your right,,why I force myself to get up every morning and kiss the day hello is beyond me?!! (except for the coffee. . . and the paper. . . and the. . . who the hell am I kidding,,lifes good!!)

[edlee]

Could always be better,,,, or worse,,, I try not to dwell on either.

I've enough on my plate to keep me busy chewing for quite a while.
ed

[Deej]

I have been having so much pain in my upper limbs in recent months (I'm almost 14 years post injury) it gets me down. I'm not convinced that even if a cure was available I would go for it - I mean at least at the moment I have no feeling in the lower 3/4 of my body. I'm pretty sure that if my spinal cord was able to be 'fixed' it would involve continuous lifelong pain. I'd rather get on with what I have now - a life I have become accustomed with - than spend the rest of it in pain.

[E-DOG]

Hope in one hand, crap in the other.
You tell me? Which one fills up faster? Which has more depth and weight?
Are we any closer to a cure for cancer than we were 25 years ago?
Still we use chemo and radiation HOPING to kill the cancer before we kill the body. f*@king barbaric. With the technology we have today, a cure for cancer or paraplegia is a long ways off.
I've only been seated for 10, 11 months but I knew from the get go not to sit around hoping for a cure. Better to face facts, I'm paralyzed from the tits down and it's really doubtful I ever walk again.
If I do? Great! Meantime I got shit to do.
My plight is tantamount to being stuck alone on a deserted island.
I can sit under a coconut tree, hungry all day, hoping a plane will fly over. Or I can climb the tree and get something to eat.
Personaly I like to eat. Every day. And if I'm busy climbing trees all day I don't have time to hope for a frigging miracle. Course if I hear a plane coming, I do have sense enough to get my fat ass out of the damn tree!
E-dog

[Trinity]

E-DOG, on Apr 11 2008, 05:29 AM, said:

Hope in one hand, crap in the other.
You tell me? Which one fills up faster? Which has more depth and weight?
Are we any closer to a cure for cancer than we were 25 years ago?
Still we use chemo and radiation HOPING to kill the cancer before we kill the body. f*@king barbaric. With the technology we have today, a cure for cancer or paraplegia is a long ways off.
I've only been seated for 10, 11 months but I knew from the get go not to sit around hoping for a cure. Better to face facts, I'm paralyzed from the tits down and it's really doubtful I ever walk again.
If I do? Great! Meantime I got shit to do.
My plight is tantamount to being stuck alone on a deserted island.
I can sit under a coconut tree, hungry all day, hoping a plane will fly over. Or I can climb the tree and get something to eat.
Personaly I like to eat. Every day. And if I'm busy climbing trees all day I don't have time to hope for a frigging miracle. Course if I hear a plane coming, I do have sense enough to get my fat ass out of the damn tree!
E-dog

I couldn't have put it better myself!
I always love your responses E-Dog, they never fail to make me smile!

Trinity X

[Yong]

E-DOG, on Apr 11 2008, 12:29 AM, said:

Hope in one hand, crap in the other.
You tell me? Which one fills up faster? Which has more depth and weight?
Are we any closer to a cure for cancer than we were 25 years ago?
Still we use chemo and radiation HOPING to kill the cancer before we kill the body. f*@king barbaric. With the technology we have today, a cure for cancer or paraplegia is a long ways off.
I've only been seated for 10, 11 months but I knew from the get go not to sit around hoping for a cure. Better to face facts, I'm paralyzed from the tits down and it's really doubtful I ever walk again.
If I do? Great! Meantime I got shit to do.
My plight is tantamount to being stuck alone on a deserted island.
I can sit under a coconut tree, hungry all day, hoping a plane will fly over. Or I can climb the tree and get something to eat.
Personaly I like to eat. Every day. And if I'm busy climbing trees all day I don't have time to hope for a frigging miracle. Course if I hear a plane coming, I do have sense enough to get my fat ass out of the damn tree!
E-dog

I'm afraid I only agree with this 75%.

E-dog does a great job of telling the truth as it is...a cure is not likely to happen immediately. However, it seems to me that a lot of people are taking the idea of holding on to hope and moving on as mutually exclusive. One or the other.

Using E-dog's analogy of the coconut tree.. I am 100% in favor of going and getting the coconut myself instead waiting for rescue. But what if it's not as simple as that? What if there is option number three where you can go get your coconut AND stay on the lookout for the plane? Isn't that what most people will do?

What if while getting the coconut, you don't spot the rescue plane?

I am willing to bet that almost everyone here who say stuff like.."oh...i've given up hope for a cure... there IS no cure..." will be among the first ones to jump on board if there indeed IS a cure. So nobody has really given up on walking again.

It's just that everyone has put it on the back of their minds in order to focus on the now...focus on their lives at the present.

I'm trying to say that as an ambitious 22 year old former US Marine Corps PLC candidate, I'm not just laying around waiting for some scientist to raise me up. I'm living my life again. Already 11 months post injury, I've changed my major from accounting to pharmacy and was accepted to pharmacy school. I plan to go on and get my Ph.D in pharmacy to do research on SCI.

I am also in the process of raising funds and awareness for SCI and the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta, Georgia by petitioning many local businesses to donate money. Perhaps if all of us try and raise awareness for SCI, the cure that is currently 50-100 years away can be discovered 10-20 years or sooner from now.

It is crucial to do what's important now...that is, live for the moment. But it's equally important not to purposely miss a future that could enrich the lives of so many SCI patients.

I, for one, am not going to be the guy up on the laxative tree that totally forgets about the flare gun I have...just because I am hungry right now.