2 replies to this topic

[rhyang]

I know this is probably a long shot, but I figured I'd try asking anyway ... sorry for the long post ...

Background: It's been almost 3 months since my injury - car accident, broke c1, and I think c5-7 as well. In fact I'm still in a halo. I was in the hospital for 7 weeks, the last 5 of which at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's spinal cord injury rehab program in San Jose, California. My doctor classified my injury as C4 asia D / incomplete tetraplegia.

I have pretty much full motor control in my right side, but weakened left arm / leg. I don't have to catheterize. They had me on an aggressive program, and by the time I was discharged I was walking with an AFO and forearm crutches. I've been pushing myself to walk / do PT every day, and slowly discarded the crutches & the AFO, and now 6 weeks later I've started walking on my own. The balance & strength in my left foot has started to come back. My gait still needs work, but I'm hopeful that continued conditioning will solve that ...

Before my accident I was a strong hiker, and also into mountain-biking and climbing. I hope to return to those activities, though I understand that reality often intrudes ...

Is there anyone else here in a similar position ? Were you able to climb again ? Do multi-day trips in the backcountry ? Ride a mountain bike ?

Questions for everyone else - I'm worried about a couple of things:

- I don't seem to have pain or temperature sensation on my right leg, which is weird because it has full motor control, pressure/touch sensation and prioproception (sp ?) When I stretch the muscles I get some strange feeling like being tickled. My therapist said this may go away over time. I worry about not being able to sense temperature in cold weather (eg. snowshoeing) I have pretty much full sensation everywhere else except for my left hand, which has some numbness in the fingers, though that seems to be declining slowly ...

- Do you worry about getting autonomic dysreflexia in the backcountry ? I haven't gotten it yet, but I realize that with my injury level it's a possibility. When I'm working out in the gym I seem to sweat below my level of injury (erm, I think), but I'm not sure if that means my autonomic nervous system is definitely working or not. Has anyone ever gotten AD from being hungry ?

I know I must sound like a whiner. Sorry, and thanks for any insight. My hat (if I could put one on right now) is off to folks who compete in wheelchairs !

-Rob

Edited by rhyang, 18 November 2007 - 12:08 AM.

[ray_m]

rhyang, on Nov 12 2007, 08:34 PM, said:

I know this is probably a long shot, but I figured I'd try asking anyway ... sorry for the long post ...

Background: It's been almost 3 months since my injury - car accident, broke c1, and I think c5-7 as well. In fact I'm still in a halo. I was in the hospital for 7 weeks, the last 5 of which at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's spinal cord injury rehab program in San Jose, California. My doctor classified my injury as C4 asia D / incomplete tetraplegia.

I have pretty much full motor control in my right side, but weakened left arm / leg. I don't have to catheterize. They had me on an aggressive program, and by the time I was discharged I was walking with an AFO and forearm crutches. I've been pushing myself to walk / do PT every day, and slowly discarded the crutches & the AFO, and now 6 weeks later I've started walking on my own. The balance & strength in my left foot has started to come back. My gait still needs work, but I'm hopeful that continued conditioning will solve that ...

Before my accident I was a strong hiker, and also into mountain-biking and climbing. I hope to return to those activities, though I understand that reality often intrudes ...

Is there anyone else here in a similar position ? Were you able to climb again ? Do multi-day trips in the backcountry ? Ride a mountain bike ?

Questions for everyone else - I'm worried about a couple of things:

- I don't seem to have pain or temperature sensation on my right leg, which is weird because it has full motor control, pressure/touch sensation and prioproception (sp ?) When I stretch the muscles I get some strange feeling like being tickled. My therapist said this may go away over time. I worry about not being able to sense temperature in cold weather (eg. snowshoeing) I have pretty much full sensation everywhere else except for my left hand, which has some numbness in the fingers, though that seems to be declining slowly ...

- Do you worry about getting autonomic dysreflexia in the backcountry ? I haven't gotten it yet, but I realize that with my injury level it's a possibility. When I'm working out in the gym I seem to sweat below my level of injury (erm, I think), but I'm not sure if that means my autonomic nervous system is definitely working or not. Has anyone ever gotten AD from being hungry ?

I know I must sound like a whiner. Sorry, and thanks for any insight. My hat (if I could put one on right now) is off to folks who compete in wheelchairs !

-Rob

Hello Rob,

I have a C5 Tetraplegia - ASIA D with Brown Sequard Syndrome resulting from a bicycle accident. I was also at SCVMC and was very fortunate to transfer to Kaiser's Vallejo facility for Proprioceptive Neurological Facilitation Therapy. am weaker on the left side but walked out of the hospital - no AFO but required a hemi-walker for one month, then a cane for a few weeks and no unassisted.

I haven't gotten back on a bicycle and probably won't but I am resuming other activities such as fly fishing or flying airplanes. I'm more concerned about being able to tie a knot then function outdoors. I'm sure that I'll have some limitations that will involve more risk assessment than I previously carried out but feel that standing in shallow slow moving water or using a float tube or kayak on flat water will be just as enjoyable as before. I feel that I could get back on the bicycle but after this second major neck injury, I've decided that this is one risk where I can live without riding.

I also have temperature sensation issues and the sensations with stretching or spasm. The sensations always feels like an unfulfilled stretch that I wish could go just a bit further to release. Temperature seems to have a direct relationship to spasticity for me with movement being more easily accomplished in warm weather. My left leg will sometimes shiver but only if I'm lying idle. Movement resolves this issue for me.

I've never experienced an AD episode since being injured in June of 2006 and I don't worry much about autonomic dysreflexia but I did make up an autonomic dysreflexia kit and am always prepared.

I'd encourage you to prepare for any AD episode and then give it a go. Things may be different and may require adaptation but I don't think that takes away from the enjoyment...

Ray

[rhyang]

Thanks for the reply Ray. I'd totally forgotten about posting this .. time flies

I don't worry about AD anymore - my injury is apparently too incomplete, according to the doctors. The halo came off, I've been able to resume hiking, mountain-biking (very carefully) and nontechnical mountaineering (summitted Mt. Shasta last weekend !!)

My neurosurgeon advised me to wait until a year had passed before getting back to technical climbing, but I've done some easier rock scrambles (carefully).

I'm still working on balance in my left leg, but it's good enough for a lot of things. Apparently the weakness in my left arm and leg also means there is less efficient thermoregulation, so I wear gloves more often now and dress more warmly sometimes. I use chemical heat packs sometimes too.

I'm still doing some hand exercises - the extensor muscles in my left hand are weaker than normal (the ones that open the grip - apparently these are not very strong normally). When the weather starts to warm up I'm more careful about my right foot because I can't feel a blister or hotspot there.

I feel incredibly lucky. I hope you are doing well.