[WilliamLX]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I am 38 with a wife and 5 year old son. On the 11th of December I was getting the Christmas tree down from the garage roof space when the ladder slipped. I fell about 10 foot and hit the concrete floor. I broke my L2 vertebrae and also my left arm and wrist.

I have been very lucky. I am not paralyzed, but do have numbness in my upper left leg and buttock. Spent 10 days flat on my back in hospital, but am now home wearing a molded plastic body cast. My doctor hopes that I will regain the feeling in my leg.

I can't help but wonder how much worse my injury could have been. If the spinal cord injury had been complete at L2, what parts would have been paralyzed?

[KarenFerguson]

Here's a chart that might help you figure out an L2 injury.



Basically anything below L2 you would have lost. So, you wouldn't have L3, L4, L5 or any of the S's (you can see on the chart what muscles correspond with what number). However, all injury's are different and are classified as "incomplete" where you could have some function below the level of injury. Take me, for instance. I have some S's (bowl and bladder), so you really never know.

[WilliamLX]

KarenFerguson, on Jan 1 2008, 04:44 AM, said:

Here's a chart that might help you figure out an L2 injury.



Basically anything below L2 you would have lost. So, you wouldn't have L3, L4, L5 or any of the S's (you can see on the chart what muscles correspond with what number). However, all injury's are different and are classified as "incomplete" where you could have some function below the level of injury. Take me, for instance. I have some S's (bowl and bladder), so you really never know.

Thank you for your reply, very helpful. It is interesting to see that the numbness I have corresponds perfectly to one side of the area labelled L2. I suppose the injury could have damaged the nerve leaving L2 to the left. even if the actual cord is not damaged (as the CT scan suggested).

[Avocado Baby]

That's a great diagram!!

[RaginTurtleHead]

I am L-1 and lost a significant amount of feeling in my legs as well as complete incontinence. So I would say you faired pretty well!

[dom]

yes i'm L1 incomplete after a fall onto concrete,btw you are technically paralysed if you feel numbness hopefully it will come back,i too have full incontinence

[Waldo P]

Hi Guys on 26th Jan I crushed my L2 L4 Broke my pelvis in a couple of spots aslo my Hip and Coksic. I got to tell you it has scared the willies out of me I am lucky enough to have lost some feeling in buttocks and my Dr told me I am only millimetres from being paralysed. I am wearing a brace that I have to wear for at least another 6 weeks. What I would like to ask is do you guys have ideas for sleeping and resting I cant sleep and it makes me a grumpy bugger and not fair on my KIDS and wife I am really struggling with it and also I have limited consentration. Any strategies would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers in Advance

[Jax]

Waldo P, on Mar 28 2009, 10:23 AM, said:

What I would like to ask is do you guys have ideas for sleeping and resting I cant sleep

Take one Ambien, one Vicodin, and one Flexiril. It definitely does the trick for me.

Actually, the only advice I can give is to either get a tempur-pedic bed, sleep in a nice cushy recliner, or see a doctor. I have rods from T10-pelvis, so my back is pretty much without flex, and I had trouble sleeping too. That is until the tempur-pedic. The only problem now is that I'm kind of spoiled to it. When my wife and I stayed in Houston for a few days, I could barely sleep at all in the hotel.