[Kris]

Hi All

I was just wondering if anyone would like to share their spinal injury stories?

I was a bit embarrassed about mine for the first couple of months and gave people the ammended version so i didnt feel like a fool.

I was in orientation week at university and went out with a few friends for a night on the town for someones birthday. When we returned back to the college residence we continued drinking in the dorm. I decided to sit outside the window on a ledge, on the 3rd floor. There was a tall skinny tree a few feet in front and i thought it would be a great story for breakfast the next day if i jumped to the tree and slid down to the bottom. I had always done random "daredevil" things as such, jumping off a train (slow moving), climbing to the roof of mcdonalds etc. Anyways i jumped and made it to the tree but the force kept my body and legs moving. This turned me almost upside down and i hit the ground on my shoulders/torso. I dislocated T8 and the doctor said it was the worst dislocation and worst stretched spinal cord he had ever seen.

So yes for the first few months i was a bit embarrassed that people would think bad of me, and some people did i heard frequent rumours of people saying "well shes the one who jumped its her fault" and well yes it was a silly thing to do but i kept telling myself that many others would have made similar mistakes and that the result was not neccessarily ALL my fault. Just as someone in a car accident who wasnt wearing a seat belt gets the blame. Maybe?

I would also like to share with you a story i heard the other day of a freak spinal injury. A man was out on a boat in the middle of the ocean, water as deep and wide as imaginable. He dived off the boat at the exact time a turtle was swimming past. The collided and he broke his neck. What are the odds?!

Cheers Kristee

[wheelie182]

To be honest, i cant believe i wasn't paralyzed years ago, prior to my injury i have loads of stupid falls, one being where i swung from a rope swing, and reached maximum swing when the rope decided to snap and i fell on my head, and was seriously sick for the whole, migrane, and weird dizzy sick stuff, i actually heard my neck click when i landed,

it scares me today to think that i could have had a much worse injury than i have.

[Joed]

Hi Kris...

Try not to be so hard on yourself. We all do unadvisable things when we're young...in fact, I'm pretty sure that's part of the job requirements.

You probably don't need the extra worry or stress that any embarrassment may cause. And it's entirely possible that, by telling your story, you may cause another free and wild spirit to pause and reflect before taking on any feats of daring themselves.

So try to allow for a little self-forgiveness...I'd bet you'd extend the same to a friend, or even a stranger, in the same circumstance. Am I right? You deserve nothing less from yourself.

[hillarymcarter]

My husband was hurt at work on his family's cotton farm. He got underneath the cotton picker while it was running to do maintenance work. This sounds stupid but it is common practice. They don't turn off the heavy machinery during the day because it takes too much gas to turn it off and on.
Anyway, the exact moment he climbed under his uncle looked under and didn't see him because he was still behind a tire. As Bruce sat down his uncle climbed into the cab and took off. It folded Bruce over like a burrito. He is T12/L1 incomplete.
The accident actually did much more damage to his organs than his back or bones. He died 3 times and he had to have his spleen removed. They also had to pull all of his organs down into his gut because they tore his diaphram and ended up in his chest. He had kidney failure and was on dialysis but he is doing fine with that now.

Don't feel bad or stupid about your accident Kris...I think you sound like a load of fun!! I think Bruce's accident sounds like a bad country song!!!

[phillybea]

Hello Everyone,

I came across this site as I was looking for information on spinal cord injuries and I was truly amazed by the courage and honesty you guys show. I was looking for information in the hopes of trying to help my father, who until 3 months ago was a very healthy, active 78 y.o. man. He went into the hospital for hip surgery and came out paralyzed. Apparently, they discovered a malignant melanoma in his spinal cord which as a result let him paralyzed.

He went through 2 months of rehab and on his second day home, ended up popping his hips out and was rushed back to the hospital again, where they performed a total hip replacement.

He has been home for over 1 week now, but he just seems to be getting depressed and I am truly worried about him. He won't get dressed (just wants to stay in his hospital gown) and this is making it very difficult for him to try and transfer himself. It's almost like he has given up on even trying to do anything for himself. I know he was originally worried about his hips popping out when he would transfer himself and I totally understand that, but he now has "a brand new set of hips" and he still does not seem interested in helping himself.

Everyone in our family is trying to reassure him that things will get better once he gets into a routine (and we as a family are also trying to reassure ourselves that things will get better) and that we are all here to help with whatever he needs (both mentally and physically), but I sure could use any advice.

Kristee, you sound like you really have your head screwed on straight! I have a son the same age as you and I could see him doing exactly the same thing. He lives on the 3rd floor apartment at his university.

[maniccanuck]

Hi all, I thoroughly enjoy this site, everybody seems so geniune!!

My brother was a harsh alcoholic back in the 1980's, it's a wonder he didn't kill anybody the way he used to drink & drive. Anyways, this time around, he was drunk in the back seat of his friend's car. Their car stalled on a bridge, & another drunk driver who just left the scene of an accident he caused, came barreling over the bridge, & rearended the car that my brother & his friends were in. Nobody else was hurt but my brother.

C2-C3 injury, the Dr's said not to hope too much!

After 2yrs of rehabilitation, etc. he pulled thru. MVA happened back in 1982. He's an incomplete, left side returned, but he's on a respirator while he sleeps. It's been a long haul, but he's still here. He used to be able to walk with a walker, but he's gotten lazy.

Can't get him motivated to do anything. Constant urinary infections, anybody know how to keep those under control? Also, can't seem to get the weight off of him now either. He's 48 years old now.

I've been his caregiver right from the start, & wouldn't have it any other way.
He's a fighter, & I hope everybody with a SCI doesn't give up hope!

[Jennifer]

hi everyone
my name is jennifer im 19 years old i have a L1 Burst Fracture. On May 20th 2005 I was in a motorcycle accident I spent 3 monthes in the hospital, I also have a 11 month old son to look after well its been 5 months and im walking useing my cane
doctors say the future looks good so just remeber never to give up

[Adrian]

Mine was a classic motorcycle accident.

I was travelling down a road, minding my own business, and a car pulled out of a juction on my left(turning right) giving me about 20 feet to stop. I didn't manage it and collided with it just behind the front wheel and fell to the ground. They didn't stop imediatetly and proceded to run over my chest with the front wheel, crushing 5 of my ribs, breaking my collar bone and scapular too.

My level of break was T8-T10 right to left, the three vertibrae had to be fused, but now it's around T7 all over due to attrophy of the cord. I spent almost a year in hospital, 4 months on bed rest, and the rest trying to get my right arm to work as best it could.

All that was 7 years ago and i still find things frustrating, but have come to terms with the injury - although it took 3 or 4 years to truely accept it...

[hillarymcarter]

If you need to talk e-mail me...my hubby had an unsuccessful flap done a year ago and we are still battling it. We've got it almost healed (2cmx1.5cm to go)...I can give you some tips that helped us out. We've been married for 1 1/2.

[hillarymcarter]

Click on my name (it is over my avatar) and it will give you the option to send a mesage. Or, you can go to the members icon in the top right corner and find my name.
We've tried almost everything for his sores so I can give you the things we've tried and what has worked/hasn't worked....I'll give you names of everything though b/c everyone is different...what didn't work on Bruce may be your miracle.

[joisliniad]

Rob, I am sorry you feel the way you do, it is not going to be easy, and it will require daily hard work with therapist and without the therapist. I think you need to work fromyour top to your bottom, or at least that is my approach to sci. You must strenght firts what is working fine, and continue doing ROM, E-Stim, and weight bearing. I would start you weight bearing in prone, and then move you to four legs,then to low kneeling and high kneeling. When your upper body is very strong and enough to carry your whole body weight, I would take the chance of put you in parallell bars with bilateral lower extremities braces, and probably a hip piece too, and just work on standing tolerance until you can swing a leg and take a steps. Every case is different, and the motivation of the patient is the key for the whole walking process. It is not goign to be easy, but it can be done. Falling is part of rehabilitation too, but it seems you had take so many faals and hurt so many times, that your fear is growing, and I won't blame you. Sit down withyour therapist, and talk about the whole approach of your PT treatment and what are you willing to work. Don't let them try to just get you up and walk if you whole body is not ready, because with the lack of sensation, and obviously with the damage of the motor abilities you must likely will fall if the they can't hold you up.
When the lseion is incomplete you have some sensation below the injury, it is not consistently,but yes you can hae the ability to feel the touch, the pressure, pain. so I don't know why the medical staff told you it is impossible. If your goal is to walk with the level of your lesion it canbe done, but again will require very hard daily work, and a very eager rehab approach because it is not goign to happen overnight, it will take time, It is a mtter of trial and fail and find what it works for you. GOO LUCK

[Catucci]

My everybody

My husband Nico had a motorbike accident on 7th August 2005. He broke C4, C5, C6, T6, T8, 8 ribs, punctured lungs and laserated liver. He spent 2 weeks in ICU then was transferred to a Spinal Cord Injury Unit for rehab. He suffered from a pulmonery embalism the 2nd day there and was again in ICU. The Doctors told us to expect the worse, and the worse did happen twice, but he's such a fighter and he survived against all the odds.

Now, 14 weeks later he is showing remarkable progress. His SCI is at T6 so is paralised from chest down. We've been told to expect he'll be in rehab until at least Spring so we've a long way to go yet.

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary in hospital in September and I have to say I love him soooooo much words cannot describe. He's my hero, my soulmate, the love of my life and I thank God he's still with us.

xx Cat xx

[Apparelyzed]

Hi Cat,

Which spinal unit is he at?

I went to Lodge Moore, which is now at The Northern General in Sheffield.

Simon.

[ASHLEYTHOMPSON]

John was the driver, slightly intoxicated, late at night, drizzling rain. Looked down to get a CD, went onto the shoulder and nose dived into the semi deep ditch. He was thrown from the windshield and landed about 50 feet away into the woods. He only remembers vaguely waking up face down in a mud puddle desperatly trying to turn over. It took 30 minutes for someone to find him. He was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital about 45 miles away. Then airlifted to LSU in shreveport. Had surgery that morning and doesnt really remember anything about the hospital stay. After a week or so, he was transfered to tyler texas to rehab. Complete T6-7 para.

[Catucci]

Apparelyzed, on Nov 12 2005, 06:53 PM, said:

Hi Cat,

Which spinal unit is he at?

I went to Lodge Moore, which is now at The Northern General in Sheffield.

Simon.

Hi Simon

He's in Pinderfields Spinal Injuries Unit, Wakefield.

xx Cat xx

[Apparelyzed]

Hi Cat,

Hope everything's going ok at Wakefield

As you're from Yorkshire, I thought he may of been sent to Sheffield, although I did know they were very busy in August, especially the acute ward.

Anyway, if there's anything you want to ask on these forums, feel free, there's not much that one of use won't have experience of one way or another!

Regards

Simon.

[Chilepepper]

In 1978 I was in a MVA that was caused by me. I rolled my truck into a pole going about 100 miles an hour. I did my rehab at Shadoke in Hamilton for about 6 months. My brake level is T9 incomplete. Then about two years after that I was in the back of a pickup with some friends going to anther New Years Eve party when the driver passed out and slammed into the back of a park car. I was thrown and hit back of the cab and broke the rods that were supporting my spine. So back under the knife I went to remove the rods. My therapy this time was done at Lynhurst.

[hillarymcarter]

Gosh....that is horrible! I would stay away from motor vehicles!

[Chilepepper]

I know what you mean hillarymcarter, though that was back in a time when I was wild and crazy. Thank god those days are now far behind me.

[hillarymcarter]

You know, I always told my husband that now that he was badly hurt I felt like I didn't have to worry about him anymore. Like...lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. After this story, I just might change my mind on that assumption!!
I'm glad to hear you came out of it the second time without much more damage than you retained the first time!