382 replies to this topic

[wheelie182]

Ive really slowed down when it comes to dangerous stuff, when i see my brothers or other people doing dangerous stuff, somtimes i really get scared, like my brother has just started rugby, and already two of his team members are off with injuries, and rugby is one of the common sci causes,

Or when im watching those you've framed type programs and you see people falling on their heads, and im thinking, christ he's gotta of broken his neck, but no they just get straight back up,

also when i begin driving, which was after my injury, it took so much courage for me, mainly because i was scared of having a crash and being even worse off,

but i know that you can't live like that.......what if.......what if......but to be honest its will always in the back of my mind, mainly because of the fact that im 18, and i suppose ive got a lot of years for somthing else to happen,

its not that you've just gotta monitor your on driving, you've gotta monitor everyone elses, you can drive as safe as you possibly can, but all it takes is for some idiot to jump a red light.

[russ1]

Regarding Rugby - actually sci injuries from rugby are very rare these days - maybe one or two a year. There's a lot of new rules to prevent injuries and it's orders of magnitude better than it used to be.

Don't know why but I asked around in the unit I was in and the biggest cause by for is Road Traffic - and the majority of these are Motorbikes with cars and pedal cycles lower down the scale. After these it's medical issues. Some way down the likely hood scale then comes work place injuries and sports with horse riding and motorcross featuring quite high up the list. Diving into shallow water is up there too.

My story - Mountain Bike accident in March 2003. Descending a steep rocky mountain road from one of the high peaks in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales my front wheel came out while I was travelling at probably 20 -25 mph and I was catapaulted over the handlebars landing on my head and then cartwheeling down the path. I completly destroyed T3 and did a decent job of breaking T2 and T4 as well. There's a picture of the Air Ambulance landing to rescue me below. That's me in the pile on the floor under the paramedics in the foreground.


It's difficult not to worry about the lightning striking twice thing and skiing a bit closer to trees than I'd intended to does concentrate the mind ! Hardest thing is to give the kids the freedom to do all those things that kids do - cycling, trampolining, horse riding but you can't just wrap them up in cotton wool.

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[dan_nc]

Jennifer, on Oct 28 2005, 12:50 AM, said:

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

You all shared such inspiring stories. I was injuried in an MVA last month. This past month has been pretty scary in dealing with the injury and difference in mobility. I had a L1 burst fracture (probably from the seatbelt) and had the fusion/decompression thing. I've spent the last couple of weeks in an rehab facility and of course hoping for the best returns. I've been told that I'm fortunate that my injury is relatively low (and incomplete), however, it still doesn't make my circumstances any easier to deal with ... my family, friends and church have all been praying for the best.

I'm just starting to jump on the internet to learn more about my injury and ran across this board. I'm hoping to learn about others peoples experiences after similar injury, though I know no-two-injuries are the same. If you've gone through something similar, I hope to hear from you about your rehab experience.

[xX Lauren Xx]

well my story is totally different to any i have read so far, i have been injured exactly a year on the 21st of november well thats at least when i walked into hospital. there is so much to my story i dont know were to start. to cut a long story short i was a v.fit and healthy able bodied person which was captain of my home ladies football team aswell as a cross country runner, and swimmer. i just started my first yr at college doing sport and exercise science which i am continuing now. when i was taken into hospital i was misdiagnosed 3 times and then informed it was all in my head!!!! by the 3rd day in hospital i had lost some sensation in my feet and also movement the tops of my lgs were still moveable, even though i had lost control of my bladder and hadnt had a bowl result the full period i had been in hospital on top of the agonising burning neurological pains in my stomach and a 40 temperature and surieal heart rate and blood pressure. i was then misdiagnosed again with guillian barre syndrome followed by transverse mylittus, the doctors transfurred me to Hull royal infermary were they misread an MRI scan and at this point the neuroligist informed me i was lucky they didnt have to open my back up (i now know that if they had this would have had an 85% chance that this operation would of gave me full contol of my lower body)and dismissed me. i was then sent back to my hospital were they treated me for transverse mylitus i soon lost all movemnt from neck down this is were they then moved me back to hull were they did another MRI were they realised i had puddles of 'puss' going up my spinal cord and a spinal abcess at the T6/7 legion.
lol im gonna shut up now coz i started this whole thing off with 'to cut a long story short' a yr on i am a paraplegic t7 complete injury with no control, sensation or movemt from the chest down. i am living my life to the best i can even though were i live isnt ideal for a w/c user at all steps and hills everywere, there is soooo much i could write but dont want to bore you. i could do with a few tips on life in a chair!!! even though im living with it everyday and also the thought of if my regular infection would of been treated properly i would of been back on my feet in a week... but hey thats life!!

Edited by xX Lauren Xx, 29 November 2005 - 03:22 PM.

[Dana]

My accident occured in 1997.
I was 16 at the time.
I was coming home from a movie when the driver of the car (who was my boyfriend back then) lost control of the car, went off the rode and crashed into a high voltage power pole.
The front-right side of the car was crashed and I got trapped between the front and my seat.
I broke several bones in my body, my pelvic, my right femur, 6 ribs and 4 vertebrates.
My spinal cord was severed at T5-T6, my splint raptured and one of my kidneys also raptured, which made me bleed very heavily internally.
Luckily for me we were less than 5 minutes from one of Israel's largest hospitals, otherwise I would not have made it.
I was unconcious for 4 days, underwent fusion of my broken vertebrates, and then was in the hospital for another 2 months followed by 6 months at rehab.
I am married now and I am 17 weeks pregnant!

[Joed]

Whooooooooooo-Hoooooooooooo!

Dana....CONGRATULATIONS!!

Edited by Joed, 12 December 2005 - 06:02 PM.

[glassrose106]

Hi everyone I'm new here. I'm a 21-year-old female who has been paralyzed for 3 years now. About one month after my high school graduation I was in a car driven by my friend a guy fell asleep at the wheel and hit us head on. My injury is t11 complete.

[Gibbo]

Hi, i was injured on 20th august 2005. I was on a 50cc scooter and a car was driving on the wrong side of the road, and hit me and i broke both femurs, smashed knee cap, cracked ribs ,punctured lung, smashed spleen, brokeen arm, and spinal cord damage at t9,t10,t12. i am now t9 complete. i am still in rehab at stanmore hospital in london. as i am 16 i cant go on the spinal unit so i am on a kids ward with loads of screamin kids!!! but the hospital gave me a laptop to use so i can go on these websites to help me find out info. I cant find any other teens with sci thou.
If there is any or any advice for teens email me:


gibbs89@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks Jack

[bdmpastx]

I was in a motorcycle/car crash. Can you guess which one I was in? lol. I was in Ozark, AR heading North on hwy23 (the Pig Trail) when a car decided to decellerate in my lane and proceed to turn. The car swerved in my lane about 100 yards in front of me and I caught the front passenger side of the car. I flew 156.9 feet though the air before landing and tumbling to a stop. I was awake the entire time. I had some severe injuries as you can read in my signature.

Here are some pictures from the scene....

[Joed]

Hi Anthony...

Your story is heartbreaking to hear. I know it's probably not much consolation right now, but that 'fiance' really did you a favor in the long run. Now the door can open for a more genuine relationship to develop with someone who truly means the 'for better or worse' part.

But if the child is yours, then I don't see how she can keep you from having a relationship. She'd have to have a damned good reason, and in the eyes of the law. Fight for that. You'll never regret it.

You may not be up for a fight right now, but you can start the wheels in motion. These things move so slowly anyway, so you probably won't be bombarded with a lot of 'busy work' too soon. Do you have someone who can work beside you on this?

Things get better...and that's not just a platitude...they really do get better! You didn't mention when your injury happened, but if it was relatively recent, in the last year, then there's surely some positives ahead...whether physically or emotionally.

You've taken quite a huge hit all at once. Keep in mind that nothing is static...everything changes. And I believe that the natural tendency is for change toward the good.

Keep fighting the good fight! We're here if you need to talk, vent, curse or whatever the situation calls for.

Blessings~

Joed

[goodsteez]

Summer of '02 i think. Cliffdiving with some friends when someone yelled at me not to jump as I was making my run to the edge. Tried to stop myself and ended up just slipping off the edge and falling 50ft breaking c4-5-6 and a couple ribs etc...luckily incomplete and amazingly never hit my head. Spent a total of 9 months in rehab at 3 different rehab centers. Like Gibbo i was 18 at the time so most of my rehab i wasnt able to be on the SCI unit but an adolescent/ young adults program which turned out to be better in the long run. Some of the hardest and best times of my life. Showed me what lifes really about and im grateful for that. Now a c-7 incomplete. Take care

Edited by goodsteez, 30 December 2005 - 08:11 AM.

[Wheelchair_Titan]

Have been a T9 Complete para since February 14, 1989. Almost 16 years ... wow time does really fly quickly!

Was 29 years old just finished my first graduate degree ! Short story ... .( there is like everyone here ,a much longer one for those who want to know just ask )

I was heading to a great day of skiing when I came across black ice under fresh snow. The laws of physics being what they are I managed to to do a triple "clutz" and wound up sliding off the road and down an embankment. The nice part was this was just a one vehicle accident (mine) and nobody else was with me to also get hurt. To answer your silent questions, no I wasn't speeding and I was wearing my seat belt.

Add a big tree at the bottom of the embankment and what I thought was no injury accident except to my pride and my car ... result was a closed SCI bruise/bleed that happened over a few hours and the result was a T9 Complete injury. Most of it now , is hillarious becaise of the process of how that day unfolded.

Needless to say there is a significantly longer story ... but I am going to just indicate that on that infamous day, I managed to avoid paying the ski lift fees , got aa new vehicle from insurance and also got a helicopter ride back to the city! I was actually able to put my grad school education to work and figured out what had happened to me when they sent me by helicopter from the small regional hospital.

It is amazing what an education and time to think will allow one to conclude even before the doctors would or could tell me.

Life rolls on ... pun intended!

[Upstate]

caregiver, on Dec 19 2005, 09:00 PM, said:

My sister woke up on Feb. 18, 2004 a perfectly normal 31 year old woman ready to go to work, waiting for me to get my lazy butt out of bed, and she started saying her feet were tingling and she was having pain in her right side. She usually had this pain when she was about to start her monthly so she didn't think much of it. Well, she went numb from the waist down a little while later. We spent from 9 am until almost midnight that evening in the ER. she was transferred to baltimore after being turned down by other hospitals. Next day they said she had a disk that had collapsed and they did surgery. She is paralyze T 12.

Hi Caregiver,

Your sister's story sounds very much like my boyfriend's story - his was three years ago. If you want to talk about it, send me a personal message. I dont' have answers, but I'd like to compare notes.
Upstate

[Upstate]

caregiver, on Dec 19 2005, 09:00 PM, said:

My sister woke up on Feb. 18, 2004 a perfectly normal 31 year old woman ready to go to work, waiting for me to get my lazy butt out of bed, and she started saying her feet were tingling and she was having pain in her right side. She usually had this pain when she was about to start her monthly so she didn't think much of it. Well, she went numb from the waist down a little while later. We spent from 9 am until almost midnight that evening in the ER. she was transferred to baltimore after being turned down by other hospitals. Next day they said she had a disk that had collapsed and they did surgery. She is paralyze T 12.

Hi Caregiver,

Your sister's story sounds very much like my boyfriend's story - his was three years ago. If you want to talk about it, send me a personal message. I dont' have answers, but I'd like to compare notes.
Upstate

[rollingpix]

I was at my best friends b-day party. Just got off my job, drove to his house and was getting ready to go wakeboarding...Lake=water=shallow
water=brokeneck. Transverse fracture C5,6,7. I had dived off that dock 100+times before that day. Charlie, my b/f was inside, I went outside to go for a swim, dove in, broke neck and was floating, conscious and all by myself. After a minute (lifetime) went by, I heard Charlie screaming, Ralph! quit "expletive" around. He realized I wasn't, jumped in and saved my life. That was my story, 7+ years later and I'm still here. Charlie's gone (as a friend) but I'm still here.

Ralph
http://rollingpix.blogspot.com

[Carly/Kevin]

My girlfriend told me about this site and i came across this blog and thought to tell my story.

The day my life changed: On December 4, 2005 my girlfriend and I had just came back from Dallas for the weekend. I had dropped her off and right before she got out of the truck she told me, "you better be careful, I know how you are when I'm not around. I love you!" The reason she told me that is because she knew that I was going to meet my friend, and we like to race. Well, I'm only 19 and I never think of the consequences that can happen to you. I thought I was invincible (now I know I'm not). Anyway, I was stupid went racing and as we came to a curve i missed the curve went sliding and hit a tree going about 100+ mph. I had wrapped the truck around the tree. Luckily for me, I had a new truck the airbags did help and the fact that it was a large truck helped it too. If I was in a little car or truck I don't think I would have made it. My brake was L3 and its incomplete, punctured a lung and broke 2 ribs. Everyone told me I was very lucky to even be alive, and I am very grateful to be alive and still have my girlfriend standing beside me through all of this. I wish I have pictures to show but I don't. So, that's my story.

[Chase]

Hey Anthony,
I was admitted to Craig due to a classic diving accident prior to your admission. As you know, Craig has a tendency to let the word get out about other patients. Due to me still being so ill I was still on the west side when you were admitted. I ended up knowing your roommate when I moved to the east side. My dad and I have heard your story and found it quite tragic, but also heard about, what Craig ended up doing and I am quite curious to hear your side of the story. Please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like.

[keps]

I didn't have an accident.

On September 30th 2004, I was woken early in the morning by chest pain. I thought it was severe indigestion (as did my boyfriend).

The pain just kept increasing, until it was so unbearable that I thought I must be having a heart attack.
I'd been through to the living room, thinking if I had a wander it might take my mind off it. I then decided to get back on the bed, and try to relax and watch a dvd.
Eventually I was in so much agony, I decided to go to the living room (where my boyfriend was) to tell my boyfriend that I needed to go to hospital.

I got off the bed, then promptly collapsed on the floor - my legs had gone (I had felt a warm flash in my legs, then nothing). My boyfriend was terrified to find me on the floor unable to get up.

He called an ambulance, and I was soon in hospital. A nurse there seemed to think it was not too serious - we think she thought I had indigestion.
That was until I realized she had taken my socks and shoes off, and I hadn't felt it.
She went to get a doctor when she heard me asking my boyfriend if my footwear had been taken off, he said yes, then panicking when I told him I hadn't felt it.

A doctor then scraped his keys up my foot, and when he said "no plantar response" things moved very quickly. I was soon in an MRI machine, and was swiftly told I had something on my spine.
I was transferred to another hospital, where the same day I had a 5 hour operation to remove a huge blood clot.

I was told before the operation that what was on my spine could be blood, or a benign or malignant tumour. My blood ran cold when I heard the word tumour.

The operation was a success, in that it removed the blood, but I am still paralyzed.

Edited for typos

Edited by keps, 17 January 2006 - 03:35 PM.

[C6-JEN]

Hey all
I was left paralysed from C6 level on july 27th 2004.I was 19 at the time . I was out for a drive with my then boyfriend and his cousin, we hit a stretch of road with 2 cars in front who were driving incredibly slowly so he decided to over-take the two cars. We pulled out and sped up then the car infront of us decided to pull out. My boyfriend tried to brake but we clipped the opposite kerb and spun the car back across the road in front of the 2 cars and into a field. The car fell down a 5ft drop then proceeded to flip 2 or 3 times eventually stopping on its roof. I awoke to find myself upside down in the front passenger seat, with my boyfriend screaming at me to get out, when i couldnt move he and his cousin (both uninjured) pulled me from the car. I ended up spending 11 months in the southern general spinal unit in glasgow (brilliant place!). As for the boyfriend, he comes and goes as he pleases lol

Jen XXX

[sarah o]

after reading all of your experiences, i really feel like i asked for it with my accident.

i was camping all by myself in the Smokey mountains near the border of Georgia/North Carolina. pretty much the only thing i did that was smart in the whole thing was telling people that i was camping and when i planned to return to the cabin.

i spent one awesome night under the stars and woke up very blissful and happy to have a nice sunny day ahead of me to explore. i went down to the river, made some coffee, ate a snickers and took a few bong hits

i had my period so i had to wash my clothes in the river and left them on the rocks to dry. then i went up river (naked) looking for one of the many waterfalls that i had found on previous trips ~ and planned to move camp to be near one of them.

about an hour into my journey, i came along a really tall (turns out it was 100 feet) nice white cliff face. i was really into rockclimbing and unfortunately had a bit of skill and experience. went to the climbing gym every week and had done a bit of climbing in the states and in Thailand ~~~ but ALWAYS with a climbing partner and ropes !

well, i hadn't really planned on doing an official climb, i wasn't THAT stoned, but i was stupid enough to climb up the side of the cliff where there was lots of vegetation (roots and bushes) that you could use to pull yourself up.

i got safely up to about 90 feet where there was a wide ledge that you could just walk across that took me to the middle of the cliff-face, 10 feet from the top.

i did one of my new rockclimbing moves ~ without giving one single thought to the danger of it. i ended up with both hands on the top of the cliff, my feet in good footholds, but with absolutely nothing to pull myself up further. the top of the cliff was smooth, rounded and was covered in wet moss that came off on my hands. nothing sharp to grasp.

so i was holding on with just curved hands and this tiny muscle in my forearm. there was nothing i could do. the tiny muscle finally burned to the point of going numb ~ i realized for the first time that i was in a pretty bad situation. terror took over my heart and at the same instant, an Angel (or something?) came.

there is a long story to this, but the highlights: i fell.

i laid at the bottom of the cliff for 54 hours. no one looked for me until the next day when i didn't show up at the cabin. finally a search team went out 2 days later and they did find me. while i laid there, bloody, paralyzed and with a punctured lung, something literally said "you will be rescued. they will come up the river and you can't be seen from the river where you are laying now."

there was evidence that i had dragged myself 50 feet to the river from where i'd landed but i dunno how the heck i could have done that and i don't remember.

the temp had dropped to the 40's during the nights and the docs said that because i had no clothes, i was able to warm up with the sun ~ otherwise i would have died from hypothermia.

it took them 8 hours just to get me out of the mountains to a place where the helicopter waited. the vegetation was too dense for the heli where i was ~ i officially died 5 times while they rescued me. met Jesus and He kept helping me to find my body to come back to it, and helped me to WANT to come back.

the heli phoned ahead to the hospital in a small town in georgia ~ don't worry about preparing for us, they said, jane doe (they didn't know my name) won't be alive by the time we get there.

when i was cognizant enough, about a week later, a nurse leaned down and told me this story: when i arrived i didn't even look human. blood and mud covered a horrifically swollen body. they worked and worked to raise my temp enough to get my blood out and into a machine that would warm it up. it was so cold it wouldn't even register on the thermometer. after an hour the team of docs gathered outside the room and collectively decided they had done all they could do and would just have to let me go.

this nurse went and got HAIRDRIERS and wet towels and saved my life by blowdrying me !!!

BELIEVE IN MIRACLES !!!!!!!!

[sarah o]

oh yeah, i forgot to get to the point: my t-4 was smushed to one-third it's normal size ~ bone fragments from t-4 and t-3 went into my spinal cord. they said my spinal cord was bruised.

[Kaani]

Hi everyone..
well i got my injury T-9 level while i was in the army..
its been 3 and a half years and its been a rough going.. bedsores and stuff.. UTI n all.. problem here is tht we dun have much of knowledge about spinal injuries in pakistan and not any full fledge rehab centres.. so its pretty much on ur own tht u got to do everything..

this forum really helps though i spend hours reading stuff n learning..
good luck all..

[sjean423]

I broke my back (T7-8) sledding with the kids in The grandparents back yard. I was on one of thos blowup snow tubes, lost control and veered off the course, right into a tree. Luckily my sister in law, a nurse, was there and wouldn't let anyone move me, called for an ambulance right away. It just goes to show, it doesn't take anything that seems "dangerous" .....