[Redish]

Soryfam, on Mar 10 2010, 10:33 PM, said:

Wow Redish, what a story. Not to be nosy, but did they catch the person who shot you and do you know why they did this?
That aside, I admire how you have continued on and made the best of it. Welcome to the board.

Sandy

Thank you Sandy

Yes he was caught and sentenced. We think it was to rob me of my service pistol.

[Brad W Erlandson]

Wow, the stories are amazing, makes you feel like your not alone.

I'm coming up on my 8th year (I wont dignify this date with "anniversary") of being injured. I grew up in upstate NY, after graduating from college, I moved to southeast MI, obtained a Masters, established a family and just moved into a house I had built on 3 acres north of Detroit.

I have always been active, playing all kinds of sports, hockey was the my sport of choice, I played through high school. I raced motorcycles and did many crazy things growing up. As one person said, I should have been injured a long time ago.

However, on my way home from work 4-26-02, 6:30 in the evening I was struck head on by a drunk driver. She had 4 children in her car (all were OK) this was her 3rd offense, she was almost 3 times the limit. I sustained multiple vertebra and rib fractures, ruptured spleen, it had to be removed, a broken scapula, (still gives me a hard time) a closed head injury (I couldn't count money or formulate sentences for a month and a half), and the worst a T8 SCI.

Anyone who has been traumatically injured understands what it takes to get back to as close to "normal" as possible. It is a long hard, hard road. I have been very fortunate having a great family, friends and a genuine faith. I have been working toward recovery, I am in aggressive recovery programs. The results are slow, the process itself though helps me mentally and physically.

The negatives are pretty evident, loss of feeling and movement below the waist (all feeling if you know what I mean) All relationships change esp marital. Every day is a struggle, I have chronic pain in my legs and back. (I still haven't found a way to get rid of it) I am working on a degree in Mental Health Counseling and hope to get "back to work" soon. I have not "worked" since the crash. Life as I knew it is over (hard to admit that) but it is. Yet out of the rubble some things have changed for the better.

Looking on the bright side, I have always wanted to public speak, write books, and do marathons. My job and family concerns did not permit me to do any of this prior to the crash. Since the crash, I have participated in many marathons (with my handcycle) do public speaking (MADD, motivational, spiritual) and have written two books (both on amazon.com, Brad Erlandson, yes this is a commercial sales are down, joke) I have often heard people say God will help you accomplish your dreams. I could think of better ways to do this, but this is how it has turned out.

I have a quote in my first book, (I believe it is original, I have never heard it or read it) "Hard places help us determine who we are, and what we believe." This is my message, your hard place is causing you to determine things about yourself, your faith, your world. Grumble and complain as much as you need to, then pray, then move in the direction of your most dominate thoughts.

I have recently read a book by Viktor Frankel, "Man's Search For Meaning" In this book he says people need 3 things. Something to do, (a noble task, not necessarily a job), someone to love, and inner strength, if and when suffering comes. Viktor was in concentration camps during world war 2. He said when his friends lost hope (hope for the future, hope for what they would do or who they would love) they soon died.

Keep hope alive my friend. Better days will come, winter does not last forever (thank God). Thank you for initiating this exchange, Brad

[chickadee]

Broken Gal, on Feb 28 2010, 06:38 PM, said:

Nobody explained that CES would have an enormous effect on my life. I had a hint of how serious CES was when a consultant described my situation as 'the best it gets'. At that time I was walking with crutches and in constant pain.

Hi Gal, good to see another CES chickie in here. I'm thankful that I didn't have such drama with my doctors when I needed my surgery a year and a couple of months ago (they took one look at my MRI and started prepping the emergency room), but I know that I'm due for more surgery after the last MRI I had said not-so-good things. I speak to my physical medicine doctor in a week and a half, but the neurosurgeon wants to fuse up L1 to L5, and possibly do something else between L5 and S1. We'll see how things pan out.

CES is kind of a pain because it's a more rare injury, plus it comes with its own boatload of stupid needs and issues. I haven't had too many issues with my bowels after I stabilized my diet and routine, but I do cath at least 60-70% of the time to keep my bladder healthy. I use crutches and a wheelchair (depending on the situation), and I also wear leg braces to keep my legs and feet from curling up from spasms.

Also, because I'm curious, you mentioned that you had an injury at L6?

Anyway, good luck and hope things sort out. Just take it as it comes, one bit at a time.

[pistol_pete]

I won't bore you with my story.
But it does pose an interesting philosophical question.

If a tree falls in the forest....

and if a man is standing under it......

does it smash his spinal column and completely f*@k up his ability to ever walk again?

Hmmm......?

Uh.....YEEESSS!!!!!!

[spot]

pistol_pete, on Mar 15 2010, 06:49 PM, said:

I won't bore you with my story.
But it does pose an interesting philosophical question.

If a tree falls in the forest....

and if a man is standing under it......

does it smash his spinal column and completely f*@k up his ability to ever walk again?

Hmmm......?

Uh.....YEEESSS!!!!!!

Sounds to me as though you were lucky that is all it did. They don't call those falling branches "widow makers" for nothing, to say nothing of a falling tree. Last year, in the local paper, there was an article about a woman and her dog, both of whom were killed by a falling tree. The tree had been planted by the woman and her husband 50 years earlier. As a forest dweller, I have great respect for the destructive properties of trees.

[spot]

All I can say about my situation is that it is never good to be the first case of something that the doctors in the area have ever seen.

I had an angioma in my spinal cord at C1/C2. The symptoms built for 2 years, but all the doctors sent me for physical therapy to stretch my "tense muscles". They knew I had angiomas in my brain, but had never heard that there could be angiomas in the cord. It finally expanded and bled enough that I lost all feeling from the neck down. Then it became an emergency and the doctors finally did a neck MRI, then surgery. Too late to save much.

[pistol_pete]

Sounds to me as though you were lucky that is all it did. They don't call those falling branches "widow makers" for nothing, to say nothing of a falling tree. Last year, in the local paper, there was an article about a woman and her dog, both of whom were killed by a falling tree. The tree had been planted by the woman and her husband 50 years earlier. As a forest dweller, I have great respect for the destructive properties of trees.

True. It could have been a lot worse. Could have been a quad or dead.
Two months after I came home from hospital I had two trees on seperate occasions land on my house during storms.
I began to think they were after me, I dunno why, I love trees. I've even hugged a few in my time ( ok so I was drunk and it kept me vertical until the world stopped spinning)
I wondered if I should move to the Sahara.
But I didn't, and the tree loppers got richer and my house got sunnier.

This post has been edited by pistol_pete: 16 March 2010 - 03:50 AM

[spot]

pistol_pete, on Mar 15 2010, 08:47 PM, said:

Sounds to me as though you were lucky that is all it did. They don't call those falling branches "widow makers" for nothing, to say nothing of a falling tree. Last year, in the local paper, there was an article about a woman and her dog, both of whom were killed by a falling tree. The tree had been planted by the woman and her husband 50 years earlier. As a forest dweller, I have great respect for the destructive properties of trees.

True. It could have been a lot worse. Could have been a quad or dead.
Two months after I came home from hospital I had two trees on seperate occasions land on my house during storms.
I began to think they were after me, I dunno why, I love trees. I've even hugged a few in my time ( ok so I was drunk and it kept me vertical until the world stopped spinning)
I wondered if I should move to the Sahara.
But I didn't, and the tree loppers got richer and my house got sunnier.

You are right, the trees are out to get you. I wonder why. Do you harbor some inner animosity they can sense? Western Australia? You should be able to avoid the trees by moving inland or north. (I don't know much about WA, but aren't the forests in the southern region?) You shouldn't have to go all the way to the Sahara.

[pistol_pete]

spot, on Mar 17 2010, 12:09 PM, said:

pistol_pete, on Mar 15 2010, 08:47 PM, said:

Sounds to me as though you were lucky that is all it did. They don't call those falling branches "widow makers" for nothing, to say nothing of a falling tree. Last year, in the local paper, there was an article about a woman and her dog, both of whom were killed by a falling tree. The tree had been planted by the woman and her husband 50 years earlier. As a forest dweller, I have great respect for the destructive properties of trees.

True. It could have been a lot worse. Could have been a quad or dead.
Two months after I came home from hospital I had two trees on seperate occasions land on my house during storms.
I began to think they were after me, I dunno why, I love trees. I've even hugged a few in my time ( ok so I was drunk and it kept me vertical until the world stopped spinning)
I wondered if I should move to the Sahara.
But I didn't, and the tree loppers got richer and my house got sunnier.

You are right, the trees are out to get you. I wonder why. Do you harbor some inner animosity they can sense? Western Australia? You should be able to avoid the trees by moving inland or north. (I don't know much about WA, but aren't the forests in the southern region?) You shouldn't have to go all the way to the Sahara.

Well...., OK, I did do a diploma in fine furniture making. So I have milled up the odd tree carcass here and there and turned it into lovely homewares.
But I've also planted several thousand and saved quite a few from fiery death.
Oh God..... Do you think...... Oh shit.

So maybe they do have it in for me, but isn't making me a pot bellied cripple enough already.
Jeez, hold a grudge much you sap suckin' bastards?!!!!

This post has been edited by pistol_pete: 18 March 2010 - 09:57 AM

[spot]

pistol_pete, on Mar 18 2010, 02:37 AM, said:

spot, on Mar 17 2010, 12:09 PM, said:

pistol_pete, on Mar 15 2010, 08:47 PM, said:

Sounds to me as though you were lucky that is all it did. They don't call those falling branches "widow makers" for nothing, to say nothing of a falling tree. Last year, in the local paper, there was an article about a woman and her dog, both of whom were killed by a falling tree. The tree had been planted by the woman and her husband 50 years earlier. As a forest dweller, I have great respect for the destructive properties of trees.

True. It could have been a lot worse. Could have been a quad or dead.
Two months after I came home from hospital I had two trees on seperate occasions land on my house during storms.
I began to think they were after me, I dunno why, I love trees. I've even hugged a few in my time ( ok so I was drunk and it kept me vertical until the world stopped spinning)
I wondered if I should move to the Sahara.
But I didn't, and the tree loppers got richer and my house got sunnier.

You are right, the trees are out to get you. I wonder why. Do you harbor some inner animosity they can sense? Western Australia? You should be able to avoid the trees by moving inland or north. (I don't know much about WA, but aren't the forests in the southern region?) You shouldn't have to go all the way to the Sahara.

Well...., OK, I did do a diploma in fine furniture making. So I have milled up the odd tree carcass here and there and turned it into lovely homewares.
But I've also planted several thousand and saved quite a few from fiery death.
Oh God..... Do you think...... Oh shit.

So maybe they do have it in for me, but isn't making me a pot bellied cripple enough already.
Jeez, hold a grudge much you sap suckin' bastards?!!!!

Yes. I hope you know where every one of those "several thousand" trees were planted.

[Redish]

Shucks he planted so many. There will be one behind every bush.

[ADP-10-08-63]

i always ask why did this have to happen me
one day i will come to terms with my condition
but it is one long and pain full process

[Carolie]

Almost 16 years ago. T-bone wreck at 35 mph. Car tried to make a left turn in front of me.

Lightning does strike in the same place twice. I was originally a C5-7 incomplete. I had complications twice. The docs don't tell you that the stress of the fusion puts strain on the adjacent levels and the discs can rupture and fail. Unfortunately, mine failed upward. Now I'm a C3-7 incomplete.

[chris3829]

Friday Oct 6th 1990 just turned 18 I was hanging out with a bunch of friend(we all had fast cars) and we would race every chance we got. So me and a buddy went to go to "the race spot" a long straight away about a mile long he was driving a new 5.0 stang and i had a new gta trans am..I never made it to the race spot..I dont remember any of it,but i was told that i was racing to go racing and lost it around a curve.Police report said i was traveling in excess of 100 and when i went around the curve in the road my rear tire went off the pavement into some dirt and it sent my car out of control.I hit a telephone pole which shot my car around and into some trees a house and a another car and finally wound up in the middle of the road.My friend that i was going to race arrived at the scean just seconds later and he said all he saw was dirt,glass and the engine of my car tumbling down the road..So i wound up w/ a broken back,collapsed lung,bruised kidney,8"gash on my head and cuts full of glass..They said i lost almost half of my blood thru the gash in my noggin..Theres more but i have to go back to work

[blingless]

mine's here

[Stand117711]

Here's my story...

http://www.aaronwood.us/?page_id=645

[Carolie]

Auto accident, classic T-Bone wreck. The other car pulled out in front of me trying to make a left turn. I was doing 35 mph, saw the accident about to happen, and only had time to get my foot off the accelerator and over the brake.

I was driving a pre-airbag car (not that it would have mattered-I saw a documentary with the same accident at the same speed and the airbag didn't deploy).

I hit the right side of my forehead on the roof of the car above the dashboard. That did C5-7. They were literally liquified.

C4 was from the stress of the fusion. Ditto for C3. The docs don't tell you adjacent levels can fail. Fortunately, C2 and C1 are shaped differently so I should be safe.

Just found out about the bone spur on C7-T1 today, pressing on the thecal sac. Will put off surgery as long as possible.

Carolyn

[Wheelsonfire]

My sig line tells all.........aweful aweful memories...

[mahmutkaplan]

Wheelsonfire, on 12 August 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

My sig line tells all.........aweful aweful memories...

Different causes results same event (SCI)
One earn is

[gchesman]

I had a spinal stroke (infarction) 3 yrs ago. I had just turned 21.

MEDICAL DEFINITION: The lack of circulation to the spinal cord that results in a spinal cord infarction (blockage). Spinal cord infarction is not common, but only fragmentary or indirect data are available on incidence or prevalence. If spinal stroke is approximately 1.2% of strokes, an overall annual incidence of 12 in 100,000 can be estimated.

Spinal cord infarction is usually marked by an acute onset, often heralded by sudden and severe spinal (back) pain, bilateral weakness, paresthesias, and sensory loss. Most (>80%) spinal infarcts are painful. This is an interesting and unexplained difference from cerebral infarction, which is usually not painful.

Identifying the cause of spinal cord infarction according to clues related to the location of the vascular pathology is generally ATTEMPTED. No direct studies have examined efficacy of drug therapy in spinal cord infarction. This is because of the uncommon nature of the disorder and frequent delay in diagnosis. A minority of patients improve; rarely (<10%), patients achieve a remarkable recovery of function, particularly of motor control and ability to walk.

The acute stage involves an urgency for diagnosis and the necessity for excluding emergency spinal decompressive surgery that mandates admission to a MAJOR center or hospital facility with the requisite imaging, neurosurgical, and related capabilities. The overall life expectancy is diminished because of the vascular, infectious, and other medical complications.

Spinal Cord Infarction: Thomas F Scott, MD, Professor, Program Director, Department of Neurology, Drexel University College of Medicine; Director, Allegheny MS Treatment Center
Aug 21, 2009

[dee money]

I was riding my motorcycle home and as I was passing a semi truck, he turned right from the left lane, crushing me in his path. I was knocked unconscious and woke up 5 minutes later yelling, "I CAN'T MOVE MY LEGS, I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!" The guy dragged my bike, it caught on fire as well as my leg, but didn't know because I was paralyzed and knocked out. I fractured my T9-T10 and was paralyzed immediately but after a few weeks, I regained some feeling and movement in both legs.

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[Kmac32]

Nothing exciting or dramatic for me. I had a spinal cord stroke involving c6 to t1 incomplete. Can't feel heat of cold below my arm pits. Also don't have deep pain but can feel superficial touch. Have all the bladder and bowel issues of quads. Can walk short distances with a cane or walker.. Nootka fun for a person who was very active. Also severe weakness I'm hands. Different body parts alternate between hot and cold. 4 months into this and not much fun.

[The Black Sheep]

I fell asleep and woke up paralyzed. It's confusing and completely boring. =) Not exactly the story most are anticipating when they ask "what happened"?

I actually had a blood infection that entered my spine when I was asleep. The swelling then strangled some nerves and I woke up when I had trouble breathing, tried to get up and fell right back down. I've recovered a lot, though, so it's actually not that bad. I have almost normal sensation and I recovered my breathing within a year. 12 years later I'm still waking up every morning with a new "thing". Like the other day I was in the bath tub and I used my foot to push the nozzle thing that lets the drain plug out. I've never been able to lift my leg the high from a sitting position before, and never that coordinated. Right now I'm wiggling my right toes, which is also kind of new.

[barbara9999]

I am now in my 9th month after the accident. I fell down a very long and steep flight of stairs, head first they say like a missile. I am 66 yrs old and overweight. An adventurer, a traveler. Miraculously I did not break any bones but i do remember this cracking sound in my neck and my thinking at the moment and before i lost consciousness, "I'm finished". I was not finished I mean dead, but I definitely am taking a different path and that is hard, day by day. I have a SCI, incomplete at C2-6. I had a disk fusion two months ago. There has been a little improvement. I can walk around and use a cane outside. Basically at this stage I wobble altho my balance has gotten alot better over the last 3 months because of physical therapy. I take the PT very serious. I also try to use a bycycle and treadmill every day. 3 weeks ago I ventured out on my first trip alone to Wash DC and NYC pulling my wheeled suitcase around down the metro and onto buses. it was slow work but I accomplished it thanks to passersby who also kindly helped an old lady who knows how to say thank you.

Everytime I see stairs i cringe and get anxious. Even when I don't see stairs I relive the fall in my mind and get scared. My mind's imagination sees me falling down all kinds of stairs tripping over things landing on my head. When I first started walking it was about 3 months after the accident and I fell a number of times usually tripping over my own foot. That has not happened for over 3 months, My balance and strength are much better. I am now on a vacation to California. I took the train (Amtrak) alone. The stairs are hard from getting from one level to another but there is railing and i did it alone. I would not attempt stairs at all unless there is a railing.

I have bought a ticket to China and India for January 2011. I will be traveling alone and know that I will go at my own pace, slow and steady, and sit down alot. At least I am following my heart. Thats also a part of therapy.

[G-man]

yes the turtle story is ture the mans name is tony and he was from n.c. outer banks...not sure where now but we were in rehab. for a time in 1988

[thecbrigade]

Hey guys, these stories are all very moving to me, and I appreciate your honesty and courage to share this with the public. I recently saw a documentary which your friends and family may be interested in.

The film’s title is “A Good Man”. It features an Australian sheep farmer named Chris as he cares for his his quadriplegic wife and two children. However, the cost of living is too high for him to pay for expenses, so he begins to use unconventional methods to earn money so that he may continue to care for his wife. The film’s material is controversial, but I also found it very moving. If you are interested, the film’s television premiere is Sunday June 19th at 8pm (Eastern Time) on Documentary Channel. Unfortunately you can only find Documentary Channel on DISH Network 197 or DIRECTV 267. It’s disappointing to me that only these networks will be able to show the premiere. Apparently, if you go to this link you can request the channel: http://www.documenta...nnel.com/getdoc

Here is a link to the trailer! Let me know what you think of it! Love this movie.

[Vanessamaee]

Hey everyone! I'm a little late. I was just paralyzed 2 1/2 months ago at the age of 16. I was in a Rodeo accident. I was serving as a Rodeo Bullfighter (cowboy protection). This is when the bull rider falls off, the bullfighter draws attention to themselves so the rider can get to safety. The rider fell off and the bull ran to the other end of the arena. No pick up men were to be found. Then a second gate was unexpectedly opened and a second bull around 2000lbs was let out, unflanked (the flank is the rope that goes around their hinds to help make them buck, without the flank strap on the bulls are extremely fast.) The bull charged me and one of the other bullfighters and managed to pick me up by its horns and throw me 25-30ft straight up in the air. I remember being thrown and then hitting the ground and trying to get back up, but the bull decided he wasn't finished yet. He came back around, picked me up, threw me forward, rolled me, then stepped on me. I broke my T3 and T5 and bursted my T4 along with tearing the derma (outside covering of the spinal cord)along with 6 broken ribs, a severe concussion, a large cut on the back of my head and many more LARGE cuts on my legs and arms. I was taken by ambulance which then life flighted me to a different hospital which declared my trauma severe so they life flighted me to a third hospital. I remember every bit of it except the second time the bull came around. Ill be turning 17 in a couple of days and Im just truly blessed to have made it. I was wearing a 10lb hard plastic protective vest at the time and the doctors still have no idea how I didn't suffer a brain injury. I was in the hospital for almost 2 months and have been in rehab for 6 weeks. Im already moving along very well. At first coming out of surgery I was said to be in rehab for a year to a year and a half. They've now changed that to August 12th. I plan on skydiving on my 18th birthday, water skiing, playing wheelchair basketball and hand cycling and I really want to get into an adaptive hot air balloon! Theres still so many things a para even a quad can do. We just have to get creative and do it differently! Im already back out fishing and weight lifting some (I still have some spinal percautions). I think the hardest thing out of all of this is my boyfriend breaking up with my the night of my accident because he didnt want to "deal with someone in a wheelchair " and he "no longer liked how I looked" as he put it.(He was also my date to prom which I was suppose to attend the next weekend. HA!) Im still the same me, just stronger (:

[Tetracyclone]

Simon, do we know this person already?

[sh1wn]

They let a 16 year old be a rodeo clown??
Wow, heck of a story.

[Tetracyclone]

sh1wn, on 03 July 2011 - 11:15 PM, said:

They let a 16 year old be a rodeo clown??
Wow, heck of a story.

Downright unbelievable.