22 replies to this topic

[Boozyuzi]

I am a t10-11 para and I was in the hospital for 8 months (in 1987). I was ready for release after about 6 months but had to stay a bit longer because of housing problems.

[hillarymcarter]

My husband is a T12/L1 para and he was in for 6 months. They told him he would be in for a year and a half though. They don't want to tell you a stay and then you end up there for longer. They probably told him the longest length of time they thought he would be there. Nobody can give you a time limit on rehab...it depends on the person and how hard they are willing to work.

[keps]

I am a T2 complete para and was in a spinal unit in the UK for 5 months - one month bedrest, four months rehab. The unit I was at, 4 months was the average length of rehab for a para. (I was in the unit the end of last year/beginning of this one)

[wheelie182]

Hi, you stay in rehad for as long as you need to, or until they think your ready, i was on bedrest for 2 months, and i left 4 months after that, they keep most people in until there happy that they know what they are doing, and know how to take care of themselves

[carolline]

maybe they has to say the maximum stay in the hospital for complete rehabilitation.But it doesnt mean that you'll need to complete that 10-12 months.
They dont want you to give a deffinite days..when he'll be free from the hospital.
Just..wait and see and be patience....

Regards to your friend!

[AHolland]

T4/T5 Complete. I was in for 5+ months. I still did rehab for 12 months beyond that as an out patient (came from home to do the rehab).

I'm pretty sure they are giving you the worst case scenario.

[Adrian]

My complete stay was 11 and a half months, due to other injuries that i recieved i needed more physio treatment. Also i was on bed rest for 4 months initially so when i started to get up i was wasted away and very weak.

Everyone's different.

[James]

Guest, on Oct 31 2005, 02:58 AM, said:

Tin Soldier, on Oct 26 2005, 01:35 PM, said:

I found this board by accident. A friend of mine was injured in Iraq. Is now T6/T7 or thereabouts - not sure of complete or incomplete. He is in hospital in the UK and we have been told he faces a 10-12 month stay. Can anyone tell me why such a long hospital rehab stay? I thought only quads/tetras had stays of up to a year. Most paras I know have been out in 6 months - some less - never as long as 12. Is this normal.

Sorry for asking it may sound stupid to you board posters but not to us.

Thanks.

Tin Soldier,

I do not believe the doctors or hospital staff can accurately tell you how long. They seem to initially over estimate the length of stay to the patient and family for psychological reasons. There are just too many variables for them to be accurate. T-6/7. He should be out in 4-5 months(rehap at the hospital) if he really wants to and applies himself.

I am a T-3 complete. Two 6-8 hour stays in the operating room, no bed rest time, and in less than two months I was discharged as an outpatient.

Encouragement, patience and prayers will help a great deal.

And do not feel stupid for asking. This is not taught in school.

Best of luck.

Tin Soldier,

I do not believe the doctors or hospital staff can accurately tell you how long. They seem to initially over estimate the length of stay to the patient and family for psychological reasons. There are just too many variables for them to be accurate. T-6/7. He should be out in 4-5 months(rehap at the hospital) if he really wants to and applies himself.

I am a T-3 complete. Two 6-8 hour stays in the operating room, no bed rest time, and in less than two months I was discharged as an outpatient.

Encouragement, patience and prayers will help a great deal.

And do not feel stupid for asking. This is not taught in school.

Best of luck.

[Cloudy]

Alls i have to say is WOW! I was in Rehab for 6 weeks is all. T12-L1 para here. I kinda feel jipped...lol Actually when i was released i was virtually helpless. 2 years....*gasp*

[James]

Cloudy, on Nov 7 2005, 08:46 AM, said:

Alls i have to say is WOW! I was in Rehab for 6 weeks is all. T12-L1 para here. I kinda feel jipped...lol Actually when i was released i was virtually helpless. 2 years....*gasp*

Feel jipped because you did not get to stay in hospital longer? Did you then spend 2 additional years as outpatient? Your quote “WOW”.

[Cloudy]

oooo dident mean that as an offense. I meant i wasent helped much, meaning i was jipped, not because of the short stay. I had a very difficult time when i left rehab, and i dident get any outpatient therapy either. Most of the things i do know i learned how to do on my own. I wish i could have stayed alot longer, i probably would have learned how do alot more than i know now. One thing i wish though is that they had helped me learn how to drive, im going on 28 and still cant drive

[wheelie182]

Hi cloudy,

Unfortunatly, they don't teach you to drive in rehab

but before you left you should have been able to do the basic day to day things such as small transfering, bowell routine, and catheters, but with your injury they should have also taught you how to floor to chair and and how to transfer into a car, if you left with being able to do all these things, then your ok, if you left without being able to do them, then shame on your rehab,

but to be honest it doesn't really matter, as i have changed everything that they taught me as i find it better to do it different ways, and you will to

but i really recommend that you learn to drive, it counts as like 6 legs LOL

basicly you will go back to your rehab or somwhere similar for a driving assessment, where they will look at what adaptions you will need, which for you will be an automatic, with hand controls, push to brake, and pull to accelerate, and you will probaly also have an indicating switch on the lever aswell, and you will have a steering ball, its that easy,

then you just have to find a disabled driving instructor, with the same adaptions to his car, im sure you will find one, although they are a few quid more expensive an hour

[Bob Clark]

I'm a T-5 and paid a one-legged man to install a standard set of hand controls for me. Push forward to brake and pull down toward my lap for gas. I practiced on my own for a month or so and took my driving test and passed the first time. Hey, it took me twice to pass when I was AB'd!

I was taught all the basic stuff at the SCI rehab like bowel program, dressing and transferring etc. I spent almost 3 months there. I would've stayed a little longer but they gave me the boot for smoking pot in my room and coming back from day and weekend outings drunk.

The one thing that pissed me off was that I lived slightly over 60 miles from the rehab center. Had I lived 60 or less miles away they would have driven out to my house and made sure everything was set up for a wheelchair. As it turned out on my arrival "home" I had to take a hammer and pry bar to my bedroom door in order to get my wheelchair through it. And nothing else was even close to being w/c accessible either. It was a nightmare of a house as far as w/cs were concerned.

[hillarymcarter]

Man, Bob...you did get jipped! Our occupational therapist drove 2 hours to come and evaluate our home before Bruce came home. The OT said she's drove up to 8 hours to do an eval.
Bruce has to take a course with a driving instructor for 8 hours before he can get his license. They are installing a brake on the passenger's side until he takes the whole course. That will be bad because I am a bad passenger side driver....we will probably be squeking up and down the road!!!

[russ1]

T2 here - spent 6 months in rehab.

You yanks get a bad deal on the driving. In UK as long as you passed as able bodied you don't need any further lessons or tests. Get car adapted and drive away.

[hillarymcarter]

That would be nice....this has been the biggest headache!!!

[joisliniad]

I had a patient who drives an automatic car w/o adaptation. He uses thedress stick and keep it in the break pedal at all the time, and uses the cruise control, he is and incomplete T11 T12. It is quite a challenge, but he practice in open areas untill he quite get it, and he gets in and out of the car by himself, and gets his w/c in and out of the car too. Eventually he will modify his car as the law requires, but it was the only way to regain his freedom, and be indepedent. He just need to be very carefull while driving so he won't hit anyone. I have found out throrhg years of experience and working with SCI that pesintency andconsistency will get you where you want to be,and not necessarily it would work the same way for somebody else, it cases it is completely different, and all the rules has an exception. SCI is a constant trail and error, untill you get your own little way to do things.

[Lucky]

C-5 incomplete (Diving) & 5 1/2 months for me...Northern General.

[hillarymcarter]

That is a little scary about the stick on the break and the cruise control! I know it is done often...my husband has thought about it. There are other ways to retain independence that are much safer for everyone around!!
I think rehabs should be able to evaluate you and install hand controls before you leave. We had to go through the local college's biomed department and it has been a pain in the rear.

[James]

Cloudy, on Nov 7 2005, 09:52 AM, said:

oooo   dident mean that as an offense. I meant i wasent helped much, meaning i was jipped, not because of the short stay. I had a very difficult time when i left rehab, and i dident get any outpatient therapy either. Most of the things i do know i learned how to do on my own. I wish i could have stayed alot longer, i probably would have learned how do alot more than i know now. One thing i wish though is that they had helped me learn how to drive, im going on 28 and still cant drive

Sorry if what I said caused you to think I took that as offensive. If was not intended to be. As you stated – you got jibbed. You should have been allowed to stay until you had a chance to learn. Why didn’t they let you? I am sure you have read the posts after my original. It is not that hard to drive an adapted vehicle. My suggestion –what ever it takes, how ever long -learn. Best of luck. God bless you. James T-3

[James]

russ1, on Nov 7 2005, 10:53 PM, said:

T2 here - spent 6 months in rehab.

You yanks get a bad deal on the driving. In UK as long as you passed as able bodied you don't need any further lessons or tests. Get car adapted and drive away.

As a yank, , during the two months I was in the hospital, they had a customized Ford van for Para's that they gave me two training sessions in. While that was going, on a customized van was being put together for me, and upon arrival at home, I got into it and was gone for hours. It certainly is not hard to learn and here in states the hospital assisted you until you could drive safely and comfortably, if requested.
James T-3

[hillarymcarter]

No one helped us...Bruce went to rehab in Mississippi. I don't think he was ready yet. He was still very sick when he came home.