[flynner]

I was just in a seadoo accident at teh beggining of july this year, and ended up with a burst fracture of T12, L1..my injury is incomplete though,no damage to the cord, n i am able to move my hips and knees and have patchy sensation on just the back of my legs.i just turned 18 and i just want to know if theres ever chance of me being able to walk, regain control of my bowels/bladder, do the thigns i used to, be able to have sex normallly, if tis possible for my ankles to kick back in eventually, just anything. And like anyone, let alone an 18 year old kid, im pretty terrified..

[Ches]

Hey Flynner, are you in rehab currently? Using braces? Baring any weight on your legs? You're so newly injured.. and your condition isnt severe.. Me personally, I would say you have an excellent chance of recovery completely. Its important you constantly work and remind your body how to do those motions you now lack. B&B will come back on its own.. if its going too. Theres not much you can do for that. But definitly work on your legs..

Read some of CityGirls post. She had a similar situation.

[nomis]

Hi flynner
You've obviously got a good idea of the situation by saying you're "pretty terrified". Quite right but as Ches says you've probably got a lot of recovery to look forward to.

Currently, you're in no-man's land. It's a difficult time cos you know the damage but you won't know till later, after much work, just how much you recover. At 18 and fit , you're ideally set to get the best out of your rehabilitation - and you are going to find it takes a lot of work. Best of luck. Every little gain is just that little bit better. Appreciate the gains as you go.

[carole338]

Hi Flynner,

Sorry about your condition. You have to be patient with rehab. Don't give up or give in to your fears. HARD WORK and a positive attitude will help you get through this.

[youwhat]

Hai Flynner,

Always saddens me to see people younger than myself injured and in the way you were even more But I can only repeat the advice given so far and that's don't give up! Hold your chin up high and keep working at your rehab, it's not easy, but nothing in life worth doing ever is. You are very very young, you have your whole life ahead of you, this is just a small stumbling block that I'm sure in time you will be able to overcome. Good Luck

James

[Travelling Blackbird]

Flynner, it's natural to be scared and stressed: this is a huge change in your life. Keep working at the rehab, focus on your goal of walking again, and stay positive. You can do this.

And remember the golden rules of rehab and therapy:
- Don't compare today with yesterday to see progress. Compare today with two weeks ago, so you can really see the trend.
- Set yourself small goals for small time periods. One thing at a time, one step at a time.

You can do this.

[Kwag_Myers]

I had a burst fracture of the T12 in August '08. I can walk short distances, but the sensation in the backs of my legs and feet still has not returned and I still don't have bowel/bladder function back.

However, like nomis says, it's going to be a while before you really know for sure. It may be a year or more.

Ches mentioned City Girl (her profile is here) - she has a similar injury and her progress has been much different then mine. She's gotten a lot more back than me. Each injury is unique and you just have to wait it out and see.

The swelling in your spinal cord should be just about gone by now. Have you started having spasms or sharp pulses in your legs yet? If you do, get some baclofen right away. It takes a few days to start working so you want to get on it as soon as the spasms start.

Read through the Relationships & Sexuality forum for information on sex. The bottom line is, yes you can, but you have to make some adjustments.

This post has been edited by Kwag_Myers: 21 September 2008 - 01:59 AM

[flynner]

Ches, on Sep 20 2008, 01:52 AM, said:

Hey Flynner, are you in rehab currently? Using braces? Baring any weight on your legs? You're so newly injured.. and your condition isnt severe.. Me personally, I would say you have an excellent chance of recovery completely. Its important you constantly work and remind your body how to do those motions you now lack. B&B will come back on its own.. if its going too. Theres not much you can do for that. But definitly work on your legs..

Read some of CityGirls post. She had a similar situation.

Yes actually i start my first physio session after being discharged from the hospital in a couple days...i can walk around using a walker and AFO braces that life my toe as i step, i can walk up my stairs now while wearing them..i guess i put a decent amount of weight on ym legs but i cannot stand unless im holding onto something and even then it;s a prety sad sight...

im just wondering if any1 paralyzed from the ankle down has had movement or sensation return for their feeet/legs?
its just liek when i touch my calves theyre liek jelllo right now, i have patchy feeling all over them but no muscles liek at all..
....and also i guess if any1 has a story of B&B returning, id lvoe to hear it, just for some hope....

[Kwag_Myers]

flynner, on Sep 22 2008, 12:13 AM, said:

im just wondering if any1 paralyzed from the ankle down has had movement or sensation return for their feeet/legs?
its just liek when i touch my calves theyre liek jelllo right now, i have patchy feeling all over them but no muscles liek at all..
....and also i guess if any1 has a story of B&B returning, id lvoe to hear it, just for some hope....

Here, read this.