Walking Question

[Schmeky]

I need some member input, opinion, and feedback. I am 6.5 months post, T-4/T-6 incomplete, I have no voluntary movement below my injury level, only spasms/spasticity. In the last 3-4 weeks I have gained a degree feeling in my buttocks and the back of my left thigh. My abdomenal muscles have partially returned and I can now make them contract quite easily. I cannot feel someone touching my legs, but there is sensation in both legs coupled with a persistent electrical type sensation in both feet. It feels as though my feet are trying to make a feeble attempt at coming back.

My big question: does anyone know of a fellow SCI sufferer with similiar physical characteristics to mine that has been able to take steps after some type of physical therapy and/or treadmill, lokomat training, etc.? I am scheduled to attend Project Walk in a couple weeks and I am trying to assess my odds for success. I'm about to spend a lot of money (part of my retirement) as you well know. Guess I'm getting the financial jitters. Any feedback would be tremendously appreciated.

[gpbullock]

You will get out what you put in to the project walk program.

[Schmeky]

Do you know anyone that is or has attended PW? Been there yourself?

[mikek]

Being injured 34 years ago insurance was different
and I was an inpatient at rehab for 8 months.Today I
would have been discharged in a wheelchair.For incompletes
hard repetitive work. I worked 4 hrs a day 5 days a week
years ago and walked out on crutches. Over the next 2 years
I progressed to walking with no assitive devices. I also had
youth and athletic ability on my side.The first 20 years,
I was fine and then started losing ability very slowly due to scar tissue
and cell death and noticed changes in my bladder functioning.
An Mri showed a cyst called a syrnix and by this time I was
walking very poorly due to spasms and extreme stiffness
on a cain.I had surgery and then got an infection
at the hospital and was discharged in a wheelchair.I am now
considering Project Walk as only intensive rehab will restore
pathways of nerve signaling or find new ones.
Best of Luck !!

Mike

[gpbullock]

Yes, I have a friend who attended project walk for a period of time and had surprising results. Even more surprising, was he gave it up. It is difficult looking at spending 2-? years trying to attain a specific goal such as walking with no guarantees. After months of hard work, if you can only crawl and do floor exercises, will you have what it takes mentally to continue. Personally, I believe lack of trying is what keeps many in chairs. I chose to attend a different program, one similar to project walk in some ways and totally different in another. The guy who runs it is a personal trainer who has worked with SCI for nearly 20 years. He's an ex-pro football player and a hardcore motivator. I've been there since feb.02 and walk unassisted using canes and leg braces over irregular surfaces, etc. It kicks my butt daily(the workouts are grueling.) But I've also seen the end results in multiple cases in which quads and para's are walking again, without braces. Patterning and physical excersize are now becoming more popular because of recent events, although I don't think that it's new technology. If you want it bad enough, you'll sell your soul(figuratively speaking)for it.

[Chris Chappell]

gpbullock, great assessment of the power of exercise induced recovery. You're walking proof of it.

Congrats, keep up the hard work.

Onward and Upward!

[Schmeky]

Did you ever regain bowel, bladder & sex functions?

[gpbullock]

I have more sensation regarding bowel and bladder, more control and regularity. Probably as much due to standing and walking daily. Everything else is anyone's guess.