I was looking thru a old photo album the other night (i will scan some for ya all soon) was seeing pics of me in halo and those dreaded ted hose and all the newby paraphilnaila (as if learning you are paralyzed is not enough they scare you with all the stuff the put on you, lol) even found a pic with my legs casted and what not. So I realized how far we came, and I thought it would be fun to post a pic of us at our worst and how we are now. What do you all think. Just a thought.
I think it was the most fucked up time of my life and would like to forget that it ever happened except I can't since I'm permanently paralyzed as a result. Oh yes, I too came a long way since. I didn't think I could ever be more miserable than when it first happened, but years later still trying to get by as a high quad I managed to exceed all expectations. Just a thought, my thought.Originally Posted by lisarolls
My parents took no photos of that time - I could kill! Guess no one wanted it remembered lol.
I have a photo from one of my 'first 15mins up in my chair' at age 15 recovering from an arse pressure sore after flap surgery. I'll find it later tonight and post it.
That flap is in danger now because my bladder neck is toast - I've been completely leaking around the foley, into the foley since last Thursday.
I'm literally pissed off ...
I think over again my small adventures,
My fears,
Those small ones that seemed so big,
For all the vital things
I had to get and to reach;
And yet there is only one great thing,
The only thing,
To live to see the great day that dawns
And the light that fills the world.
Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century)
T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12
Unfortunately, pissed on as well. You have probably tried it, but I gently pull my foley back out until I get resistance. I think that I am seating the baloon against the bladder neck. It seems to help...
Don - Grad Student Emeritus
T3/4 ASIA A 21 years post injury
Here's one of me first day out of the hosp. for a couple of hours.
Te halo went down to a hoop around my hips with long screws going all the way thru the hipbones to the other side. Got really good peripheral vision as I couldn't move my head left or right.
Whose herbage is in the background? They need to stop picking on it before it's ripe!
Bob.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." - Philo of Alexandria
Did you fracture your neck, too, Patrick? I thought you were para...unless the halo thing was standard procedure in the 70s. Great smile - I remember the first time I went outside after my injury, the sun felt like nourishment for my soul.
All I ever had to wear was a clamshell, for about 6 months after surgery. How long did you have to wear that contraption?
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I never looked back at what was.......I only looked ahead to what's next. When I got something accomplished, I wanted to move onto the next step in the recovery.
Now that I have gone as far I can with what I have, perhaps I can allow myself to see what tracks I made....Of course what will always eat at me are the paths I couldnt get to.
Clamshell, heh. I remember that BS. Mine was fitted soon after surgury...when my weight was supposedly 230 or something swollen full of fluids (normal weight was 185). Fit real well as you can imagine...and modified it fit even worse. Then add about a month of ARDS (intubated and later trached, unconsious for around a month)...and you get this guy weighing about 160 in the photo (and 6' 3"). Well, you guys got me to visit that section of the hard drive...so here's one from there. Gawd it's been 10 years this year? Accck!
Sometimes to put one's life in a better perspective it is good to think of how much I've recovered. I don't feel quite as negative about having skinny arms arms and legs and hands that barely move, as well as not being amongst the walking, not having more movement, more strength and less pain when I think about my worst point. In the weeks after my initial injury I spent about a month and a half on a vent with very little movement... Still, dwelling on the past doesn't help either...what can you do.
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