Compressed Cord at C3/C4 Mid July - Everything Moves!

[DaleMinton]

Hello all, I'm from London UK and came across this site whilst searching for all aspects of SCI. We're only about 10 miles from the Olympics and it's a great time to be in London - the Paralympics will have a new dimension this year. Like a lot a people on this site, we're looking for answers/experiences of others that have gone through such trauma. We also appreciate there are no definitives regarding recovery rates or ultimate outcomes. Our son of 29 suffered a sports injury whilst playing five-a-side soccer. He slipped badly onto his back/neck and suffered a slipped disc that went into and compressed his SC between C3 & C4. It was an incomplete injury and this happened on the 18th July. Thereafter, on the 20th July, he had anterior access surgery to remove the disc and a spinal fusion procedure, the surgeon said the cord re-inflated satisfactorily. After the op, he found it difficult to move anything and when he tried there was a lot of discomfort. What movment there was came from his feet and wrists. After a couple of days he could lift his forearms a little, flex his wrists and move his fingers. With regard to his legs, he could lift them a little against gravity and move his feet/toes. It is now only the 4th August and he has complete and co-ordinated muscle and limb movement/range throughout his body (except regaining all his bladder and bowel sensation/control) and he can lift himself up and take himself unaided from his bed into his wheelchair without the use of a bananaboard in two movements. He has only just started re-hab and can stand (albeit a little unsteady) lift dumbells plus, whilst siting, lift and flex his legs with weights attached to his ankles. What he's currently lacking is consistant levels of sensory feedback throughout his body, his lower limbs more than others (he say's that his legs feel somewhat disimbodied when he stands, hence the weakness). Aside from the lack of bowel and bladder sensation he say's the rest of his body feels pretty good. All the family have been praying for him and for the best, and appreciate that after all our research that things take time, however, bearing in mind the speed and my description of his recovery thus far, my question is a very typical one -- what are his chances of a full recovery ??

Thank you all so much ... Dale.