New Injury trying to understand

mnorth01 · 05-05-2005, 11:00 AM

I am a 38yr old male who was injured 7 months ago. I was classified as a T6 Asia A complete. The spinal cord was not severed, but was compressed. I had surgery to stablize my back and was told I would never walk again. I have just gotten out of rehab and have returned to work. I am going to physical therapy at Detroit Medical Center. I do not have ANY sensation in my legs. My sensation line has lowered from my nipples to the bottom of my ribcage. Do I fit in any of the groups for experimental surgery? I am concerned being 38 that I will be classified as too old. I want to walk again...and would just like know there is hope. Also, what impact does my diagnosis( T6 Asia A complete) have on my recovery?

sbdspray · 05-05-2005, 11:50 AM

at one point in your hospitals tay were you told you'd never walk again? Was it like this, "you never know, but realistically there's a great chance you'll never walk again", or this, "I'm sorry but you'll never walk again"? That's an awfully presumptous thing for a nobody neurologist to tell you so early in the SCI stage. Give me his number and I'll hire 2 thugs to go break both this guys legs, so he'll " never play golf again"!

sherman brayton

mnorth01 · 05-05-2005, 12:23 PM

Thanks Brayton.....it was actually a little more harsh than that. It was two hours after my fall when the neurologist came in and asked me what I did for a living. I replied I was a software engineer. He said I was lucky because I would never walk again.

jayday9 · 05-05-2005, 12:52 PM

some doctors just have no bedside manner...now i don't want to be lied to, but don't crush hope...

anyhow, welcome to the boards mark...you'll find anything you want to know on these boards...

as far as your injury level goes...you're a complete thoracic injury, which is what most places are looking for, due to the fact that they have nothing to lose i guess(possibly minor trunk control)...whereas quads or low paras would have the possibility of losing substantial function...

BUT...but, but, but...i don't want to steer you toward any of these trials...Dr. Wise Young has expressed his views on these experimental surgeries numerous times on these boards...if you look around i'm sure you'll find something....or just ask him...

don't ever become content with SCI...

chasb · 05-05-2005, 02:47 PM

Mark,
nobody knows what the future holds. It is possible over the next few years you might experience 1 or 2 levels of return. A full return is doubtfull, until science catches up with a solution to the extent of the injury. The only thing I would recommend is to make sure your cord is fully decompressed. That, there is no pressure on your cord at this time. Do your best to stay healthy. I realize your going through tough times, being such a recent injury. There are some cool people on this site that have been where you are going. I am sure that if you ask, they will give you some input to consider about anything you may be concerned with.

DA · 05-05-2005, 03:05 PM

mark you were lied too. remember these doctors make a lot of money on keeping you paralyzed. so ofcourse they will try to break your spirit. years ago on the forum there were ppl here trying to discourage us from fighting for a cure. the truth is nobody knows. you could regain everything, or nothing. however it doesn't matter at this point because therapies to regain function is very near.

Wise Young · 05-05-2005, 03:15 PM

Mark, you are not too old. Many of the therapies that are being considered for clinical trial for regenerating the spinal cord would be applicable to you. Nobody should be predicting right now that there is no hope. Wise.

sbdspray · 05-05-2005, 03:26 PM

the big problem I say here exlempifies the whole problem in general, and a problem that is killing us. You're impotent Dr. say's you'll never walk again. This means he neither knows and/or cares about continuing research, or that he knows and didn't want to get your hopes up, which is unlikely because he could at least through that out to you without making any promises. it's fuckheads like him who are leaving this field in a morass of miscommunication and crossed signals. His disinterest and pessimism spreads throughout that hospital down to the truly dummy physical therapists, who are these people, and then spreads through your county, and then state, etc. If your neuro doesn't follow cutting edge research then he's in the wrong field. I mean what sick fuck is content with the norm with his SCI patients, and doesn't want to be bothered with something attempting to HELP THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES! I'll tell you what he is, your average general hospital neuro is a young man in his early 40's, who is making barely enough to subsidize his too expensive house ( out of his leaugue, but has to show off with material possessions ), and is more concerned with his kids than his patients. The problem is that a lot of these mid-level booksmart, street ( real injuries, not in a textbook ) idiot savants, are content and too focused to come home at night and completely eliminate his work and home life. Sadly these guys are content to not go down into medical history, they only want to show off their ugly ( they will most likely be ugly, since their neurologist parent is usually some tool )kids, and play golf at their rinky-dink country club. am I right? am i right? am I right?

sherman brayton

sbdspray · 05-05-2005, 03:31 PM

I want to bash his spine in and be the one to break the news and say, " hey you'll not only never walk, but as you know, you're going to piss into a bag the rest of your days, and aren't going to be able to please your wife anymore, so you'll just have to bite your lip and take it like a man when your wife is boffing the lawn boy. By the way, here's a razor to cut your wrist with, good luck"!

sherman brayton

Susan Fajt · 05-05-2005, 04:21 PM

Brayton,

you are right.

Now we must breath, let us change this stigma in which we fight with all of our hearts to change what should have never been!

Godspeed~
Susan
www.sciwalker.com

05-05-2005, 11:00 AM	#1
mnorth01 Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Taylor, Mi Posts: 28	New Injury trying to understand I am a 38yr old male who was injured 7 months ago. I was classified as a T6 Asia A complete. The spinal cord was not severed, but was compressed. I had surgery to stablize my back and was told I would never walk again. I have just gotten out of rehab and have returned to work. I am going to physical therapy at Detroit Medical Center. I do not have ANY sensation in my legs. My sensation line has lowered from my nipples to the bottom of my ribcage. Do I fit in any of the groups for experimental surgery? I am concerned being 38 that I will be classified as too old. I want to walk again...and would just like know there is hope. Also, what impact does my diagnosis( T6 Asia A complete) have on my recovery?

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05-05-2005, 11:50 AM	#2
sbdspray Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: katonah , ny, usa Posts: 494	at one point in your hospitals tay were you told you'd never walk again? Was it like this, "you never know, but realistically there's a great chance you'll never walk again", or this, "I'm sorry but you'll never walk again"? That's an awfully presumptous thing for a nobody neurologist to tell you so early in the SCI stage. Give me his number and I'll hire 2 thugs to go break both this guys legs, so he'll " never play golf again"! sherman brayton

05-05-2005, 12:23 PM	#3
mnorth01 Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Taylor, Mi Posts: 28	Thanks Brayton.....it was actually a little more harsh than that. It was two hours after my fall when the neurologist came in and asked me what I did for a living. I replied I was a software engineer. He said I was lucky because I would never walk again.

05-05-2005, 12:52 PM	#4
jayday9 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,217	some doctors just have no bedside manner...now i don't want to be lied to, but don't crush hope... anyhow, welcome to the boards mark...you'll find anything you want to know on these boards... as far as your injury level goes...you're a complete thoracic injury, which is what most places are looking for, due to the fact that they have nothing to lose i guess(possibly minor trunk control)...whereas quads or low paras would have the possibility of losing substantial function... BUT...but, but, but...i don't want to steer you toward any of these trials...Dr. Wise Young has expressed his views on these experimental surgeries numerous times on these boards...if you look around i'm sure you'll find something....or just ask him... don't ever become content with SCI...

05-05-2005, 02:47 PM	#5
chasb Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,283	Mark, nobody knows what the future holds. It is possible over the next few years you might experience 1 or 2 levels of return. A full return is doubtfull, until science catches up with a solution to the extent of the injury. The only thing I would recommend is to make sure your cord is fully decompressed. That, there is no pressure on your cord at this time. Do your best to stay healthy. I realize your going through tough times, being such a recent injury. There are some cool people on this site that have been where you are going. I am sure that if you ask, they will give you some input to consider about anything you may be concerned with.

05-05-2005, 03:05 PM	#6
DA Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: beaumont tx usa Posts: 32,390	mark you were lied too. remember these doctors make a lot of money on keeping you paralyzed. so ofcourse they will try to break your spirit. years ago on the forum there were ppl here trying to discourage us from fighting for a cure. the truth is nobody knows. you could regain everything, or nothing. however it doesn't matter at this point because therapies to regain function is very near.

05-05-2005, 03:15 PM	#7
Wise Young Administrator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 37,988	Mark, you are not too old. Many of the therapies that are being considered for clinical trial for regenerating the spinal cord would be applicable to you. Nobody should be predicting right now that there is no hope. Wise.

05-05-2005, 03:26 PM	#8
sbdspray Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: katonah , ny, usa Posts: 494	the big problem I say here exlempifies the whole problem in general, and a problem that is killing us. You're impotent Dr. say's you'll never walk again. This means he neither knows and/or cares about continuing research, or that he knows and didn't want to get your hopes up, which is unlikely because he could at least through that out to you without making any promises. it's fuckheads like him who are leaving this field in a morass of miscommunication and crossed signals. His disinterest and pessimism spreads throughout that hospital down to the truly dummy physical therapists, who are these people, and then spreads through your county, and then state, etc. If your neuro doesn't follow cutting edge research then he's in the wrong field. I mean what sick fuck is content with the norm with his SCI patients, and doesn't want to be bothered with something attempting to HELP THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES! I'll tell you what he is, your average general hospital neuro is a young man in his early 40's, who is making barely enough to subsidize his too expensive house ( out of his leaugue, but has to show off with material possessions ), and is more concerned with his kids than his patients. The problem is that a lot of these mid-level booksmart, street ( real injuries, not in a textbook ) idiot savants, are content and too focused to come home at night and completely eliminate his work and home life. Sadly these guys are content to not go down into medical history, they only want to show off their ugly ( they will most likely be ugly, since their neurologist parent is usually some tool )kids, and play golf at their rinky-dink country club. am I right? am i right? am I right? sherman brayton

05-05-2005, 03:31 PM	#9
sbdspray Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: katonah , ny, usa Posts: 494	I want to bash his spine in and be the one to break the news and say, " hey you'll not only never walk, but as you know, you're going to piss into a bag the rest of your days, and aren't going to be able to please your wife anymore, so you'll just have to bite your lip and take it like a man when your wife is boffing the lawn boy. By the way, here's a razor to cut your wrist with, good luck"! sherman brayton

05-05-2005, 04:21 PM	#10
Susan Fajt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 494	Brayton, you are right. Now we must breath, let us change this stigma in which we fight with all of our hearts to change what should have never been! Godspeed~ Susan www.sciwalker.com