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[anitxtina]

I have recently gone through the toughest and most devastating thing in my life. On November 12th, 2007, my brother Jeremy 19, was the passenger in a serious accident. Both Jeremy and the driver were very intoxicated. Jeremy fell asleep during their drive home from the bar and His friend, Greg, took a wrong turn and ended up on a dirt road. While doing atleast 55MPH their vehicle caught the ditch and rolled several times. Greg was fine and only sustained minor injuries including a concusion. Greg walked to find help, but it was around 2.5 hours before they found Jerm. He had servere hypothermia and was going into shock. Jerm had to be air lifted to a hospital where the doctor explained his injuries to be a broken wrist, sternum, many broken ribs and his spine was broken at T-4 and cracked at T-2. He spent 4 weeks on a ventilator in the ICU/TRAUMA unit. The doctor gave us no hope of Jeremy ever walking agian, he told our family that he doesent ever seeing it happening. He now only has a trac tube in but its capped off and he was moved to rehab. I have been searching all over the web looking for miricles, I know I will except him no matter what, I'm just glad he's still here with us. But Jeremy is the athletic, outgoing sports fanatic and I know once this all registers he will never except it.. When they told him he would be paralyzed he said he was going to prove the doctors wrong, and he really thinks he's going to walk out of the hospital. I dont know what to say to him. I dont know what to do. Has anyone heard of any miricle stories? Anyone walking after a T-4 incomplete? Or does anyone have any advice for our family.

[betheny]

http://sci.rutgers.edu/index.php?pag... AcuteSCI.htm

There's a link above, to an article Dr. Young wrote about new spinal cord injuries. It's written for families and will answer a lot of questions. You should print it off for all the family to read.

Here is a list of Model SCI centers, I hope he is in one of them. If not, I'd think of moving him.

Link to list of model SCI rehabs:

http://www.travisroyfoundation.org/p...-ModelCtrs.htm


These are dark days for your family. See to it that everybody is fed, watered and rested. This is stressful and you must take care of yourselves.

Learn all you can. Knowledge is power. You did good finding us this fast. WATCH HIS SKIN! Don't trust the nursing staff to do it. Skin breakdown happens fast and will set him back in rehab. Insurance companies don't give much time in rehab so don't let his skin slow him down. He needs to be turned every 2 hours that he is in bed.


We're here for you if we can help. There's a lot of experience here. We've all done it, we've all survived it, and your family will too. It's rough but it will be okay. Not the same, but okay. It is way too early to tell how he'll end up. He needs to work as hard as he can in rehab, and to prepare to go home as though he will always be paralyzed. He may get some recovery but he'd be foolish to bank on it.

[Uncle Peter]

Watch out for urinary tract infections, too.
They can be deadly or cause kidney damage if untreated.

[Cacille]

After he recovers, there is still hope (more than hope...this is a definite thing) that he can play sports and be athletic. Ever seen the movie Murderball? If not, rent it.
Wheelchair sports exist for EVERY sport out there.
I just saw a video yesterday of someone skateboarding....balancing his wheelchair on top of it, and steering and skating just fine. It was insane but a great inspiration. So even if he never walks again (2 years after the injury is when he'll pretty much know the limits he has now), it doesn't mean the end of his athletic life. Just a minor change!

[JerseyGirl]

Originally Posted by anitxtina

I have recently gone through the toughest and most devastating thing in my life. On November 12th, 2007, my brother Jeremy 19, was the passenger in a serious accident. Both Jeremy and the driver were very intoxicated. Jeremy fell asleep during their drive home from the bar and His friend, Greg, took a wrong turn and ended up on a dirt road. While doing atleast 55MPH their vehicle caught the ditch and rolled several times. Greg was fine and only sustained minor injuries including a concusion. Greg walked to find help, but it was around 2.5 hours before they found Jerm. He had servere hypothermia and was going into shock. Jerm had to be air lifted to a hospital where the doctor explained his injuries to be a broken wrist, sternum, many broken ribs and his spine was broken at T-4 and cracked at T-2. He spent 4 weeks on a ventilator in the ICU/TRAUMA unit. The doctor gave us no hope of Jeremy ever walking agian, he told our family that he doesent ever seeing it happening. He now only has a trac tube in but its capped off and he was moved to rehab. I have been searching all over the web looking for miricles, I know I will except him no matter what, I'm just glad he's still here with us. But Jeremy is the athletic, outgoing sports fanatic and I know once this all registers he will never except it.. When they told him he would be paralyzed he said he was going to prove the doctors wrong, and he really thinks he's going to walk out of the hospital. I dont know what to say to him. I dont know what to do. Has anyone heard of any miricle stories? Anyone walking after a T-4 incomplete? Or does anyone have any advice for our family.

My thoughts are with you and your brother during this insanely difficult time. You asked for any miracle stories, and I've always considered what I regained something of a miracle. I too was in a "drunk driving" accident, and was also the passenger. As your brother's friend, the girl I was with was driving. I was 16 years old. I was in such bad shape that doctors told my parents they didn't expect for me to make it through surgery, much less every walk again. I had broken my neck at C3 & C4, broke my back at T12 & L1, broke all my ribs on my right side which punctured a whole in my lung, tore my liver, broke my ankle & foot so bad it was literally hanging by skin (docs wanted to amputate but my Dad wouldn't let them - thank God!), broken nose, my bottom teeth had went thru my lip, and numerous superficial injuries to my face. I obviously made it thru the first surgery (they fixed my back and ankle & foot), but put me in traction for the broken neck. Those 2 weeks I don't remember much, except for a few foggy things. During the time in traction, I had no movement below the C3/C4 sci, and at that point it was believed that I would be a quadrapalegic, although the doctors didn't know for sure. After the neck surgery and moved into a room in the trauma section, I started coming out of my 'fog', and one evening while my dad was reading the paper I realized I couldn't feel my legs. I barely had movement in my arms, hands and fingers, but at that point the doctors believed that most of the damage was from my back injury. When I asked my dad why I couldn't feel my legs, he went and got my doctors, and that's when I got the news.....I would be a parapalegic for the rest of my life. Of course, it didn't quite register with me, so my first response to the docs, and my dad, was "bullshit...get me down to rehab now". The doctors told me at best, I might get enough movement to walk to the bathroom, but that's it. Reality didn't set in until I actually got to rehab and finally realized what I had in store for me, and understood exactly what I had lost. I have to say that the pain I went thru was the worst. Something I would never wish on my worst enemy! The next hardest thing was learning how to live without the use of my legs. Physical therapy was the hardest, and until this day I still stay in touch with my therapist. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today. I'll never forget the first time they stood me up in full leg braces at the parallel bars, braces locked at the knee because I hadn't stood in about 6 weeks. I'll never forget the day my doctor came to see me walk to the end of the bars, and told me "good, but don't expect much more". He said my endurance level wouldn't be enough for me to walk full-time. From that point on, it was my goal to walk full time!! I left the hospital in a wheel chair (I was there for 87 days) in the first week of November. I went back to high school in a wheel chair (my junior year), which was insanely difficult. I really learned who my friends were. It was so hard because I was so athletic before the accident (I was a cheerleader, played volleyball, and had danced ballet for 13 years). My plans for after high school was to pursue dancing/choreography, which obviously I had to change my plans! To shorten this essay, I was walking (wobbly) on 1 cane by that following May. That was 19 1/2 years ago. I am now 35 years old, I have a beautiful son, and a great career. And the best part, despite the pain, I walk! Granted, I am paralyzed from the knees down, and wear braces on both ankels since I have no movement, but I see it as a miracle and a blessing. Things could have been so much worse! I have to honestly say, I don't think I could have done any of this without the support of my parents, and my dad kicking me in the ass when I started the self-pity party. So....my point is...NEVER GIVE UP! I've learned that the docs don't give too much hope, but if the determination and will power is there, you never know what can happen. It was the hardest time in my life, and the hardest thing I had ever done. I'm not saying this will happen to your brother, but when everything sinks in, the most important thing you can do is just be there for him, stay positive, and don't be afraid to give him a little push to try harder. Life is good, whether you're in a wheelchair, or walking with assistance. I still have rough days, and I'm reminded every moment, of every single day, of the mistake I made by getting into the car with a drunk driver. But there's no dwelling on the past, only the present and future. I hope by telling you my experience, it's helped a little. Encouragement and understanding is the best thing you can give your brother. Please let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you have any other questions. I spared alot of details, since this is starting to turn into a full fledged novel!
My thoughts are with you and your brother both!
Marta

[dan_nc]

I am very sorry to hear about what you are going through with your brothers injury.

[Eileen]

I'm so sorry to hear of your brother's injury, and glad you found this forum. The one thing I would suggest, and I know it is easier said than done, is to worry less about the long range prognosis and focus on the day to day things now, such as his comfort level, getting him into an accredited rehab program, and just "being there" for him. The rest will play out over time, and whatever happens his acceptance of the situation will have time to grow. I am not saying he will or won't walk again, as it is too early to make those predictions, and it can drive you a little crazy trying to know in advance. Slow down and just live each day.

[mr_coffee]

THe fact that he was having servere hypothermia might have helped him.

This also happened to me and the doctor said this is what kept me from being a complete injury because it kept the spinal cord from swelling if I wasn't having hypothermia.

He is in-complete, and sounds like a para, def. don't give up hope, doctors don't give much hope but give it time for him to get out of spinal shock.

I had no movement for 3 months and I was out of spinal shock they said about 5 weeks and said there was little or not hope after I got out of spinal shock but this isn't true.

[Tufelhunden]

M. Coffee beat me to it. The fact that his cord was put "on ice" may have a big role in recovery later on.

[Don Carrier]

Antixtina,
I feel for you and your family and what you are going thru on Dec. 7 1979 I was involved in a wresling accident where my ncek was broke at c4-c6 complete quad. The neurosurgen informed my parents of the severity and stated if I servive I will never be able to sit up on my own let alone walk prognosis was extremely grim. My parents informed me of this three days later I fell into a deep depression for awhile. About 6months after my injury a man by the name of Ron entered my hospital room and stated very frankly that God wanted him to pray for me so he came over to the bed side pulled out a small vile and poured it out over my head and neck as he prayed and finished in Jesus name then he turned and left the room I never seen him again. Two days later my nurse was in the room and went flush I'll never forget it as she shouted "YOUR HAND IT'S MOVING" I looked over as I realized I was scraching my cheek I about died in unbelife she called the DR. and later the neurosurgen DR. Sanford Wright jr. (great name huh) As he entered the room he started to shake and asked how can this be? I explained about the man (Ron) but nobody knew what I was talking about for they claim I have had no visitors except my parents. 26 years later I am 85-90% return recovery and still beliving for full recovery God willing. NEVER GIVE UP HOPE! I will be praying for you and your brother God Bless.