Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have a question and I hope you can help me it would mean a lot. My friend Matt was in a accident last Saturday. He was on a boat in Wisconsin with some friends and dove into shallow water that was about 3 ft deep he broke his neck damaging the 5th and 6th vertebrae he had surgery within 24 hours of the accident and was taken to Wisconsin University Hospital. They went in through the front of his neck and replaced the 5 and 6 vertebrae or something along those lines. Now he has been in bed for the last week and I just saw him today it was a long drive from Chicago to Madison but well worth it, I just had to see him and give him mental support. He is wearing a neck brace to keep his neck from moving and doing some therapy such as breathing in and out as well as coughing they use some sort of sucking device to suck out saliva and flem. He breathes fine on his own. His apatite isn't that big, can that effect his strength to recover. Also a nurse came in to do some movement exercises lifting his legs arms and so on. They also put him in a chair today for 4 hours he said the feeling was as if he was sitting on his legs with them being folded up underneath him or sometimes like he didn't have legs. He cant look down at them because of the neck brace. He has minimal movement in his arms and hands he cant feel anything below the waist line he had some sensation when the nurse was lifting his legs such as the feeling of blood circulation and tingling when she was lifting his leg he had some pain in the left shoulder only he can not feel when he is urinating or anything. Tomorrow they will try to sit him up on the side of the bed with no back support. He is in pain when they move him. He is also on a variety of drugs. Pain killers, Muscle relaxers, Nerve pills, and sleeping pills. My question to you is based on some of these symptoms would you say that its a 50 50 chance he will recover? What chances does he have? Is he going to be like this forever? How serious is his injury? He has a lot of mental support friends and family visit frequently although this was my first visit it wont be the last. His mother and girlfriend have been in the hospital all week sleeping there and keeping him company. I think that if I keep a positive attitude even when fearing the worst for him is a good thing because it will give him strength to belive in himself. I told him he is strong and that I have known him since highschool and he can do it. It wont be easy and he has to try really hard. Do things like that help? He did get emotional as well as I. But some of the other friends seem to think that he doesn't belive in himself because when the say things such as "You will be fine in no time and walking around with us again". He said things like "Yea right". What is a good way of keeping his spirits up and keep making him want to fight through this? Thank you so much you have no idea what this means to me. God bless.

ANSWER: Dear Jake,  I am sorry your friend is going through this. But having friends and family support is important. To answer your questions, his chances of a full recovery depend on whether his injury is complete or incomplete. Complete means his spinal cord is severed or crushed to the point where there is no connection. If his was incomplete then he has a better chance. But his doctor is a better source to answer that question. His injury is serious, but he is still alive and can still live a productive life. He will need good friends, my friends couldn't handle my injury. So if you can be there as a friend he will appreciate it. After he gets released from the hospital and rehabilitation he will need friends to see him and not his wheelchair. And who can accept the fact that this may be his life, that he won't walk again. The last thing he needs is false hope. With the gains science is having with spinal cord injuries walking may be a possibility. I would be willing to talk to him if he needs someone who has lived a long life in a wheelchair. I have lived a pretty full life inspite of my injury(C4-C5). You can write me again if you'd like.


Take care, sincerely, Ken



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So then a full recovery is impossible. He most likely wont regain feeling below his waist? Thanks much.

Answer
Dear Jake, not impossible if his injury is incomplete. If it is complete then doubtful. Please have hope, that's all any of us can have. Hope for a better future. Science is coming up with solutions for spinal cord injuries and it won't be too long before there is a cure. That I truly believe! So have hope, encourage your friend to work hard because life goes on and who knows what tomorrow might bring. I am sorry if I made you feel pessimistic, it was not my intention.

Sincerely, Ken