Question
I submitted a question in June and the answer was somewhat I wanted to hear.  Is there any evidence of C7 injuries getting function in bowel and urinary tract?  I know you can't answer every question to satisfy me or others but we can hope and pray.  My daughter has swelling in her stomach.  It this due to her injury?  Is it water retention? The spasms are giving her a fit - especially at night when we put her to bed.  I am continually praying for a miracle or a break through in spinal cord research.

Answer
hi Del-

i have never heard of someone with a complete c7 injury regaining function in anything below the waist- be it walking, bowel, bladder, etc. sometimes incomplete injuries will have remaining muscle control or sensation, but in my experience it doesn't occur in complete injuries.

there are things you can try for the spasms though- stretching helps alot of people, and there are also medicines that will limit them. ask your doctor about the options here, as well as the stomach swelling- this shouldn't be related to the injury that i'm aware of, and may be a sign of something that needs attention.

i know these are not ideal answers. i spent some time hoping for a miraculous cure too, though we're not much closer now than when i broke my neck. it was when i decided to focus on what to do next to make my daily life better that i made some progress. this is just my experience, though, and we all handle tragedy differently.

good luck to you and your daughter
leslie