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Auguest 7, 2007 I woke up unable to move from the chest down. I spent 17 months in hospital and had 7 surgeries. Apparently my bowel ruptured and that formed an abcess around my spinal column, ultimitly leaving me a complete T3/Partial T4 parapalegic. Because of the ruptured bowel I was also left with an illiostomy. I've also been diabetic since I was 4 and epileptic since i was about 13.
That being said, this doesn't hold me back. My goals in life havn't changed, just how I have to go about some of them.
I just got home from my appointment at the glenrose (rehab hospital) a little while ago. While I was there, my doctor asked me if there was anything I wanted to do but couldn't. Well of course the obvious answer was 'ya, walk!'
Well then to my surprise, he suggested the possibility of walking with my legs in braces, basically using crutches with my arms. Though I'd still be largely using my arms, I am intregged by this prospect.
There are, however, multiple risks and complications to this. First, the joints in my hips and knees are stiff and really need to be streeched more. I can't walk if I can't stand up strait. Secondly, my bones are brittle. I have ostioperocess and have had some wierd bone formations in my leg. Also, the ostioperocess resulted in a fractured femer in my left leg last december. They had to put a rod in and two pins in my knee. However, since they didn't think i would be walking on it, snd also had some infection in my thigh, they decided not to pin it higher so there is the possibility of the rod moving if i put too much strain on the leg. Also, my feet are swollen up 3 times their normal size most of the time lately. This has to be dealt with before anything else, weither I walk or not. I also still have open areas on both heels. Then I also will need a lot of upper body strength. Well, no real problem there, but it's better to have too much than fall on my face. I would also have to stay in Edmonton for approximently 6 weeks and have roughly 5 hours of theropy for 5 days a week.
Even with all those issues, I STILL WANT TO WALK AGAIN! Even if I only take 2 or 3 steps.