Days til brace off: 5, I hope. The surgeon will have final say next Wednesday.
Days til move: 4. Unless you count actually moving, in which case, that’ll happen today (Friday).
What a day! This is lengthy so I’ll keep the first part normal and then expound on science and prayer later.
After staying up til 2am doing work, I slept in, knowing I didn’t have therapy til 11. Well, kind of. The doctors starting coming in at 8:30am and then my dad showed up at 9. But that’s sleeping in for me, now!
9-11am - More work.
11am - I got my custom-made KAFOs, which just means plastic molded exactly for my legs. We had a trial run and realized with all my weight and more than usual power to weight ratio, I’ll need a few adjustments. But they seems like they’ll be comfortable and work well. I’m encouraged.
1-3pm - Dad picked up me and Jessica to head up to the apartment where we met Rebecca and Ron. Ron’s an architect friend of mine that was there to help problem-solve. We checked out the 2-bedroom and Ron was really helpful. It was also nice to get Jessica’s, “Yeah you can do that. No biggie,” except for the 2nd bathroom when she said, “Umm… yeah that won’t work.” Simple answers. I like it. We checked out the 1-bedroom, as well, but after discussion that lasted most of the rest of the day, we went with the 2-bedroom.
3pm - We got back in time for my official exit ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) test. Sensory tests, then motor function. First they took a cotton swab and asked how it felt (same? or different?) compared to how it felt on my face. Then they did the same thing with a toothpick, adding in touching with the end of the doctor’s finger, which I had to differentiate with my eyes closed. Long story short, my left leg feels way more - almost to a normal degree - while my right leg feels less, especially with the pin prick. Pin prick is supposed to be associated with motor function so it’s odd that my left leg is weaker.
Then we did the motor function test. Everything is scored from 0-5. Here is my version of what that means:
0: nothing
1: flexing but weak
2: some motion
3: moving almost or all full range of motion
4: moving against some resistance
5: moving against a lot of resistance
There are 5 movements tested on each leg, representing different spots on the spinal cord. So the highest possible score is 50. I’ve mentioned in past blogs, but until around week 4, my total score was 0. A week later it was 4, after gaining a little movement (that was a HUGE day!). Then it jumped to 13, I believe. Then 18. Then 23. Today I scored 35! I was really psyched by that! BOTH legs got stronger. My hips are getting fairly strong in both legs, with scores of 4. I am able to kick a little with my left leg now and easily with my right leg. My right foot is really strong- getting a couple 5s for up and down movements.
The big thing to note here is that since the ASIA test is designed to measure spinal cord damage or return, then I am experiencing return throughout my spinal cord, all the way to my toes. Nothing is missing. So we’ll see how much return I get but the fact that every muscles group is experiencing return is great news.
Also, for internal research and classification purposes, the doc told me this amount of change would likely change my status as T12 to L1, since I had most of my return at the T12 level, as far as this test is concerned. That’s pretty big news, too. To be clear, my injury was obviously at T12, but moving to L1 means the recovery is working its way down the spinal cord.
I’m extremely encouraged by this data. I knew my right leg was getting stronger but didn’t realize my left was, as well. It always seems so weak compared to my right.
This amount of improvement in just over a month isn’t very common. I feel very lucky and am very much believing that the power of prayer is at work here. Yes, I’m working my tail off in here, but that only strengthens muscles and prevents atrophy and osteoporosis (you can get osteo- by not putting weight on your bones, apparently… fun fact). The God part is the way my body is recovering internally. Okay sorry if this reminds you of going back to school… if you would like a biology lesson, continue reading.
While this represents where I was hurt (T12 vertebrae):
….neuroregeneration is what will make me walk again. Neuroregeneration refers to the regrowth or repair of nervous tissues, cells or cell products. From my understanding, the most vital of these is the axon. By the axon I mean the many axons in the body associated with touch and motion.
An axon (from Greek, axis) also known as a nerve fibre; is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron’s cell body. The function of the axon is to transmit information to different neurons, muscles and glands. Axon dysfunction causes many inherited and acquired neurological disorders which can affect both the peripheral and central neurons.
When a peripheral nerve is cut, the axon segments distal to the injury (furthest away from the spinal cord) die off in a process called “Wallerian degeneration.” When the nerve is repaired, the axons in the proximal segment (closest to the spinal cord) regrow into the distal, denervated segment. This growth occurs at a rate of about 1 mm per day. This translates roughly to 1 inch per month, or 1 foot per year. Once the axons regrow back into the denervated muscles, the muscles will begin to function again. During the time it takes for the axons to regrow into the muscles, a process that can take many months, or even years, the muscles will be paralyzed and will atrophy.
I will add that after talking to RIC researchers, typically the regrowth of axons doesn’t always go that great, which is why function is never regained in many muscles/cases.
As you can see, the rate of regrowth is not supposed to be happening as fast as it is in me. Not only that, it’s very lucky that I have recovery in EVERY muscle; in every section of the spinal cord. Recovery for spinal cord injury could technically last years, but the majority of recovery happens by month 18 or 24, depending on who you ask. The fact that I have experienced as much return as I have at the beginning of month 3 is extremely promising, and somewhat unusual. I can only believe that God is in there somewhere helping out.
So thank you for your prayers. Sorry for the biology lesson. If any doctors are reading, let me know if I botched up any of that. It’s simply my understanding of what’s happening to me based on a little research and a few conversations.
Rebecca, my dad and I celebrated the day with a nice dinner at Elephant & Castle, including a round of Maker’s. Cheers. I had bacon-wrapped meatloaf. Yes, it was amazing.
This is on a giant banner when you walk into the RIC:
“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.” Job 14 verse 7
Sound like the rebuilding of axons with the spinal cord being the tree? It does to me! I didn’t mention this before but when I first came to RIC and read that, I almost cried. Two reasons: it gave me hope and it showed that they had somewhat of a Christian focus in there somewhere.
Dear Lord, thank You for the hope you have given me. Thank You for the many that have prayed for my healing. Thank You for the love in my life. Thank You for the closeness I feel to You. Dear God, please be with those that are suffering. Please fill them with hope, as You have for me. Please give them the comfort of the Holy Spirit. But also fill them with the fire and verve for life such as I feel right now. I know that comes from You, God, and that it is not something of my own creation. I love You, Lord. Please be with Jayme, Jeff, Mark, Miles, Jimmy, Julie, Tim, Tony, Carlos, Carlitos, Kip, and all the others with spinal cord injuries. Be with all the other nurses and PCTs, the doctors and therapists, anyone else I missed at RIC, all their families, and all my friends and family. Please be with Pastor Dan and his wife, Barbie. Please be with Rob Partin Sr. and his family. Please be with Scott on 10. Please be with my Aunt Dee, dear Lord. Please be with Rebecca’s great aunt Ruth. Please be with all of them and others who need peace and healing. Several times since injury I have heard that there is no healing except through the blood of Jesus. It moves me and echoes in my head. I believe that, Lord. I wasn’t sure I did before but I do now. I know it is talking about the healing of our souls, but there is also the power of prayer in Jesus’ name. Please continue to heal me, Lord. Please keep me in this state of happiness and confidence so I can do Your will in great ways. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Your brain might be running around thinking things like, “What about my grandpa that died of cancer? I prayed for him and he still died. I don’t believe in the power of prayer.” Well, I believe that every prayer is answered. Many times the answer is that we don’t get what WE want at that moment but that God follows through, anyway, in ways we don’t totally grasp. For some people, their suffering becomes a beacon to others of God’s existence, laughing in the face of satan who tries his best to keep us down and anguished. I hope that is my case. For some people, it is their time to go home - to go to heaven. I received a sort of peace when I decided that whatever happened, I wanted to serve God. If I serve God better in a wheelchair, never able to walk again, then that is what I want. If I can serve God better walking again, then that is what I want. Whatever serves and glorifies God the most is what I want. Don’t get me wrong - I’m going to push as hard as I can to walk again, because that’s what I selfishly want. But whatever the end result, I’m okay with it.
G’night/morning,
Chip
PS - I realize this is long, but I don’t care. It’s my blog and I’ll write what I want!
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