Questions

It occurs to me that some of the readers of this blog might have some questions about paraplegia, or my condition specifically.  There are a few that I hear a lot, and probably a lot more that people are too polite to ask.  In this post, I'm going to answer some questions I hear a lot, but I'm wondering if people have any other questions I haven't heard.  I'll answer anything, I don't care.  If you have a question, put it in a comment here, and I'll answer it.  I actually enjoy talking about my condition, so don't hold back.

What sort of injury do you have?

Mine is an incomplete spinal cord injury at the T4 vertebrae which means that the spinal cord was not completely severed, but was kinked up fairly high.  The doctors fused a section of my spine together so that the vertebrae are attached to each other.  I believe they fused from T3 to T8, but I'd have to double-check that.

What does it feel like?

I can't really feel anything below my nipples.  That's my sensation line.  I have complete use of my arms, but no use of my abdominal muscles, and I can't feel half of my ribs.  This also means that I can't breathe as well as I could before.  I have full control of my diaphragm, even though it's below my sensation line, but because of the rib issues, I can't inhale as deeply as I used to.  When I cough, it's extremely weak.

Because of my lack of ab control, it makes it very difficult to sit upright and do anything with both hands.  If I don't have one hand supporting me, I tend to just tip over.

Because my injury is not complete, I still feel some vague sensations from my lower body.  Unfortunately, they are not very useful, and they are on a time delay.  For example, after I've been sitting in one place for a while, I think I can feel what position my legs are in.  Or if I hurt my foot, I will feel a vague sensation of pain after a minute or two.  It's possible I may feel more one day as my injury heals, but the odds are against it.

Why are wheelies important in a wheelchair?

Everyone seems to think that wheelchair wheelies are just for show, but they serve several very important functions which is why they teach them in therapy.

Wheelies are also cool

1.) They help with pressure relief

When you are paralyzed, you don't feel pain like normal people. When a normal person sits in one place too long, they start to feel uncomfortable, so they start to fidget.  This keeps them from getting pressure sores on their skin.  Paraplegics don't get uncomfortable the same way, so you have to remind yourself to fidget on a regular basis to avoid very nasty sores.

There are only a few fidgeting options for paras because their legs don't work.  You can hold your entire weight up off the chair with your arms for two minutes at a time.  This is very effective, but is extremely difficult.  You can lean forward onto some horizontal surface for two minutes.  This takes most of the weight off your buttocks, but it looks pretty silly if anyone else is around.  There are a couple other non-ideal options, but the final, and easiest option is to lean back.  If you can just wheelie yourself up against a wall or in front of a chair, you can move your weight onto your back and off your butt for a couple minutes without looking like you just lost your mind.

2.) They let you traverse obstacles

The front casters on most wheelchairs are pretty small, and they don't roll over bumps very well.  If you can wheelie them up onto things, it makes your life much easier, and your trip much smoother.  In worst-case situations, the small casters can get stuck in holes which can flip you out of the chair.  Much better to just wheelie over them.

For experts, it is also possible to wheelie up curbs and over larger obstacles.  This is an advanced technique however, and usually takes years to learn.

3.) They let you descend hills more safely

If you have to go down a steep hill, the chair will lean forward, and you will likely fall out.  If you are good enough at wheelies though, you can descend the hill in a wheelie.  This has two effects.  First, you are leaning back so you don't tumble forward out of the chair.  Two, because most wheelchair wheels are cambered, when you put the chair into a wheelie, the wheels no longer point the same direction, so you get a subtle braking effect that helps slow your descent.

Are you in any pain?

Yes.  Lots.  The muscles around my surgery are still very sore.  I have a prescription for a small amount of Oxycodone, and I use it in the morning to get ready for therapy, but after therapy is over, I never use it.  I'm trying to avoid any addiction although I doubt there's much to worry about with the level they're giving me.  What they give me is effective when I take it, but when I don't, it feels like I went 5 rounds standing with my back to Mike Tyson.

What are you most worried about when you go home?

I'm worried about lots of things.  I have learned how to do a lot of stuff here, but that stuff is still incredibly difficult.  Everything I do is ten times harder than it used to be, and takes ten times longer, so I worry that I won't have the strength or the endurance to do all the things I need to do to live alone.  The hardest thing I do all day is get out of bed.  Sitting up in bed is an athletic event, and my back is most sore first thing in the morning.  Right now, it's bad enough with the powered hospital bed and nurses to bring me pain meds, but when that's gone, I just don't know.

I'm also worried about falling.  I still don't really have the ability to get up from the floor onto a chair or my wheelchair by myself.  It turns out I weigh a lot, and I just don't have the strength or the technique yet.  So if and when I fall out of my wheelchair (it will definitely happen eventually), what will I do?  I think I'm going to have to get one of those bracelets that calls the paramedics just in case.  It's embarrassing, but I don't see any alternative.

Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up!