Recovery for the new people on board!

[Dianna williams]

i will repeat the story of Errett's recovery since you can not read it from the old message posts
Errett was 17years old for 10days when he was hurt in football, Oct31 1997
he had the 5th and 6th nerves pulled out of the spinal cord,
we went thru all the testing and EMG's xrays, MRI's, and Myolograhms.ctscans
then we went to New Orleans to Doctors Daivd Kline and Robert Tiel in Feb 1998, Errett had sugery on april 7th 1998 they did nerve graft surgery they hooked c5 to c4 with 2- 21/2 nerves grafts and c6 to c7 with 2- 21/2 nerves grafts. in a 71/2 hour surgery, they told us the longer the surgery the more he will be able to get back, becouse they can do more repairs,.in early may 1998(6 weeks after sugery) he went to his doctor here and they check his scars, and he had movement. I had to show the doctor here what they checked by holding his arm up and told him to try and hold it up and he did for the count of 10.
so he started Phycial therpy and they would shock his muscles 10 time each and they did this 3 time , 3 days a week for almost 1 1/2 years.
he was able to control his arm better, it moved but like a new born baby on control. but after 1 1/2 years he was able to control his arm and make it do what it was told to do.
he worked every day at home on his excerises they gave him, working with the colored giant rubber bands . 3 years after surgery the Doctors released him,
the 1st year after surgery he was able to raise his arm up and out to the side about his waist, 2nd year he was able to raise his arm up to his chest level and out to the side up even with his shoulder,3 year he was able to raise his arm up over his head.

so in feb of this year 2001 the doctors told him to enjoy life and that they wont take any more of his time up just so they could enjoy seeing the recovery Errett got, that they will use what they learned with Errett to help others get back what Errett got back, but if he ever needed anythink just to call, or come and see them
they asked us to send picture of Errett enjoying life so they could show others that it is possible to recover. Errett is living Proof. if you send my your email i will send the pictures of Errett , but it would be nice to be able to post them here so more people could see them.

[Dianna williams]

this is a repeat becouse it was asked for.

[George]

I'm glad someone asked about it Dianna.....I had heard bits and pieces of Errett's recovery story, but not all of it till now. Thank you. I'm happy for you both that he has done so well in his recovery. Am also thankful to all the docs out there (like Kline and Teil) who are giving what they know to help bpi sufferers have a chance at recovery. I know you are proud of Errett. I also know the work you both went through to get to where you are. Thanks for sharing his story.

George