Canoing & Kayaking with One Arm

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
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Christopher
Posts: 845
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02

Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed

BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.

Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt
Location: Los Angeles, California USA

Canoing & Kayaking with One Arm

Post by Christopher »

Here are a couple of links to get your mind working in the right direction,
so you can get your body and spirit there too!

canoeing rigging for one arm:
http://www.ncstaff.net/oed/CanoePaddleF ... sePage.htm

kayaking rigging for one arm:
http://brucefuoco.blogspot.com/2006/07/ ... dlers.html
MW
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:13 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: LTBPI, Feb 2009, hit by truck while on a run. Free muscle transfer at Mayo Clinic 6 months later.
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Canoing & Kayaking with One Arm

Post by MW »

Thanks Chris, that just made my day. My office is on the Chicago River, and everyday I see groups of kayakers paddling up and down, making me wonder if I'd ever get in one of those again.

MW
User avatar
thebrain
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 12:47 am
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: 6/12/10 avulsion of several roots due to motorcycle accident. So far I've
had two nerve transfers: intercostal to biceps and spinal accessory to
superscapular. The superscapular is working, holding my shoulder in place so I don't have to wear a sling all the time, and I can 'lift' that arm a few degrees away from my body. The bicep is firing but not enough to flex, yet.
Location: Palo Alto, CA

Re: Canoing & Kayaking with One Arm

Post by thebrain »

Holy Wow! Thanks so much... i live in santa cruz and had been thinking about buying a pedal kayak but that is a way better setup... i am going to get with my dad (my normal 'yakking partner) and see what we can rig up.
User avatar
Christopher
Posts: 845
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02

Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed

BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.

Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt
Location: Los Angeles, California USA

Re: Canoing & Kayaking with One Arm

Post by Christopher »

If anyone gets something going, please post it here!
I made a brace to attach a paddle to my forearm that was designed after a guy named Paul Templer, who had his arm EATEN OFF by a HIPPO!

He was featured on a National Geographic Society special about the most lethal animal in Africa, the Hippo, so I found him and got pictures of what he used. Problem is, it blows out your shoulder, he was looking into the foot-peddle kayaks too. The design above wasn't around then, and I also wanted something more portable.

Paul kayaking
Image

the brace on canoe paddle (I've only really tried it for canoeing successfully)
Image

brace close up
Image

Paddle mounted on forearm
Image

episode about Paul on NGS:
http://natgeotv.com/uk/dark-side-of-hippos/about

Paul's site:
http://www.paultempler.com


Keep on thinking and collecting stuff that's out there.
No need to reinvent the wheel!!!

Cheers,
Christopher
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