So I am new to my BPI, and I am still in highschool. I am interested in joining my schools water polo team. Do you think this is possible? I am a little nervous to start, and I dont really know how to go about it, or how to talk to the coach. I was on the team before my injury last year.
thank you,
erin
Water polo
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ee777
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:14 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: June 5, 2010
I severed my c6. c7 brachial plexus nerves on June 5, 2010 by snapping a G string on my double bass while turning pages, and the string ended up snapping between my neck and shoulder and severed my bp nerves. Now I am paralyzed completely on my arm. No surgeries, starting pt in a week.
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karategirl1kyu
- Posts: 363
- Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:59 am
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: LOBPI, had surgery when I was 9- they moved muscles and tendons from one side of my arm to the other side. I can lift my arm to about my eye level, can't straigten it all the way and can't completely supinate my wrist.
- Location: Richmond, RI
Re: Water polo
if you feel comfortable doing it, do it. im pretty sure in high school they cant discriminate because of a disability, and i'd just outright tell the coach what happened. i wish you luck!! 
~Mel/23/LOBPI
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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
Re: Water polo
Erin,
Sorry to hear about your injury. G string snapped on your bass??? Holy smokes, that is the first I've ever heard of something like that. What a shocker that must have been!
I hope you are getting proper medical attention. If your nerves were severed and not avulsed (torn out from the spine) there is a good chance that a talented neurosurgeon could reconnect the nerves and you could regain some good functional use of your arm. But don't waste time.
I would strongly suggest going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. They are the tops and this injury, and it is very tricky finding surgeons that actually really know what they are doing or what are the latest and best surgical procedures available. Look them up in the medical directory under "resources" at the top of the page.
As far as playing water polo again, I think if you want it, go for it! Adaptation is one of the highest forms of intelligence, and this injury will put you to the test. Use your smarts and spirit and give it a go. Of course things will be different, but be patient and give yourself plenty of space to figure things out. Things may not work out the same as before, but you'll be surprised at how much you can do (and so will others!).
Talk to your coach, but don't let him/her discourage you if you think you can do it. There are a lot of things I gave up along the way after my injury, but slowly over the years I've come to realize that I can do much more than I gave myself credit for. Don't waste time worrying, just try it. Today I went water skiing for example. It was genius, and I never thought I'd be doing that again, but I learned from this site of others that were still doing it, and presto they invited me to come along and give it a go (thanks Fernado & Dan!).
Of course this is all as long as it okay to push forward so soon after your injury. Be active as possible, but make sure you get good advice about how soon you can put strain on your arm. Everyone's injury is different, believe me. You may have to learn to trust yourself and your own instincts the most in the end.
I hope you get back out there soon! And please make sure you see some qualified specialists. There aren't that many in the country that deal with this injury adequately, so please ask on this site, and I'm sure people will chime in with there experience.
Best of Luck!
Christopher
Sorry to hear about your injury. G string snapped on your bass??? Holy smokes, that is the first I've ever heard of something like that. What a shocker that must have been!
I hope you are getting proper medical attention. If your nerves were severed and not avulsed (torn out from the spine) there is a good chance that a talented neurosurgeon could reconnect the nerves and you could regain some good functional use of your arm. But don't waste time.
I would strongly suggest going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. They are the tops and this injury, and it is very tricky finding surgeons that actually really know what they are doing or what are the latest and best surgical procedures available. Look them up in the medical directory under "resources" at the top of the page.
As far as playing water polo again, I think if you want it, go for it! Adaptation is one of the highest forms of intelligence, and this injury will put you to the test. Use your smarts and spirit and give it a go. Of course things will be different, but be patient and give yourself plenty of space to figure things out. Things may not work out the same as before, but you'll be surprised at how much you can do (and so will others!).
Talk to your coach, but don't let him/her discourage you if you think you can do it. There are a lot of things I gave up along the way after my injury, but slowly over the years I've come to realize that I can do much more than I gave myself credit for. Don't waste time worrying, just try it. Today I went water skiing for example. It was genius, and I never thought I'd be doing that again, but I learned from this site of others that were still doing it, and presto they invited me to come along and give it a go (thanks Fernado & Dan!).
Of course this is all as long as it okay to push forward so soon after your injury. Be active as possible, but make sure you get good advice about how soon you can put strain on your arm. Everyone's injury is different, believe me. You may have to learn to trust yourself and your own instincts the most in the end.
I hope you get back out there soon! And please make sure you see some qualified specialists. There aren't that many in the country that deal with this injury adequately, so please ask on this site, and I'm sure people will chime in with there experience.
Best of Luck!
Christopher
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Dan
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:08 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Injured 5/11/86, had just turned 18 yrs old
Evulsed C5-T1
Intercostal into Bicep 10/86 - Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Re: Water polo
Hi Erin,
I couldn't agree with Chris more on all points. I would strongly encourage you to get to Mayo also, just as Chris said, if your nerves are only severed, there is a very high level of improvement you can get, so please do everything you can do NOW, time is critical. Not to be to harsh, but the PT will do very little for you at this point, get to the surgeons at Mayo.
As far as the sports and specifically water polo, after you explore the surgical options, (see a patern here with surgery?) you can do most sports you set you mind to and don't let others discourage you. I would be prepared to go to the coach with the way and solutions you could play and then be determined to make it happen.
I might be on the more extreme side of this injury with getting back active very soon, both after the initial injury as well as after my surgery. I got hurt right before I graduated High School, over 24 years ago, I also did the full deal on my injury, full avulsion of all five nerves. I was golfing within a month, snow skiing within 5 months and water skiing within a year. I was in college when I had my surgery five months after my accident and I only missed one week of school, I looked like Frankenstein with all the scars, but I was in school and didn't have to delay any of my classes.
I have done just about everything I have wanted to do athletically and after years of riding road bikes, I started doing triathlons a few years ago, needed something new to do. The point I am trying to make is if you are determined enough, you can do just about anything you want and at a very high level.
Best of luck and please let me know if there is anything I can help with,
Dan
I couldn't agree with Chris more on all points. I would strongly encourage you to get to Mayo also, just as Chris said, if your nerves are only severed, there is a very high level of improvement you can get, so please do everything you can do NOW, time is critical. Not to be to harsh, but the PT will do very little for you at this point, get to the surgeons at Mayo.
As far as the sports and specifically water polo, after you explore the surgical options, (see a patern here with surgery?) you can do most sports you set you mind to and don't let others discourage you. I would be prepared to go to the coach with the way and solutions you could play and then be determined to make it happen.
I might be on the more extreme side of this injury with getting back active very soon, both after the initial injury as well as after my surgery. I got hurt right before I graduated High School, over 24 years ago, I also did the full deal on my injury, full avulsion of all five nerves. I was golfing within a month, snow skiing within 5 months and water skiing within a year. I was in college when I had my surgery five months after my accident and I only missed one week of school, I looked like Frankenstein with all the scars, but I was in school and didn't have to delay any of my classes.
I have done just about everything I have wanted to do athletically and after years of riding road bikes, I started doing triathlons a few years ago, needed something new to do. The point I am trying to make is if you are determined enough, you can do just about anything you want and at a very high level.
Best of luck and please let me know if there is anything I can help with,
Dan
Re: Water polo
Hi Erin
Chris and Dan just hit it perfect so follow their recomendations and get to Mayo as soon as posible since they are the top option and I am sure you still can get a lot back and as far as playing around you will find the way belive me.
Good luck
Fernando
Chris and Dan just hit it perfect so follow their recomendations and get to Mayo as soon as posible since they are the top option and I am sure you still can get a lot back and as far as playing around you will find the way belive me.
Good luck
Fernando