My brother was recently paralyzied.. does anyone have any tips on how to help him get back to a normal life?
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Physical Therapy can sometimes help. Chiropractic can help. Get him involved in activities, i.e., special olympic stuff or other things. Its tough, but can be done. And, he could be an example and an inspiration for others out there like him.
Other Answers:
hunni you should contact lifeinheavenforeever. he too is in a wheelchair, he would be most willing to help you out with advice. he is a friend of mine. I am so saddened to hear about your brothers accident. stay strong all of you
Big Hugs
Talk to the Dr. They may try re-hab for him to get his muscles moving again. Don't give up hope.
Physio-therary is the best mode of therapy to help bring back paralysed patients to normal life.
it depends thier extent of thier parayalasis wheel him for a walk, read to him, take him to lunch, enroll in in physical threarpy/ the ymca dont treat him any different
I would acknowledge the disability, without dwelling on it. Realize that if it is permanent, then he will never live a " normal life " again. I don't know if the paralysis is reversible, but sometimes certain feelings/ sensations/ nerve endings can regenerate.. The biggest suggestion is to watch for depression, and keep his spirits up.. be there as a support if he needs a new job, or a new goal in life.
Sounds like you are already there for him.. so just help him through this transition by lending a ear, just listen, and give him a shoulder to cry on for a while.. Then pick him up by the boot straps and give him a goal in life. a hobby or a new job.
Good luck to both of you
well,. you can inject embrionic cells into his body that helps forever!
this is a tough one. My friend also is paralyzed. He cant move from the chest down, has to wear diapers and has a urine bag. It very emotional. We joke and continue on with life as nothing happened but the sadness is still there. There is going to be forever medical treatment and care. Please be careful of blood clots. Since they cannot move there legs they are more prone to this. Also your brother will have problems regulating his temperature since movement does increase and decrease temp.
Your brother will also be on a lot of medications. He will have several spasms that make his legs shake. People think this is a sign that he will regenerate the nerves and be able to walk again. This is a lost hope. It wont happen. there are surgeries out there they may help or even regain some useage of the legs depending on the type of injury.
Push for your brother to start being independent. Try not to jump for every little thing he wants or does. He needs upper arm strength, and he needs to know that just because he is in a wheel chair that he is capable of living a quality life.
Good luck and I will keep your brother in my prayers.
First off, I have to say that I am sorry to hear about this. Not having walked that path with anyone other than a friend, I do not know exactly what to say to you now.
I recognize that you want things to get back to normal, but this is too short a time to be thinking about this. Your (and your brother's) focus should be on him getting out of the hospital and into the rehabilitiation hospital.
Paralysis can and does fully or partially resolve. It is possible to recover at least some function.
Once your brother recovers enough to go to the rehab hospital, there will be many discussions there about what will go back to normal and what needs to come to a "new normal".
The likelihood of things going back to the way things were is not so high.
The advice I have is to be with your brother and to encourage him where he is. Right now, he is recuperating and may be in a cast or on a stryker frame. He will be grieving the loss of many things about now.
When he gets to the rehab place, the people there will be rougher than he expects on him. (Dont tell him that now!) Their purpose is to get him to do as much as he can. If he can do more things, he can be more independant. The stay in rehab will be hard, but help him to persevere and to point out minor improvements and celebrate them.
Suggestions for the both of you would be to contact Joni Eareckson Tada at Joni and Friends. They are people who have been through accidents like your brother and have varying forms of disability. There are family members and others interested in being a part of your life and helping you.
I myself was in an accident(first and last roofing job)where I was supposed to be paralyzed,I was fortunate,and have been doing tai chi ever since.It can be done in the chair and may increase circulation .
the best center in the world to recover hope and function is where i work - i might be biased but i would do anything in my power to get a loved one into my program. Dr Cristina Sadowsky is one of the best care providers for people living with parlysis. the PT and OT interventons we employ are powerful and promising- Dr. John Mcdonald's vision for restoring and recovering function is based in science and in hope.. Pat rummerfield can be a great resource for patients.
spinalcordrecovery.org
kennedykrieger.org
Patient ot patient - i would contact josh Basile of determined 2 heal .org
though i know less about another program, i am also impressed by Neuroworx in Utah. Dr. Hull.. His story (of recovery) is much like Pat Rummerfield's and his vision for patients is much like ours at Kennedy Krieger (Baltimore)
My most clear advice outside of this is do all in your power to avoid secondary complications. this requires a physicain who knows a great deal of the secondary complications in SCI (short and long term). and a therapist who thinks anything is possible.
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