HI - I am just beginning to find out about spine injury. My father fell on his porch and broke his neck two weeks ago. He fractured C1 and C2, and has been in a cervical collar since then. First, the n.surgeon on call that night told him that one bone would heal just fine on it's own, the other (C2) has a 50/50 chance and we can check in on it in 4 wks. He had a rough time of it in the hospital, losing consciousness and having a seizure, coming back out of it after balancing his sodium levels, now is having a hard time sleeping, and eating , as he is in rehab now for 30days. He is 76 and lives alone. My sister and I visit every day and are working toward getting him a consultation for surgery, but we have young children and live 25 min. away.
Does anyone have tips on living with the cervical collar, suggestions about neuro deficits after this type of fracture - even if the CT scan shows no brain damage, or any groundbreaking techniques regarding surgical fusion when the dens is misaligned after a break? Thanks for listening!

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

I don't have any answers for you.. sorry

But it is great to hear that he has you and your sister looking out for him.

I wish all of you the best and hope other members here can help you out further. There is a scary amount of knowledge in this forum and the members are more than willing to share it.

Take care.

Hi. Hon.

Welcome

Here is a link to our Spinal Forum. You can post on that, (just copy and paste) from your present post, and put it over there, and someone will come along and help you.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...aysprune=&f=22

Hope all goes well with your dad.

Take care,

Melody

Just wanted to add my welcome...hope you can answers to you questions. I have spine problems but they are in the lumbar area. Remember we are always here to listen and hopefully help!

Hi, I am also here for a relative, my son. He was last hospitalized for seizures in March, April, and May of this year. The neuro performed a muscle biospy and found out he has Mitochondrial Myopathy. His brain swelled up on March 28th. He was also hospitalized twice in 2008.

I still feel like I am in a state of shock. He has developmental delays and I think I have finally got some help for him at a rehabilitation hospital 65 miles away. I have a pretty low income. We just saw SSI again Friday and I think it is going through. I have no idea how I am going to pay for transportation to get him to this hospital. I am so frustrated trying to get him help. My cell phone bill is so high trying to call when I am on break at work or waiting for a bus after work. I could no longer pay for my landline and my son takes off and can not find proper words to ask questions, so I got two cell phones so I could always call him to find him.

He has been out of the hospital since May 5th of this year.

Nobody should have to go through this. It took me forever to get a neuro-psych test to prove developmental delays, going through medical records and getting them out is a nightmare in itself, then calling and calling to get him some help. Anyone else going through this? He is still seeing specialists, but I have yet to find out what type of Mitochondrial Myopathy he has. He sees three more specialists in October, plus has surgery for another problem that is unrelated.

I have to be off work for each one of these doctor appointments, and my pay is affected by this. We have no insurance and he is 26.

Hi, I just wanted to say that I was so moved by your post about your son. You are going through such hard times.

Have you ever considered putting him in a group home? Where he would reside, get rehabilitation and you could visit him. This stress is going to kill you. I really don't know what else to say. You are obviously a good mother. You have done all you can do. Do you have any family support at all?

The boy's father? Is he in the picture? Can he take him in so you can get a break?

I know it's hard hearing this. But moms count too. You are a human being and you need some help. I certainly hope the SSI comes through for you. That way he gets a monthly income and health insurance.

I just wanted to say that someone is thinking of you and your son tonight. You are in my prayers.

Take care

melody

Thanks to the people who chimed in! What a warm welcome.
My heart goes out to Carolee - how hard it is to see these things happening in your children.

hi gina and welcome to NT.

i can't answer your Q's but wanted to say glad you found us. i'm one of the forums will be able to help you.

it's not uncommon for older folks to be disoriented when they're taken out of their normal surroundings and routine. perhaps there's some of that going on.

i'm sending well wishes for your dad to heal up and improve his condition.
i know what's it's like to have a loved one hospitalized. it's so hard to go back and forth.

Nancy, thanks for the well wishes...it's good to know that it is common for older folks to get disoriented when this happens, we are having a devil of a time with the night staff at his rehab. RIght now he goes into bed every night just completely on guard that the night staff is going to harass him, disrespect him and out and out yell at him. I do believe that they are simply losing patience with having to remind him where he is, and remind him that he does not need to stand up to use the bathroom(he has a catheter), and that he will just be waking up repeatedly. On the other side, he is completely wigged out at night and says the craziest stuff, so I'm not sure if he is even perceiving the staff as they are and not inflating it. They are not abusive, but they really have him on edge.
We are hopeful that when he gets to his surgical appt. next Wednesday, and out of this rehab, he will relax.