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Second Chance to Live

Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury

Finding Craig — Learning to Walk Again By Not Giving Up Part 3

February 3, 2016 By Second Chance to Live

To read Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 and Part 8 of this article, click on these highlighted links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 and Part 8

Finding Craig -- Learning to Walk Again By Not Giving Up
Finding Craig — Learning to Walk Again By Not Giving Up

 Today I would like to share something that I have not in the nearly 9 years since I created Second Chance to Live.In previous articles, I have shared that I taught myself how to walk after the car accident in which I fractured my skull and my left femur. What I did not share were the events that led up to my being able to learn how to walk again. So below are the events that helped me to learn to walk again.


Spica (Full Body) Cast

After completing traction for my fractured femur to fuse back together, the medical staff put me in a full body or Spica cast. The cast started at my neck and went all the way do to my left foot. On my right side of my body, the cast went down below my right knee.

So I was essentially encased in the cast with openings for elimination purposes. I remained encased in the cast for approximately 5 months from mid-September 1967 to January – February 1968. I remember being in the cast for several weeks that the cast was rubbing and causing skin breakdown below my right knee. I remember that the decision was made to trim the cast back on my right side to eliminate the rubbing and skin irritation. I remember that after the cast was trimmed that I was transported home. I remained at home in the Spica cast for the next 5 months until X-rays proved that my left femur had healed enough for the cast to be removed. I remember the skin itching under the cast during those 5 months.


Left Leg Shorter than My Right Leg

The result of my left leg and foot being encased in the cast prevented my left leg not growing in length as my right leg was during those 5 months. As a consequence, my left leg is shorter than my right leg. I remember that after the cast was removed from my body that I being taken to several physical therapy appointments. During these appointments, I told the physical therapist that it hurt to walk. Apparently, from what the Dr.’s told my Mom; that they could not fix my femur properly because of my brain injury. As a result, my femur did not heal properly through my time in traction and in the Spica cast.


Tough Love

Apparently, that was the reason I experienced pain trying to walk. My Mom took the seat out of a baby butler (see above) for me to practice walking. After telling my Mom many times that it hurt to stand and walk, she told me that I could either struggle to walk or drag myself around without the use of my legs. She told me that out of being at her wit’s end in trying to help me. She told me that it was my choice and mine alone.

Thank you for Mom for telling me that at the time.

My Mom told me recently that a short time after she told me that it was my choice, I began to struggle through the pain to walk. In late January or early February 1968, I start to learn how to walk again. I would pull myself up in the baby butler and put one foot in front of the other. Learning to walk again took time for various reasons.


Strengthen My Legs and My Balance

Being encased in the Spica cast for 5-6 months had caused some muscle atrophy in my legs, so I needed to strengthen my legs. Because my left leg did not grow longer in the cast, my left leg was shorter than my right leg. Being that my left leg was shorter than my right leg, I had to work on my balance too. My Mom told me that I walked with a limp for a long time. With time my legs strengthened and my balance improved.

With time I was able to begin to walk with less of a limp. With time I was able to jog without pain in my left leg where my femur had fractured. With time I was able to start to run. With time I was able to begin participating in sports in high school wrestling and track. I tried out for football, but thank God I was not selected to play on the team.

Little did I know that if I had been selected to play on the team that things could have been compounded by head hits. Looking back I see how God was protecting me from further brain injury.


Please read the next part of the series, Finding Craig — My Academic Path, click on this link: Part 4


You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however, I maintain ownership of the intellectual property AND my articles, video presentations and eBooks are not to be considered OPEN SOURCE. Please also provide a link back to Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. I look forward to hearing from you. More Information: Copyright 2007 -2018.

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Filed Under: Brain Injury Recovery -- An Ongoing Process

Comments

  1. Watson says

    February 21, 2016 at 10:09 am

    Craig the BEAST!!! Absolute! menacing! BEAST!!! Proudness and pride courses through my veins for you after reading this (so far) 3 part article! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    From,
    not Watson ^^

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  2. Tyler says

    April 19, 2016 at 2:56 pm

    Response #3… I’m literally reading one at a time, giving my respone, then moving on!
    I had a ‘left side’ brain injury, therefore my right side wouldn’t work. I was place in a bed, pretty much doing nothing. Slowly recovered, went to GF Strong, and started to try and build my life back. I went from Not being able to walk, to a wheelchair, to using crutches/cane, to braces… even getting Shocked (FES system… a ‘lil jolt, but helps the best!). I have a tough time doing ‘fine’ tasks with my Right hand, and I have learned to be ‘Left Handed’ (I actually just Forced myself to type with my right hand!). But I truely do Not want to loose my Right :(. They took away my drivers licence, and just recently did my ‘Drives Test’ and got it back :)!

    …Other than a few scars on my back, a bump on my shoulder, and a limp when I walk… this is an Invisible Disability!

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    • Second Chance to Live says

      April 19, 2016 at 7:14 pm

      Hi Tyler,
      Thank you so very much for your comments and for what you have shared with me. I am honored by you doing so Sir. You are doing excellent work my friend. I am proud of you Tyler. In my experience I too have to do things a bazillion times to get good muscle memory. I have been using different martial art disciplines over the course of the past 17 or 18 years to improve.

      I get it. It is an invisible disability. I wrote an article series, MY Struggle Living with an Invisible Disability that you may find to be helpful.

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2009/03/19/my-struggle-living-with-an-invisible-disability-part-1/

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2009/03/20/my-struggle-living-with-an-invisible-disability-revisited-part-2/

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2009/03/22/my-struggle-living-with-an-invisible-disability-revisited-part-3/

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2009/03/23/my-struggle-living-with-an-invisible-disability-revisited-part-4/

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2009/03/23/my-struggle-living-with-an-invisible-disability-revisited-part-5/

      I have a tremor in my left hand, but have found that by engaging in repetitive mirrored movements, over time; I have been able to achieve things that I never dreamed possible. Below is an article that I wrote in 2014 that you may find to be helpful. I will also include a short video presentation of how I have applied the principle of neuroplasticity through repetitive mirrored movements.

      In my experience, it has just taken time and a commitment to not giving up. Let me know if the article and presentation help you Tyler. Thank you.

      https://secondchancetolive.org/2014/08/11/neuroplasticity-small-successes-and-learning-relearning-skill-sets/

      https://youtu.be/Ljsr_S18Fng

      Have a pleasant evening my friend.

      Craig

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