Posted By: Jackie_Chans_Mom
Functional Return after Spinal or Nerve Injury - 08/01/08 01:54 PM
I am writing this even though I do not have all the answers. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "It is not possible......" in the time that I have had Jackie Chan and Nugget. I do believe in miracles, but KNOW that I am not the deliverer of them (though Karen M. says there are healing waters at my home - lol). I am just a mom to amazing gliders. AND, I pray that through their stories and experiences, we - as a community - can change our expectations and understanding of severe nervous or spinal damage.
In case you do not know their stories:
In Short, Jackie Chan came to me after an injury that severed his spine just below his shoulders. He was unable to move his back legs or tail and unable to control bowel or bladder. He was given very slim chances of survival by several vets (3 of which suggested putting him down as they did not believe his quality of life would be good).
I brought Jackie home and put him in a very small cage and on a good diet. I also began doing some massage on him. Basically, I would rub him with my pinky finger in circles all over his body. His vet at the time felt that his swelling was so severe that he needed more than 3 days of metacam. So, Jackie received metacam for 14 consecutive days. As the swelling began to go down, Jackie began to have a return of feeling. We speculate that this feeling felt like "pins-n-needles," which was uncomfortable. So, Jackie Chan began to self mutilate. In the course of 5 days, he had 2 emergency surgeries - 1 to remove the poms and one to amputate the tail. Again, he was given a very slim chance of survival.
Home we went. I continued the before mentioned therapy. Jackie recovered fully. However, he also sustained an open injury on his butt that would not heal. We speculate that he did not have the ability to fully regenerate cell growth at the base of his spine due to the spinal injury. AFter 10 months of unsuccesful trials to close the open wound, we also found a neuropathy on the spine where the tail would have attached. Removed the neuropathy and sewed the wound shut. This time, it healed (despite efforts from a cage mate to keep it open). Jackie also began to have return of feeling in his penile area, and self mutilated his penis. So, he had an emergency surgery to remove the penis. I have written in other places/threads of the effects of all of this anesthesia on Jackie's personality.
Throughout all of this, Jackie Chan has continued to recieve therapy and exercise. Over time, he has developed the STRONGEST upper body I have ever seen in a glider. Additionally, he has developed MOVEMENT of his back legs. It is not coordinated movement, but he is able to move with purpose and to lightly grip with his back feet. He also has return of feeling. He does not feel pain, but he feels pressure. So, he purposefully pulls his back feet away from your touch. Based on studies done on horses that had spine severed but were able to run again when they were put through the motions of running repeately, I began putting Jackie through the motion of pulling his legs up under him and putting weight on his back legs. Today, Jackie will independently pull his legs under him when he is sitting. Recently, he began JUMPING short distances!
Functional return after a spine is severed? NEVER - some said. You tell me: today Jackie Chan runs in a wheel, climbs all over his cage and tent, pulls his legs under him, jumps small distances, has feeling in his feet, and plays with toys like all my other gliders. His cage and access to everything has to be modified, but he is a happy, active, determined, inspirational glider.
NUGGET came to me after having both of his back legs essentially crushed. He was not using his back legs or his tail. I was reminded of Jackie Chan. X-rays revealed that Nugget had no spinal damage, but he was severely swollen. Nugget stayed on metacam for 7 continuous weeks. As of today, he has had no negative side effects of long term use of metacam. After the swelling was finally reduced, we found that Nugget had nerve damage at the right hip and was unable to control movement of the right hip. I was given so many different options and so much advice for his care. The overall agreement from most everyone was that the right leg needed to be amputated. I decided, instead, to treat him as I did Jackie Chan.
After 4 months of cage rest, massage, etc.... Nugget returned for x-rays. What we found was astounding. Nugget's left leg healed AS IF it had never been broken! His right leg - 3 of the 4 major breaks healed as if they had been pinned. The hip healed a bit irregularly. Nugget still has some difficulty with his right hip - he is unable to place it as he desires and the nerve pathway seems to be quite slow to the hip. As a result, he experiences many falls. Nonetheless - after severe injury resulting in massive swelling and pressure on the spine as well as nerve damage at the hip, Nugget has regained full use of all joints in his back legs and has developed grip in his back legs strong enough to support him like this:
Nugget hanging in tent
In summary - It is possible for a glider to regain functional use of limbs even after significant spinal or nervous damage. It is not easy. It requires a great deal of effort and care, but it is possible. It has been my overwhelming joy to be mom to these two boys. I pray that no one else ever has to experience this, as I hate to see this happen to a glider. But, I will never regret one moment with my boys.
In case you do not know their stories:
In Short, Jackie Chan came to me after an injury that severed his spine just below his shoulders. He was unable to move his back legs or tail and unable to control bowel or bladder. He was given very slim chances of survival by several vets (3 of which suggested putting him down as they did not believe his quality of life would be good).
I brought Jackie home and put him in a very small cage and on a good diet. I also began doing some massage on him. Basically, I would rub him with my pinky finger in circles all over his body. His vet at the time felt that his swelling was so severe that he needed more than 3 days of metacam. So, Jackie received metacam for 14 consecutive days. As the swelling began to go down, Jackie began to have a return of feeling. We speculate that this feeling felt like "pins-n-needles," which was uncomfortable. So, Jackie Chan began to self mutilate. In the course of 5 days, he had 2 emergency surgeries - 1 to remove the poms and one to amputate the tail. Again, he was given a very slim chance of survival.
Home we went. I continued the before mentioned therapy. Jackie recovered fully. However, he also sustained an open injury on his butt that would not heal. We speculate that he did not have the ability to fully regenerate cell growth at the base of his spine due to the spinal injury. AFter 10 months of unsuccesful trials to close the open wound, we also found a neuropathy on the spine where the tail would have attached. Removed the neuropathy and sewed the wound shut. This time, it healed (despite efforts from a cage mate to keep it open). Jackie also began to have return of feeling in his penile area, and self mutilated his penis. So, he had an emergency surgery to remove the penis. I have written in other places/threads of the effects of all of this anesthesia on Jackie's personality.
Throughout all of this, Jackie Chan has continued to recieve therapy and exercise. Over time, he has developed the STRONGEST upper body I have ever seen in a glider. Additionally, he has developed MOVEMENT of his back legs. It is not coordinated movement, but he is able to move with purpose and to lightly grip with his back feet. He also has return of feeling. He does not feel pain, but he feels pressure. So, he purposefully pulls his back feet away from your touch. Based on studies done on horses that had spine severed but were able to run again when they were put through the motions of running repeately, I began putting Jackie through the motion of pulling his legs up under him and putting weight on his back legs. Today, Jackie will independently pull his legs under him when he is sitting. Recently, he began JUMPING short distances!
Functional return after a spine is severed? NEVER - some said. You tell me: today Jackie Chan runs in a wheel, climbs all over his cage and tent, pulls his legs under him, jumps small distances, has feeling in his feet, and plays with toys like all my other gliders. His cage and access to everything has to be modified, but he is a happy, active, determined, inspirational glider.
NUGGET came to me after having both of his back legs essentially crushed. He was not using his back legs or his tail. I was reminded of Jackie Chan. X-rays revealed that Nugget had no spinal damage, but he was severely swollen. Nugget stayed on metacam for 7 continuous weeks. As of today, he has had no negative side effects of long term use of metacam. After the swelling was finally reduced, we found that Nugget had nerve damage at the right hip and was unable to control movement of the right hip. I was given so many different options and so much advice for his care. The overall agreement from most everyone was that the right leg needed to be amputated. I decided, instead, to treat him as I did Jackie Chan.
After 4 months of cage rest, massage, etc.... Nugget returned for x-rays. What we found was astounding. Nugget's left leg healed AS IF it had never been broken! His right leg - 3 of the 4 major breaks healed as if they had been pinned. The hip healed a bit irregularly. Nugget still has some difficulty with his right hip - he is unable to place it as he desires and the nerve pathway seems to be quite slow to the hip. As a result, he experiences many falls. Nonetheless - after severe injury resulting in massive swelling and pressure on the spine as well as nerve damage at the hip, Nugget has regained full use of all joints in his back legs and has developed grip in his back legs strong enough to support him like this:
Nugget hanging in tent
In summary - It is possible for a glider to regain functional use of limbs even after significant spinal or nervous damage. It is not easy. It requires a great deal of effort and care, but it is possible. It has been my overwhelming joy to be mom to these two boys. I pray that no one else ever has to experience this, as I hate to see this happen to a glider. But, I will never regret one moment with my boys.