We saw John's South Bend neurosurgeon for a follow-up today. His latest set of x-rays confirm that the fusion is holding strong, and the bone is growing very well around the hardware. At this point, John won't need more images taken unless new problems present themselves, though he'll always need to be protective of his neck.
The doctor also tested his reflexes. Consistent with central
cord syndrome, the reflexes in his hands (measured at his finger tips)
are worse than those in his legs (measured at his knees).
The spinal decompression is complete (that was the objective of John's surgery -- removing the C4 disc prevented further injury to the spine and we were waiting for the swelling to completely subside), and there's no reason to expect further damage to his spine. He has hit a plateau in his rehabilitation, and at 7 1/2 months out, we have a good sense of how much function he is going to regain. While the recovery has greatly slowed at this point, changes are still possible for up to three years after his accident, though, and he has to maintain a strict exercise schedule to not lose his hard-won gains.
Our next appointment with this doctor in July (at the one-year mark).
We are always glad to hear about good doctors visits!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter from the 'burgh!
Funny thing about that, Sarah -- we're always happy to report good doctors' visits and even happier to have them ;) !!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to the 'burgh from the Bend!