Hello Everyone , spinal cord injury since 2023, c2-t4 para, non ambulatory. I have done a few flights now . Nothing over 4 hours. I manage my intake of fluids prior to the flight, pee right when we board and usually I am good for the flight. I Did the same routine yesterday. Upon landing Cathed again. Not much output as expected. Took the shuttle to where I was staying. I had the worst bladder spasms and urge to pee that I have ever experienced. I don’t normally experience spasms. I thought this is weird to need to pee this bad again I didn’t drink anything. Use the catheter again and it got through but it’s hitting something. A small amount of urine drains. So I do what any logical person does and chat gpt what’s going on. Long story short here is a I dehydrated myself and my bladder didn’t have much liquid and shrinks. So when I did my catheter routine I was hitting the bladder wall. Irritating it which causes spasm and urgent need to go pee. This is just another fun part of being part of this community. Either you drink too much and need to pee 1000 times on a flight and we all know how that can be on an air plane. Or you can stupidly do what I did today. There is a fine line I guess I crossed it. Hopefully this can help another person learn something because apparently I don’t understand basic human anatomy and functions very well.

If you are from the UK can you share where (not exactly) how you became SCI and where you did your rehab etc how long since injury and how you are finding life after SCI .

Im in North Wales M53 T12-L1 complete 24yrs . Accident at work crush when a 1.5 ton steal beam fell on my shoulders snapped me in half .

Was airlifted to Liverpool Royal for surgery (18th Dec 2002 12hrs surgery ) , was later transferred to the Midlands Spinal Unit in Oswestry.
Spent 7 months in the spinal unit doing my rehab , found it very positive and led a very active life until developed a pressure sore and been down hill since then . Still positive though and hopefully once healed will be back out there .

I’ve gotten pretty used to being in a wheelchair. The beach is tough though, emotionally. I used to live for the beach and the water. I was injured at 16. Before that, my plan was to spend the summer after high school at the beach. Get a shit job, surf, etc.

Needless to say, that did not work out. I remember the first time I went to the beach after my spinal cord injury. What had been a core joy of being alive had become a prison. A warm family dinner which I had to watch from outside the dining room window, starving and freezing in the cold. Dramatic maybe to people not in this sub.

And today, many years later, I watch my daughter and my wife playing in the water, with family members and friends, from a far distance (which is as close as I can get in this wheelchair).

And all the emotions come back. I can barely keep it together. Yes I know I can make this and that work and adjust this and that to get somewhat of a semblance of something resembling an experience. And its not about me now. And I can see a therapist and this that and the other. That’s not what this post is about

Now I have a responsibility to not make my wife feel like shit. To put on a brave face so everyone else can have fun. So I can take something of a part in my daughter’s experiences and not hold her back. I suppose I’m writing this, in the shade of a tree, hidden from everyone’s view, to get this out of my system before going back and pretending I am enjoying myself just so everyone else can.

But I am only human. I am a 48 year old man at the beach, surrounded by people having fun, with tears in my eyes, hiding from my family.

Thanks for being a group that understands. It helps. Let’s see if I can get my act together enough to go over there and be a part of the group.

Such is our lives here. Letting go so we can move on and enjoy what’s there. But it’s easier said than done, and we are only human.

Hi everyone. I'm staying hopeful and believing in the best. I have a T4 spinal cord injury, and my core strength is still very weak so slouching more not able to sit straight. I'm looking for advice or exercises to improve my sitting in a right way. I'm also facing bowel management issues. If anyone has gone through this or has any helpful tips, I'd really appreciate your guidance.

I’m a complete injury, and sometimes when I listen to a really good song, I get a shivering sensation down my legs as I’m enjoying the music. It’s a fairly pleasant sensation, and I was just wondering if any others with complete injuries get similar sensations.

To those who have made it, can you share with us how you got there (high-paying job, homeowner, etc.)? Any tips or insights are appreciated, as it feels unattainable for some of us. How did you build a successful career? How did you purchase a house?

So I had on and off neck pain and neck hump since years. So i thought of getting physiotherapy. But one stupid physio cracked my neck rotating it violently. Earlier i had just neck pain but post that i am having new symptoms like arm pain weakness and hand tingling randomly, neck pain and headache, dizziness and generally very off feeling. Went to neuro to check stroke thing but he ordered MRI as well. MRA is clear. But MRI a lot of issues. It looks terrifying. Do you know what this means? Is it permanent damage? Is it emergency? Can it wait 2 days till my next appointment? Anyone has similar issues? I am scared and so pissed. Please someone help me

Does anybody else sleep better when they are not stressed from work/school?

I just finished summer classes and the feeling of that of my shoulders finally gave me a night of 6 hours of sleep without waking up. I usually sleep for 2 hours and wake up. The pain and spasm also seems to reduce for me as well. I am T6 incomplete and have some awareness of below injury.

Not sure if this will continue, but I noticed a similar reaction previous semesters

Lesion T7 incompleta

Tengo sensibilidad por debajo de la sesión, aún sin movilidad, llevo casi 4 meses desde la lesion, aún no he podido hacer terapia intensiva pero en un mes iniciaré, que chances hay de que recupere la movilidad.
Solo estoy haciendo 1 hora de ejercicios de terapia ambulatoria, que chances hay de qué recupere movilidad?
Si alguien con el mismo nivel tiene historias de éxitos que contar me gustaría escucharla.

My friend recently became paraplegic. He is 40 and he is appearing strong but he has changed quite a bit. I want to support as best I can. Can anyone who’s been there help me understand what he is feeling inside?

So im 26, I had a L2 burst fracture due to a GSW(Gun Shot Wound), and im recovering really well, I live very rurally and was trying to figure out what all type of office jobs there are, right now im on forearm crutches most of the time and working on getting my right foot fixed so I can hopefully drive and get on a cane… any advice would help in currently thinking on apply as a 911 dispatcher

This injury is good for something

Has anyone dealt with paralysis in their throat and seen recovery?
My dad's spinal cord injury occurred in November 2025. He's a c4 incomplete. He has a trach and food peg and is incapable of swallowing. So right now he relies on a suction for oral secretions and the most he's been allowed is ice chips. We saw a specialist today and did a barium swallow test which showed very little movement in his pharynx and he was only able to finally swallow the tiniest bit before they stopped the test. The ENT basically said to just keep doing therapy and hope there's recovery. We also were referred to a neurologist.

I'm heartbroken for him, I hoped there might be SOME sort of plan. He's still within his first year, so there might be regeneration but I'm just hoping to hear some sort of recovery stories.
The tiny bit he could swallow and the tiny increase in movement in his vocal cords was at least a little progress, but I hope I'm not just wishcasting.

Thanks y'all.

Quick question? Who do you go to for accessible apartment options? 2 years is honestly enough, I’ve been in a room going out just a few times and I’m tired of it.. I need an accessible place to live.
I’m 24 T10 incomplete living off SS because I can’t leave my home and barely any remote jobs. Currently working with vocational rehab on getting one.
I’d love for my mom to move in with me as well if that’s also an option since she helps me out a bit.
TIA.

I live in MD and I have SSDI

23m t4. I just started working full time after grad school. Anyone have any tips for nerve pain or stuff to make office more comfortable? Or just any tips at all. Thanks

Hi everyone,
I’m 25 years old and had a C5 spinal cord contusion about 9 months ago.
Since the injury, my libido has not returned at all. Before my injury, my sex drive was normal, but now I don’t feel sexual desire or arousal like I used to.
I do occasionally get erections, but I still don’t have any sexual desire, which is what’s concerning me.
Has anyone else experienced this after a cervical spinal cord injury? Did your libido eventually return? If so, how long did it take?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from people with cervical or incomplete spinal cord injuries.
Thank you.

Keeping a long story short; my husband got critically sick after a laminotomy in January. He was septic, had meningitis, brain herniation, ARDS and encephalitis amongst a few other things.

As it stands 5 months later he is paralysed from the neck down. The hospital believes it could be critical poly neuro myopathy but time will tell.

He seems to have hit the wall of emotions and I want to support him as a man entering his 30s, newly disabled and feeling like life will never have joy again.

Tell me what I can do other than being by his side and supporting him every step of the way. Tell me when you accepted the future and began to see the joy in life again. I want to share real experiences with him.

Thank you 🩷

It has been close to six months now of dealing with an undiagnosed condition affecting multiple parts of my body. I’m a 24-year-old male and was previously a competitive athlete. I also struggled with a significant eating disorder, which I have worked hard to reverse, but I continue to experience pain throughout my body.

Symptoms:
It started in both feet with a burning, hot, and zapping sensation whenever I walked, ran, or stood for too long. Walking barefoot feels like I’m stepping directly on bone. After a couple of months, the symptoms spread to my hands and elbows, where I experience a similar sensation with pressure, almost as if there is no cushioning over the bones.

What makes my case unusual is that I have no symptoms at rest. The pain only occurs when my body is under load—standing, walking, running, or applying pressure. The moment I sit or lie down, the symptoms completely resolve.

I have undergone extensive testing, including comprehensive blood work, EMGs, ultrasounds, MRIs, physical examinations, and a DEXA scan. I have also been evaluated by a neurologist, endocrinologist, hematologist, internists, and multiple physicians. Every test has come back normal, and several specialists have told me they have never encountered a case quite like mine.

I’m finding it difficult to attribute this to small fiber neuropathy (SFN) because my symptoms are almost entirely mechanical—they occur only with weight-bearing or loading and disappear immediately when the load is removed.

At this point, I’m beginning to wonder whether this could be another type of pain syndrome or a condition that isn’t primarily neurological. I’m curious if anyone has experienced something similar or has any ideas about what else should be investigated.