1. Jason is classified as a T5 injury. What does that mean?
Jason broke his T4 and T5 vertebrae, thus injuring the spinal cord at those levels. The spinal cord is broken down into 4 main segments: Cervical ( C ), Thoracic ( T ), Lumbar ( L ), and Sacral ( S ). I’m attaching a picture that shows where these segments are, and what each controls. Jason also fractured his C7 vertebra, but, thankfully, did not hit his neck hard enough there to cause lasting damage. That bit of luck was the difference between paraplegia and quadriplegia.
2. What is the difference between an incomplete and complete spinal cord injury?
Lots of ink has been spilled on this issue, and there are two competing definitions, which makes it tricky to talk with medical professionals because they are each working from a different definition of complete. For some, complete means a severed spinal cord, whereas others define it in terms of being neurologically complete, meaning no sensation/movement below the level of injury. As of last year, Jason is classified as incomplete using both definitions--he did not sever his cord and he does have measurable sensation and movement below the level of injury. Huzzah!
3. Will (Did?) Jason make a full recovery?
The quickest answer to this is no, probably not. Barring major advances in medicine and science (and a major change in how clinical trials are funded), it is unlikely that Jason will make a full recovery. This is not to say, however, that he hasn't made a very good recovery. Jason has far surpassed what his doctors expected him to regain. He has great upper body strength, spotty abs, and he can walk, with the use of assistive braces (but that is not functional at all). As we finish the second year of paralysis, it becomes less likely that there will be big gains, though we do expect Jason to continue to make smaller strides and improvements. I do not subscribe to the all too common belief that all recovery happens in the first year or two. Our experience and interactions with others does not support this theory, though I do feel comfortable saying that most of the big changes probably happen in that period.
4. Is paralysis permanent?
As of now, yes, though there are some really cool and exciting research and trials happening right now. We're cautiously optimistic that a cure for paralysis will be discovered within the next few years. That being said, a cure being discovered doesn't necessarily mean it will impact those who have been injured for long periods of time, since secondary complications/atrophy/loss of bone density/etc create a lot of problems that will not be solved by fixing the spinal cord. Given this, our philosophy from the beginning has been to meet the cure halfway. Jason is dedicated to keeping in shape (which means stretching, standing, walking, etc) so that when the cure is discovered, he can take advantage of it.
5. What can Jason do on his own? What does he need help with?
He can, more or less, do everything on his own. He can drive, take Savannah to and from school, perform all parenting activities, walk our dog, Sonja, help with chores (though the layout of our house makes some of these chores harder than others...he doesn't, for example, make the bed), and order in dinner (he didn't cook pre-accident either, so this is not much of a change for him...).
There are very few things that he absolutely needs help with, though there are lots of things that I help with anyways due to issues speed and/or convenience. If you're out and about with Jason (or anyone with a disability), I've found it a good rule of thumb to establish at the outset that you will only help if specifically asked. Jason gets a little irritated when everyone around him assumes that he can't do things on his own.
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