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Posted on: Tue, Jan 1 2008 1:22 PM

Posted by: blonddee76 Posts: 3

hi there I also had AVM rupture when I was 14 yrs old. What is SCI? I trying to learn all this new lingo. Just joined the site yesterday.

Posted on: Tue, Jan 1 2008 3:34 PM

Posted by: dave Posts: 191

Hi Kristin.  SCI is spinal cord injury.

Posted on: Tue, Jan 1 2008 6:39 PM

Posted by: blonddee76 Posts: 3

Well now I know what SCI is - spinal cord injury thank you. Yes, my AVM also caused SCI. My AVM was actually located on my spinal cord - just below my cerrebellum..not sure what part of the spinal cord that is. The doctors explained to my parents that it wasn't so much the rupture of the AVM but the removal of it. I have tremors in my left side mostly, my left side of my body was paralyzed after I woke out of my coma of 31 days. I also have TBI from the rupture.

Posted on: Mon, Feb 4 2008 1:04 PM

Posted by: wazabiker Posts: 388

Not an AVM rupture, but my SCI results from ischemia.  I tore the descending artery to my heart, and during surgery to repair the artery my blood supply was clamped off numerous times, resulting in killing my spinal cord at T-6. 

Posted on: Mon, May 19 2008 9:09 PM

Posted by: BrokenDoNotUse Posts: 325

This months issue of Action, published by United Spinal Association, has an article about a woman with the same condition as me (except she, apparantly, doesn't have an aneurysm, too).

I found this article of particular interest for two reasons: 1. because I don't hear about others who have had a spinal cord AVM rupture very often, and 2. the author and subject of the article, Sheri Melander-Smith, writes about how she completed her education and eventually returned to work after the rupture, the regrowth of the AVM, several embolizations, surgeries and paralysis. She also writes of the accomodations that were made for her by her employer.

Membership in the United Spinal Association is free of charge, and a subscription for their Action magazine is also free.

This is a link to their website: http://www.unitedspinal.org/

This is a link to the article: http://www.unitedspinal.org/publications/action/2008/05/12/working-story-turning-adversity-to-advantage/

Posted on: Tue, May 20 2008 12:30 AM

Posted by: Becky Posts: 1,551

A woman from my hometown had an AVM malformation and suffered a SCI. I think she also had a TBI, but I'm not sure. She was such a nice lady, very active, with two young daughters. You never know when your life is going to change forever, do you.

Becky

Posted on: Sun, Jun 8 2008 12:21 PM

Posted by: melandersmith Posts: 4

Hello Sister in avm...

My name is Sheri Melander-Smith

The one you mentioned in the above article.  Thank you for reading my story.  I did also have an  aneurysm but didn't mention it in the article.  We have a lot in common.  It is a blessing to meet someone else with the same situation as mine. 

Owh, if Donald Trump is reading this please email me as well!!! : )  - see the first post if you don't get the joke......

Sheri

Posted on: Sun, Jun 8 2008 11:57 PM

Posted by: BrokenDoNotUse Posts: 325

Hello Sheri! What a nice surprise.

I figured there were things about having the AVM that you either didn't mention or didn't want to mention in the article, and after all, you only had two pages in which to write your article. :-)

That you realized you weren't psychologically ready to return to work and the way you went about preparing yourself, mentally and physically was, I thought, very thoughtful, productive and impressive. I liked the way you took a look at your life, including family and personal needs, along with what you would be taking on with your new work demands and figured out in advance a working schedule that would allow you to make it through your day and still have some energy to spare.

I think anyone, disabled or not, could learn a great deal by reading about how you prepared for your return to the work force. So many people have tremendously demanding schedules - physically and mentally, and having a plan such as yours after being out of action for a while could go a long way in helping to reduce the stress that naturally goes along with making a return.

And congratulations on the new job! Way to go!

Thank you for writing such a pleasant, informative, uplifting article. Not only am I happy that United Spinal chose to feature someone with an injury 'like mine', but also one that somewhat features non-traumatic SCI. Dang, but I sure am sorry that's one of the things we have in common. Phooey. ;-)

Sheri - Maya is adorable! She's beautiful! I have two dogs, but neither are service dogs - they're just overly spoiled hound doggies. Tail wags and sniffs from them to Maya. 

I wrote the first post in this thread, but I don't get the Donald Trump thing. Help me out here Sheri... guess I'm really slow tonight.  Heh heh.