She says she feels pain...

    Priscilla is doing very well. Today she had her staples removed from her back, a day earlier than orignally planned. The very long incision, which spans about a 12- 15 inches long is healing very well. She is still suffering from problems with her speech and short term memory, but she is remaining optimistic that they will return to normal with time as she heals.

       She is performing well in physical therapy and has twice said she felt pain in her hip joints when having someone perform her leg excercises. With this development, my curiosity led me to do some research and see what I could find out. I discovered that many people with complete spinal cord injuries (like hers) experience pain and tingling, although they can not move their legs. They say doctors don't understand it, but it is happening, but is no reason to get too excited. My thought before doing some research was that pain receptors in the brain were still intact, but because of the injury to the spinal cord, in Scilla's case the severance, the brain is not able to send message's to the legs to move, but is capable of feeling pain or what we think of as pain.

        In addition to my research on pain, I have also been researching women with complete spinal cord injury and sex and I am happy to say that research has been done and the results are promising. I know some people may feel that is too much information or something they don't want to read about, but the reality of the situation is that we are all human beings and sex is a very important part of life, especially for my sister considering that she is a married woman.

         On a lighter note, I had the opportunity to wheel Scilla to the cafeteria today, she knows a great short cut! She asked me to buy her dinner and then asked for a free pie from the worker, she told them she deserved it, because she survived her accident (glad to see her personality is still there)...lol!

I have picture of her in her wheelchair, but she was kind of drowsy and I don't think she will like the way she is looking, so I will try to get another one tomorrow, but I do have 2 wheelchair pics for you, it is of my beautiful baby girl sitting in Scilla's rehab chair, she will be getting a lighter and better chair of her own soon!

Mommy caught her in Aunt Scilla's chair, she took off her shoes and made herself comfortable!

She is really relaxing now, so much so that she has repositioned, propped her leg up and gotten comfy on a pillow.