Category: Disability Issues

Cure For Spinal Cord Injury

Distant Hills
The hills of Gertak Sanggul and Bukit Genting in the background.

Things have been moving rather slowly this week. Rain that fell in the early days of the week washed away the haze. For a while, I could see the hills of Gertak Sanggul and Bukit Genting, which is the farthest range of hills visible from my window. Since then, the weather has been warm. The trees stood still. My curtains looked lifeless. Surprisingly, lethargy did not set in. Still, I felt rather languid. I have not done much except surfed, stalked blogs and took naps. Every time I napped, I awoke feeling more worn-out than before.

Today is different. Streams of cool breeze have been blowing since early morning. The curtains are flapping in glee. A while ago, I could hear my neighbours’ unfastened doors slamming shut from the occasional strong winds. The trees outside are swaying merrily, their pliable leaf laden branches bending to and fro in acquiescence. Nature is alive! And I feel alive too. Is it the continuous soothing breeze or was it the multivitamins I took after lunch that made me feel so?

The boredom of the whole week was lifted by one piece of interesting news. On Thursday, while I was Googling for spinal cord injury and Malaysia I came across this page. It was a feature on Christopher Reeve and his unprecedented recovery after being paralysed for five years. No, he is not walking again. However, he has regained some sensation and can twitch his index finger which is a wonder after so many years. That story was not what caught my attention. The comment that was left below that article did.

WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR CURING CHRISTOPHER REEVE. WE ARE FROM MALAYSIA AND EXPERT IN PARALYZED AND BONES TREATMENT.WE USED MALAY TRADISIONAL METHODS IN OUR TREATMENTS.WE GUARANTEED IN 3 TO 6 MONTHS HE WILL BE ABLE TO WALK. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO MAIL OR CALL (019 3089xxx MR WAN).

In our Malaysia Boleh spirit, we have finally found the cure for spinal cord injury. This regeneration process which has eluded neuro-scientists for many decades is now conclusively in our hands. Malaysia is indeed the land of possibilities. This anak Malaysia has made us all proud. Will I submit myself to this treatment? I tell you, the day Christopher Reeve walks after this traditional treatment is the day pigs can fly. When you see pigs flying by your window, you can be sure I will be the first to call Mr. Wan for an appointment.

The State of my Kidneys

Trepidation always precedes my scheduled appointment with the urologist. Will the health of my kidneys get better or deteriorate? Wuan accompanied me to see Mr. Liong at the Lam Wah Ee Hospital for my six-monthly check-up last Thursday. I was to get my blood tested before seeing him. When I saw the hesitation of the lab technician while inserting the needle into my vein, I knew it was going to be painful. After a few failed attempts to draw blood, she gave up and retracted the syringe without first releasing the tourniquet. Naturally, blood spurted out the moment the needle was pulled out. The other lab technician had no problem drawing blood from my other arm and it was all over in a jiffy. The test would take approximately one hour to complete. In the meantime, my blood pressure was tested. At 120/80, it was considered normal.

When it was finally my turn to see the doctor, Wuan went in with me. The creatinine and uric acid levels have gone down. The creatinine has gone down to 181 umol/l from 188 umol/l. That is not a lot of change but still an improvement. The ultrasound of my left kidney showed that it is shrunken, which is consistent with previous ultrasounds. Even then, Mr. Liong assured me that it is still functional. The left kidney showed no signs of swelling which is a good sign. Even the bladder looked better. I was advised to continue with my four-hourly intermittent catheterisation, drink 300ml of water every hour and take 1mg Detrusitol twice daily. Detrusitol relaxes the bladder and must be taken with an empty stomach to optimise its absorption. The result of this check-up is like a silver lining behind the dark clouds of my extended illness that had afflicted me for the past month. I am happy that my prayers had been answered and my diet is working. Hopefully, the next check-up will show even more improvement. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

No Sweat


Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is more than what is visually obvious. What most people see are the physically visible aspects ? weakened limbs, clawed hands, spasmodic gaits, atrophied muscles and the ubiquitous wheelchair. SCI does more than paralyse the arms and legs. Depending on the extent and level of the damage to the vertebra and spinal cord, the diaphragm right down to the bladder and bowel may be affected.

In my case, I suffer a partial lesion which means my spinal cord is not totally severed but damaged at the fifth (C5) and sixth (C6) cervical vertebra. A C5 injury affects the diaphragm which in turn affects breathing. This level of damage also affects the wrists and hands. I get breathless easily while doing strenuous tasks. I need suppositories to empty my bowels and drain the urine from my bladder every few hours with a catheter. Those are the least of my problems as I have worked them into a routine which allows me a certain degree of freedom.

Unbeknownst to many, spinal cord injury affects the body’s ability to perspire, too. As my body is unable to regulate temperature properly, any change from the usual range of temperature will make me extremely uncomfortable. This current hot spell has severely constrained my daily activities. Most days, I lounge about with the ceiling fan at full blast and generally feeling languid. The air conditioner looks inviting. On the other hand, cold is one of those factors that will set off spasms in my legs. That is why I try to minimise using it. Additionally, Detrusitol, the medicine that I am taking to alleviate my neurogenic bladder, causes drying of the mouth, eyes and skin. This aggravates the problem further. Yes, I need to be ministered to very delicately. Too much or too little from the norm and bodily discomfort will kick in. Even babies need less attention.

Being bound in lethargy throughout the day everyday is slowly wearing me down. Furthermore, my bladder spasms decided to act up the last few days. This has been a week that I wished would just quickly zip along, right up to the next rainy season. In the meantime, I am continuously hydrating myself by drinking a lot of water and cooling down by sponging throughout the day. We all know what drinking a lot of water will result in. And the cycle continues.