I'm 2 yrs into the SCI world being told a cure is coming

[ECUrach85]

For those who've been injured much longer is this time different than all those times you heard the cure was 3, 5, 10 years away?

[micah_d]

I think so. the next 5-10 years are going to be exciting.

[lynnifer]

Very much so.

[khmorgan]

For those who've been injured much longer is this time different than all those times you heard the cure was 3, 5, 10 years away?

When I was hurt, they gave me the standard 5 year estimate, but no one had a plan and few, if any, were doing real research. Then, in the mid-80's an article came out in Scientific American saying there was almost no chance for a cure. That is when I stopped thinking there could ever be a cure. Next, in the 90s, we started hearing about how stem cells would cure all ailments. However, still no plan.

The next I heard was Dr. Young's 8 year plan. It gave me hope, but not a change in lifestyle. He was doing research, and I've done research. In research, you think you can do anything in 5 years, and sometimes you are wrong about what you can accomplish and how long it will take. However, now we have several doctors talking a "cure", i.e. a significant improvement, and Dr. Young is only weeks away from knowing if he was right.

My suggestion is to plan your life like there will be no cure, then hope you planned wrong.

I believe that you need a reason to get up every morning other than to wait for a cure. Also, if and when a cure comes, it will not magically make you back the way you were before. i.e. SCI is not just a bad dream.

So, try very hard to stay strong physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally. That will make waiting a lot more tolerable and a cure a lot more enjoyable.

[elizabeth422]

I agree khmorgan

[bcsimpsons]

I also agree with khmorgan. And like has been said so many times before, what is your definition of "cure" also?

Becky

[duge]

Ben 10 yrs now and I sill hear the same thing!! I've just learned to LIVE with what I have.

[Sebastiang]

Morgan, you say that Dr Young is only a few weeks away from knowing if he was right. Please explain.

[elizabeth422]

Ben 10 yrs now and I sill hear the same thing!! I've just learned to LIVE with what I have.

I do the same thing just live my life to the fullest with what I've been given. I don't wake up every morning dwelling on a cure if it happens great if not good I'm happy and to me that's what is important

[brucec]

Since 1978, always heard within 5 years since then

[StemCells&AtomBombs]

For those who've been injured much longer is this time different than all those times you heard the cure was 3, 5, 10 years away?

Everyone who has posted here is correct, but i want to add something important.

If you think cure is important you will help turn the wheels of progress.

What does that mean? Well, there is enough going on on this site to show that people are working hard for cure. They meet with scientists, they raise money, they advocate for cure. If we all wait for it, it will never come. If we just say, "when it comes, I'll be happy," it will never come.

So i say, if you want cure, find out how you can push it along.

It's amazing when questions like yours are raised, everyone comes out to say that they heard five years ago a donkey's years ago. This is not to the point. The research that is going on now is very different than what happened in the 80s, 90s, or in the early 2000s. Don't compare the 1980s to what is happening now and write today's research off based on that!

Yes. Live your life.
Yes. Prepare physically, emotionally, and financially for it.

But most importantly. Get involved in making it a reality.

[khmorgan]

Morgan, you say that Dr Young is only a few weeks away from knowing if he was right. Please explain.

See /forum/showpost.php?p=1597586&postcount=1143

That is when he learns the results from Phase 2 of the clinical trials. By definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial) Phase 2 means:

In Phase 2 trials, the experimental treatment is given to a larger group of people (100-300) to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.

So, we should learn if UCBSC + Lithium is effective -- unless I'm wrong.

[quad79]

6+ and I was told it was around the corner.

I hope it comes.

It will come....sooner if government wasn't so f'd up.

I live each day to the fullest & don't think much about it for myself...but I'd love to see an end to the world of newbie's unfortunate sentences to sci!

[momo3]

I was told by my neuro that he had never seen anyone recover from my injury (T8 burst fracture). Rehab.(regular hospital-BIG mistake) quit working hard with me when they found out I was ASIA A. The only hope of "recovery" for me has come from this website and W2W/u2fp.

[easyway]

Back in 1985 I heard about in 5 years.