Advive On 15yr Old Son

[betheny]

I've raised two boys and I'm not too worried that you'll be able to tuck him in the china cabinet for safekeeping. The darned things REFUSE to stay put!

There comes a time for everybody when discretion is the better part of valor. I really feel that your son may have hit that point young.

PLEASE go visit a spinal cord injury rehab unit. I'd hate to see your kid be one of us.

P.S. Make sure you are both clear on one thing-once we get this way, we stay this way. We can't get out of these chairs with willpower or prayer. We are STUCK. How would it be to have Tourette's in a freakin' wheelchair?

Your call man, knowing what I know it would be an easy one. We get so much luck and he used up a big fat chunk of his. Best wishes to your family, either way.

[jccarolina]

When my son was 16 he took a hit in a school football scrimage and recieved a T12-L1 fracture. He still ended up having spinal fusion surgery and was in a TLSO for 9 months.

I wouldn't have stopped him if he wanted to play again, he took in upon himself to know if he was to get hit like that again he could end up like KLD said.

It really was tough for him because he was a Varsity player as a Sophmore he was that good., But he felt being AB was much more important in his life than taking a chance.

[Bspill1]

He could always ride and stay involved in what he loves without racing

[Le Todd]

I don't know if I'm surprised or not with the responses you've gotten so far. Sounds to me like everyone is telling you to put your child in a china cabinet and let him atrophy for the rest of his life rather than take any risks. I say bollocks to that!

C.

Let's be fair. People aren't suggesting he live in a box.

[IanTPoulter]

My 15yr old son races motocross, he was injuried during practice and suffered a compression fracture of the C5 and L1. The C5 is the more severe injury. Has complete movement and feeling. No pain what so ever. The CT scan shows the C5 broken into 5 pieces. No damage to the spinal cord. The dr has called it a bag of bones. He has also torn ligments around the C5. He will be in neck brace for 12 weeks then we will decide if surg is needed. Dr says he is very very lucky. Now the question is should we continue to let him races as he wishes?
Any advice would be great.
Is there anything that can be done to help strengthen his neck if he does race. There is a new neck brace out Leatt Brace that we would purchase.

You seem not to have comprehended the seriousness of this injury, there is a possibility your son may suffer paralysis in the future as a result of this injury regardless of whether he continues to race or not. One small fragment into the spinal cord and life will take on a new meaning for your whole family.

[Steven Edwards]

Knucklehead,

After he's all healed up -- after making sure his spinal column is stabilized -- I'd say let him race if the doctor says it's okay and you're fine with it. If the doctor says no, listen to him.

[darkeyed_daisy]

After he heals...I would let him make the decision. But until then the answer would be no.

I know that some Professional Bull Riders wear neck braces but I dont know what they are called.

It usually takes several months to heal completely. Then based on his mobility and the healing of that ligament, I would have a rational decision with him. He needs to know that the neck or the back for that matter is nothing to play around with and if there is any chance at all that the fusion may be weak then I would not let him return to racing.

I was told at the time of my surgery that the fusion would be just as strong as the original bone.

[Tiger Racing]

I was told at the time of my surgery that the fusion would be just as strong as the original bone.

Fused bone is stronger than normal bone, but it puts more stress on the surrounding bone because there is less flexibility and that energy has to be dissipated somewhere.

C.

[Tiger Racing]

There comes a time for everybody when discretion is the better part of valor. I really feel that your son may have hit that point young.

PLEASE go visit a spinal cord injury rehab unit. I'd hate to see your kid be one of us.

So what are you saying exactly? This boy should give up participating in the sport he loves forever because his family is now acutely aware of what SCI is? It would be logical to think that NOBODY should race bikes since a broken neck or back is always a possibility. Is that what you're suggesting? Are there other obviously risky sports and behaviors that you would also suggest this boy not participate in? 15 seems awfully young to give up on living.

C.

[darkeyed_daisy]

Fused bone is stronger than normal bone, but it puts more stress on the surrounding bone because there is less flexibility and that energy has to be dissipated somewhere.

C.

Ahhh (bright light moment )

[MotoRacer598]

I would say let him go back if and when the Dr clears him. Yes if he goes back get the leatt brace I know a few guys that run AMA that use them. I raced MX for years till I started racing street bikes which is how I broke C 5/6 2 years ago in a race. I would go right back to racing if I could without thinking twice. He's very lucky to have not suffered paralysis but we all know its a risk we take when we race bikes.

[KERRDOUGLAS]

Let him race. I had a motorcycle smash back in 2004 t8 complete and now race a F1 sidecar I am alive again.

[KNUCKLEHEAD RACING]

Its great that eveyone has so much info. We have always known the risk of mx racing and known he would get hurt it was a matter of when and how bad. His spine specialist has never suggested he stop racing and has suggested the brace. Yes he tells him each time we see him how lucky he is. But he has never advised to stop racing. The decision will not be made for months but like I advised my son we will make the decision as a family. We have always given our boys a chance to voice there opinion and make there own decision. The main reason for even posting is to let my son read these to help him decide.

[jmt823]

Dear Knucklehead,

Just my thoughts... my 17 yr. old son raced motocross with his brother and father. Family sport... March 2006 he crashed and broke c1-c2 with a spinal cord injury. He is a quadripelgic and cannot breathe on his own, just like Christoher Reeve. He graduated last month with his senior class. He couldn't participate in the class trip, they went to a water park. He can not be by himself at any time because of the breathing. He can not feed himself, bathe himself, dress himself, go to bathroom himself, he may not be able to have his own children, he can not do anything for himself physically. if you ask him if it was worth it... his answer.. just because I loved the sport.. did I love it enough to have all of this taken away. No. From me... I loved watching them race and we could be together as a family. We're still together as a family but, watching the heartbreak in my son's eyes when his friends leave and he can't do the same things as they do,to watch him see his friends leave for college and he will leave to go to the hospital, to see him sitting in a wheelchair driven by mouth, to see the hurt and pain in him that he will never have the life he had before, to watch him cry for what he lost, to talk to him about whether he wants to live or die, ...if you can remove one obstacle that could put your son in my son's place...

[rickhemi]

Because I've ventured down this road (daughter is T5 incomplete, 3 yrs), my answer would be no, it's not worth it.

Time to find a new family hobby. Perhaps car or go-cart racing would be much safer.

While my daughter is doing pretty good, still much is lost. I've seen others (high completes) in all the rehab centers and hospitals we've been 'privleged' to go to and it hurts.......

to much to process