Spinal Injuries-Halo Vest.

Hello folks,has anyone had any experience with the Halo Vest?A cousin,who is more like a sister,has recently been moved from Intensive Care(3 weeks there)to a high dependancy unit afer being run over,has had one "attatched".She sustained multiple injuries,(we all said alot of prayers in the first 48 hrs)internal bleeding,massive head injuries,broken pelvis,broken leg,and has had some skin grafts etc.,but we`re most concerned with the 2 vertabrea that`s cracked at the top of her spine.She`s only recently been slowly taken off induced sedation and already we can see vast improvements,although she`s still on 1 or 2 machines to help her breath etc,at least we can now communicate with her,she can`t speek but between us we get there.I`ve done a bit of googling and it says that after wearing the Halo Vest for 3 months,85% of people with her type of spinal injury make a full recovery.She`s obviously still very confused,and doesn`t remember anything of the accident,or the 3 weeks scince,but she does remember incidents that happened to us all when we were kids.We realise her recovery will be long and hard and she will eventually return home to her mother for after care but in the meantime its just so very frustrating.God alone knows how she must be feeling.Anyone out there any advice?
Regards Elaine.

 

so sorry to hear about your cousin elainefiz what horrific injuries she has recieved, i dont know about these vests maybe other members may know, just wanted to let you know we are here for you anytime you need to talk, lets hope she makes a speedy recovery.Thinking of you at this worrying time.

 

Thanks rosa.

 

Biggest problem will be depression, Elaine. When she's well enough to be more active, she'll need lots of stimulation appropriate to her stage of recovery. Toiletting (as in washing!!) will be a biggy too but she should be used to that by the time she's discharged.

You're right about the outcomes - halo traction has remarkably good outcomes. It wasn't all that long ago people who had suffered such injuries ended up paralyzed but that's not the case now. She has a long, slow rehabiliation ahead of her but sounds like she's very fortunate in her family - "a family that prays together, stays together"!

Do pm me if there's another other info you think I can help with.

(BTW I'm just up the road from you, aren't I - Houghton le Spring?)

 

Hello, Elaine. I'm sorry to hear of your cousin's accident and injuries. I don't know anything about the Halo Vest but I send my best wishes for a successful recovery.

 

Thank`s MD,i was hoping you would see my post as i know nursing is your line of work.I hated leaving her last night,she was so fed up and irritated.Talk about catch 22.We prayed for her to wake and now it`s hard to leave when she`s concious and aware and so terrified.I don`t think she`s aware as to the extent of her injuries,she`s relaying to us that she needs to sort her son`s clothes out for school and such and can she PLEASE have HER clothes so that she can get up and go to work.I think i`m gonna go MAD!

 

Thankyou LOL.

 

I' m afraid I dont know anything about this Elainefiz, but I, too, wish your cousin a full and speady recovery - she's very lucky to have the support of a loving and caring familyxx

 

What an awful accident! I don't know what a halo vest is but I know 3 people who have broken their backs and all have made a full recovery as if it had never happened. I was mountain biking in france with one of them when it happened, he landed on his head and had to be air lifted off the mountain. The french hospital was really good and made him a back brace that was moulded to his body - we called it the "turtle suit" He still manages to do do mountain biking and motocross.

Another friend of mine fell off a cliff, she had a back brace for a year or so. I think because she moved about too much initially and the bones didn't 'gel' properly. Maybe because it was an NHS one rather than one that had been specially made for her. She's absolutly fine now.

I hope that will help your cousin to feel more positive. Soon the worst will be over and she can concentrate on getting better.

 

Thankyou for your kind words of support marge and sparkle.Good to hear your friends made a good recovery.

 

best wishes to your cousin, Elainefiz. Anyone who's ever hurt themselves at all must be cringing at the thought of such awful injusries and pain. Fingers are all crossed...

 

Good wishes to your cousin Elaine,very trying time for you all. xx

 

Elaine, sorry to hear of your friends accident - sounds like she's lucky to be alive. Halo vests whilst uncomfortable and limiting are inifintly liveable with because at least - if you have no other injuries, you can sit, lie, and walk around. Its only used to keep the neck from much movement whilst the fractures and soft tissues heal. Its not the bone that is the problem - that after three weeks should be showing signs of healing. Its the damage to ligaments and tendons in that area. Apply force sufficient to crack vertebra, the soft tissue will have been badly damaged. Unless your friend has osteoporosis, the fractures should mend fine, but like whiplash, the soft tissues will take a while to firstly heal, and then to get back to normal function.

A broken leg and pelvis will not help with the frustration of not being able to do things she may want to do. MD is right - stimulation, distraction will help immesurably to deal with the frustration and depression that goes with these sorts of injuries. Here's where friends and relatives should use their imagination to help find new things to interest and enjoy, whilst nature's healing takes its course - with a bit of assistance from the medics and therapists.

 

Thank`s to all for your understanding.It`s good to be able to voice fears and frustrations outside of the family circle.Housework helps,but it still goes round and round in your brain and besides,you can`t get any cleaner than CLEAN!
Just had some rather shocking news.A friend was visiting last night and had asked for someone to re-dress a wound on cuz`s throat as it was not secure and was asked by a nurse,had she been tampering with the dressing?The nurse went on to say ,You do know that she has MRSI! There is a notice on the door.The friend relied,NO! I did not know,and neither does her family.The nurse replied,Of course the family have been informed.
Not true.NO-ONE has told her Mother or anyone else.How can this happen?We`re hoping our friend has gotten mixed up and that the nurse has said there is a danger of her contracting the bug.Will know more this afternoon.