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Well,
Like I said in my previous post ... I usually do not care for programs like this on the Discovery Health Channel. I really like "Mystery Diagnosis", "Diagnosis Unknown", "Dr. G. -Medical Examiner" and "Medical Incredible" on that channel.
The other programs just seem to drag on or they are just something that I am not interested in.
Having said that, I turned on "Paralyzed and Pregnant" last night and I thought it was an excellent program!!!
I remember when my ex and I went to a high risk pregnancy gynecologist in case we decided to have a planned pregnancy. All I remember is that he told me I would probably have to discontinue certain medications like baclofen. Anyway, life got away from us and we never pursued the topic any further.
I thought the program was very interesting because the lady's injury was exactly like mine and she was explaining everything that was important. Laying in bed for eight months had to be difficult although in the last five years I have had to lay in bed for six months each because of two separate wounds. You do what you have to do. She had to stay in bed much longer after the pregnancy as well which she did not expect and got disappointed with.
She said that they got pregnant the old fashion way and that she was going to give birth the old fashion way as well. She mentioned getting different bladder infections throughout the pregnancy [which often happens for able-bodied women as well during pregnancy] so I assume they had to treat her with antibiotics despite carrying a baby.
She had also mentioned that she had had blood clots in her lungs before so she was even more at risk for this as well. Just as able-bodied women are more prone to DVT's during or after pregnancy when they are pregnant.
She also said that she met her husband online so we have that in common too.
When I recently had those seven or eight LARGE bladder stones removed I was fortunate to get an anesthesiologist who made the call to use an epidural during the surgery to keep the autonomic dysreflexia under control or at bay. And it was a perfect call! I had no problems whatsoever! So she was also fortunate, I saw, to see her anesthesiologist say the same thing.
Her biggest obstacle was that she was not able to sit upright because she kept passing out. Able-bodied women have a hard time breathing during their pregnancies as well but it makes it almost impossible for a quadriplegic to get enough air at times if they are pregnant.
Even after she delivered the baby as well as at the end of the story .... she was still unable to sit upright because of getting lightheaded and passing out. I am not sure why she did not mention or say something like "Even though I use an abdominal binder to help push up on my diaphragm so I am able to get enough air so as not to pass out ... that does not help either."
Ever since my injury I have had to wear girdle-type underwear or an abdominal binder when I am sitting upright. Otherwise I am not able to breathe in enough air to not get lightheaded or not to pass out. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
If I remember correctly she said that they got married in 2001 and had the baby 11 months later. At the end of the program ... the baby did not look more than a year old [at the most] so I am figuring that today the baby must be around three years old or so. But the documentary did not follow up these last few years. So we are left to wonder if she has ever been able to sit up, whether they are still together as a couple, and a lot of other unanswered questions.
Anyway, I think they did a very good job in portraying her experience and if I was in my 20s it would be something that I would 'consider.' But it is certainly out of the question now because I have had nothing but medical problems since acquiring syringomyelia and getting older!
Lori C4/5 Complete - 26 years post
Tucson, AZ
AGE - 41 | 
