Re: [QUAD-L] I Wonder Why

[tahouston]

I was injured in May 1994.  Exactly one year later I was attending seminars and discussions at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago informing SCI patients about the possibilities of stem cell replacements and nerve regeneration.  They had most of us believing that a cure was right around the corner.  Chatter and high expectations filled the room.  During that same year Christopher Reeve was injured and was very aggressive searching for a cure.  Here we are 12 years later, Christopher Reeve is dead and the discussions in the seminars seem so repetitive.  For years I followed all of medical magazines and journals concerning SCI, received newsletters from the Miami Project and donated as much money as I am allowed to on my budget.  I have read stories about using shark cartilage in Tijuana Mexico to repair a spinal cord damage.  The articles that I had subscribed to would track the progress of the injured who went under the knife.  Supposedly a quad C5 C6 incomplete was able to use a walker six months after surgery and very minimal if any progress in the others.  Then an article comes out a year later indicating that it was all a scam.  I no longer can handle the highs and lows of new research. I figure that one day they will be a cure for SCI but not in my lifetime.  Now the only time I will investigate an article about SCI cures is when they have progressed to human clinical trials.  A friend of mine, T5-C6 paraplegic used to smile at me when I would call him or run to him with news about the latest SCI research.  He told me only the newly injured revel over new research.  We would all like to think our condition is only temporary but we lose valuable time living our lives hoping that a cure is right around the corner.  I still attend trade shows and donate to many projects.  There is hope for generations behind us.  Legitimate clinical trials are 20 to 40 years away.  Let us pray for a cure for the youth of our society.   T. Houston C5 C6 complete ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: quad-list@eskimo.com Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 5:45 PM Subject: [QUAD-L] I Wonder Why Lately there have been several posts about stem cells that generated NO discussion. STEM CELLS GROW NERVES! It can change our life in our lifetime! I feel no passion, no fervor, no excitement from this group. There are more discussions about Walmart. I don't understand it. I just wonder why??? Sandy