Kathy C6-7 quadriplegic My Inclined Bed Therapy Journal

06-18-2003, 10:35 PM
Kathy65
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Mr. Fletcher's incined bed study/ my weekly report
I started this study a few weeks ago, but only a little over a week ago I have my bed inclined at the full six inches. I am a C6-7 quadriplegic.
I've noticed quite a few changes in myself. My nails are growing rapidly. My balance seems better, I feel like I have more upper body control. My legs feel like there's more burning sensation, throbing, like electricity shooting through them, I've always had this sensation, but this is more extreme in the feeling. My feet are still swollen, they always swell, even before the study, but they have not went down yet. My bowel movements are finished in half the time. I have night sweats from 4:00am-9:00am, my blankets are soaked. Everynight is the same. I have less spasms. I sleep better, and I have not been as cold at night. I was sick to the stomach at bed time in the first couple of weeks at 4 inches incline. I think it was good to ease into this slowly, it was a big adjustment to my body. I will post again next week.

Kathy

06-21-2003, 04:01 PM

Kathy65

This is an unbelievable study, here's the most significant change for this week. I have started to sweat below my lesion. There's more but I will wait till my next post.
Thanks,

Old 07-02-2003, 07:53 PM #4
Kathy65
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July 2/2003

This is my 3rd documented week. My night and day sweats have stopped. I have been about the same as the last post for my decrease in spasms and tingling sensation has remained increased. Not much more to report. Till next week.

Kathy

Old 07-03-2003, 03:46 PM #8
Kathy65
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July 3/2003

I have more to post for this week. I was on tylenol and it flawed my sensation. I have begun to sweat again, I had this happen 4 years post injury and regained use of my triceps. My sweats lasted a year at that time. My tingling in my hands and arms are like the feeling of a body part that's asleep and it's becoming awake I guess. I feel like my body is asleep (tingling all the time) but this is different. Also, I've noticed weight change, my pants are a bit looser. I also got a rash, but realized it was an allergic reaction to a drink. It's gone now. I am still sleeping well. I always had difficult time sleeping.

If other participants read this, I can't find your posts. What would they be listed as.

Old 07-11-2003, 11:49 PM #26
Kathy65
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July 11/2003

Sorry I'm late on my report, my computer was down.

Not much has changed for this week, it's like I'm at a standstill.

The only thing that stands out in change is when I pull my muscles (like a stetch) it feels like it travels from upper body to lower body. So far it pull on the outside of my leg and body (burning feeling) when I do this stretch.

I am still sweating, but not as bad, nails growing good and my my hair is very oily, and I sleep well, and spasms are still reduced.

I will report next week.

Thanks,
Kathy

Kathy

Old 07-12-2003, 04:46 PM #28
Kathy65
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Hi Mr Fletcher,
Thank you.
I did report weight change in my last post. I lost weight, I don't have a scale, but my pants are looser. I never noticed, but now that you mentioned it I have half moons on my thumbs, and one on my index finger. I have a lot of throbbing in my legs, way different than normal, but it's like I can feel pulling when I pull my muscles. I had my family look at my back mucles, and I have visable muscle movement, not much. Before I could feel it tighten, but never see it. I believe I posted that earlier, along with sweating below the lesion. This is how I feel now in my legs, it feels like they are wet and burning. Hard to explain. I really welcome any discomfort or change, and I will continue to post.
I am getting used to the extreme burning, and when I wiggle my toes, my muscles in my mind they get so tired, same as my legs, and so on. I don't see movement but it feels tiring, I don't know if that was important to post or not.
Another thing, I don't know if this is post worthy or not, is I have started medication for a UTI, I get them every three months like clock work almost. I will be finished my medications in two weeks. I will have a fresh start with UTI'S and this study. I have an indwelling catheter, so I always have UTI problems.

Some of the changes are starting to feel normal, and they are starting to feel like they were always there.

My friend with PD so far has an easier time with getting out of bed, I haven't had a chance to get a recent update from him.

Thank you,
And till next week.
Kathy


Quote:
Originally posted by Andrew K Fletcher:

Hi Kathy

Thank you for your post, no need to say sorry for being late, you are doing a great job of keeping us all posted.

Your results so far are encouraging for others.

There are long periods of what might appear to be stagnation in this therapy. You might at times think that this therapy has done its work. But if you study the case histories in the previous threads, you will see the same patterns there also.Your injury in 1990 is a long way down the road, so is unlikely to respond as rapidly as someone who has more recently been injured.But without more case histories it is difficult to predict what might happen next.

Skier, has now quit the study because her oedema has worsened since she raised her bed.Skier has a more recent injury than yourself and I had hoped that she would have experienced some improvements sooner rather than later. But at least she tried and perhaps might even try again when we have some more posts from others who are using this therapy.

To find the old threads, just type in Andrew K Fletcher in the FIND tool on the forum page.

Improved nail growth/quality was one of the most interesting aspects of the pilot studies. Fascinating side effect of gravity therapy and an indication that gravity does have an important roll to play in the human body. Look for the development of half moons on fingers also.

Sorry to hear about your computer. I have also had my fair share of microsoft blackholes. A few days ago my son downloaded a virus which infected over 400 exe files. Sorted now, but had to download the lates virus patterns to sort it.

The burning feeling which you report appears to be a normal development using the inclined bed and is usually followed by a change in pain and hopefully you may find something else has returned when the pain subsides.

Kathy, Could you pull on your muscles before you tilted the bed?

Has your friend with PD noticed any changes yet?

RE: Oily hair. If I have eaten olive oil, it oozes out of my skin and scalp and makes my hair very oily. Strange though, it never did before I raised the bed way back in 1994.

Has your weight changed at all?

Kathy you are a star!

Andrew

"Go With The Flow"

07-17-2003, 12:51 AM #43
Kathy65
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July 16/2003
My weekly report

I tried to post earlier, it doesn't seem to have showed up.

I just have a more pins and needle feeling in my body, more sensitive now. The most sensitive areas are where my paralyzed skin and the feeling skin meet. The ares I feel are top of my arm, thumbs, shoulder area and above. The really sensitive prickly areas are under my arms, knuckles, palms, shoulder blades and under them. My entire paralyzed area is affected but the areas mentioned are the most sensitive. It feels like freezing is coming out.

I feel like I'm getting used to sleeping inclined now, my body is starting to adjust pretty good.

Till my next post.
Kathy

Old 07-27-2003, 02:39 AM #49
Kathy65
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July 26/2003

Hi to all,

I have been away and unable to sleep on an incline since the 19th-25th. I am back on the incline as of the evening of the 25th. So far everything remains the same as my last post.

I will post next week,
Kathy

08-02-2003, 02:35 AM #50
Kathy65
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Aug.1/2003

Hi to everyone.

I am sorry, but I am again away from home again and won't be back on an inclined bed till Monday. I am on antibiotics till next week too, and I have so many reactions , I couldn't even try report any kind of change. Thanks for your patience.

Kathy
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Old 08-07-2003, 03:43 PM #63
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Aug 7 2003

I'm back to sleeping at an incline, a few days now. I feel the same as before. I don't think I lost anything I gained. I'll be back on schedule with my reports.

Kathy

Old 08-14-2003, 01:55 PM #65
Kathy65
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AUGUST 14/2003

Hi everyone,
I'm slowly getting back on track, I didn't lose anything I already gained, but it's slow going getting back on the program. I'm still tingling (extra sensitive)also, I had a hip intermuscular injection, and I could feel the pressure, mostly of the fluid being released. There's not much new, I'm just getting back to sleeping better.
Till next week,
Kathy

08-26-2003, 08:40 PM #66
Kathy65
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AUG, 26, 2003

Hi All,
Again I am away from home, more than a week. I'm reall y doing bad on the study as when I travel, I sleep on the floor on a sponge type mattress. I wish I had a portable slanted air mattress.

I remain the same except I gained weight, and I am back to sleeping poorly not being able to sleep on an incline.

I will start again Monday, and continue to report my progress. I don't forsee anymore long stays away from home.

Thanks,
Kathy

09-11-2003, 04:19 PM #77
Kathy65
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September 11, 2003

I am slowly getting back to where I was, basically a repeat. My body is full of sensitive tingling, and the weather has been constantly changing, which intensifies my tingling sensation at any time, with the incline it's more amplified yet. Faster BM. Shorter menstral cycle, and Im back to sleeping better, and my pants are looser again. They (my pants) fit about the same before I became inconsistant with the study. That's about all for now.

Thanks,
Kathy

Old 09-11-2003, 04:28 PM #78
Kathy65
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Hi,
I could pull my muscles only so far (below my shoulder blades), now it feels like I can pull them down to my lower hips, my mom says that she can see my back muscles move, and mine shouldn't be able to move. I'm not saying they are able to provide me with a lot of function, but they do move mid back.

As for my friend with PD, he stopped the study, he lives alone and he found it hard managing all night on the incline.

That's about it.
Kathy

Quote:
Originally posted by kcbowers:

Quote:
Originally posted by Andrew K Fletcher:
Hi Kathy

Thank you for your post, no need to say sorry for being late, you are doing a great job of keeping us all posted.

Your results so far are encouraging for others.

There are long periods of what might appear to be stagnation in this therapy. You might at times think that this therapy has done its work. But if you study the case histories in the previous threads, you will see the same patterns there also.Your injury in 1990 is a long way down the road, so is unlikely to respond as rapidly as someone who has more recently been injured.But without more case histories it is difficult to predict what might happen next.

Skier, has now quit the study because her oedema has worsened since she raised her bed.Skier has a more recent injury than yourself and I had hoped that she would have experienced some improvements sooner rather than later. But at least she tried and perhaps might even try again when we have some more posts from others who are using this therapy.

To find the old threads, just type in Andrew K Fletcher in the FIND tool on the forum page.

Improved nail growth/quality was one of the most interesting aspects of the pilot studies. Fascinating side effect of gravity therapy and an indication that gravity does have an important roll to play in the human body. Look for the development of half moons on fingers also.

Sorry to hear about your computer. I have also had my fair share of microsoft blackholes. A few days ago my son downloaded a virus which infected over 400 exe files. Sorted now, but had to download the lates virus patterns to sort it.

The burning feeling which you report appears to be a normal development using the inclined bed and is usually followed by a change in pain and hopefully you may find something else has returned when the pain subsides.

Kathy, Could you pull on your muscles before you tilted the bed?

Has your friend with PD noticed any changes yet?

RE: Oily hair. If I have eaten olive oil, it oozes out of my skin and scalp and makes my hair very oily. Strange though, it never did before I raised the bed way back in 1994.

Has your weight changed at all?

Kathy you are a star!

Andrew


Old 09-11-2003, 06:15 PM #79
Andrew K Fletcher
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Hi Kathy

This is good news, congratulations your post has made my day!

If you could delete the quotes from the post you reply to it would help to make your replies easier to follow. P.S. I made the same mistake when I joined the forum and was advised to delete the quotes unless you are making a point to a specific part of the previous post.

Shame your friend with PD stopped as this has a profound effect on PD! Maybe he will try again at some point, hopefully. Your muscle control should continue to become stronger as the months go by and it looks like you are responding quickly to this therapy.
I have had a few more emails from others that are trying it and they also look encouraging. I have asked them to post on the forum.

Dad is doing better than expected, he is up and walking around the ward, his yellow has gone and he has had a minor operation to relieve the blocked bile duct. It has been very difficult for us and I have had a fair battle to make sure his bed remains tilted. I have also been invited to give a talk at the hospital as every time his bed was reverted back to horizontal his system crashed and he nearly died several times. Living 200 miles from the hospital also made it more stressful and resulted in us dropping everything and rushing to the hospital each time the nurses contacted us to tell us he had taken a turn for the worst, and always when his bed was flat! His legs became very swollen because of his liver and renal failure, which prompted the nurses to react by raising his legs. But his legs have reduced to normal now and his bed has remained inclined during his improvements in oedema as predicted. He was on water tablets throughout his stay in hospital.

Best wishes



Andrew

09-12-2003, 09:52 PM #82
raam
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Hi Everybody,
Iam c3-c4 walking para 37 months post.I started inclined bed therapy from April 9,03.I am improving my swelling in both feet going down slowly. When I get up in morning my feet are normal but during the day I stand quite a bit so swelling going up slightly. My skin tone is improved, my blood circulation is getting better.Still my balance is not improving much,as time passes everything will improve.My both legs are getting very warm especially at night so middle of night I get up and start table fan and my wife getting cold with fan so she cover herself with blanket, may be this is sign for improvemens.

Raam

raam
09-13-2003, 04:59 AM #84
Andrew K Fletcher
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Hello Raam

Thank you for your post. Your post does indicate that oedema responds to the inclined bed and I would love to hear from a Doctor who can explain this in relation to accepted literature on human physiology.
Also you skin tone improving and circulation improving and the warmth in your legs have all been reported by others on this study and were predicted to happen on the earlier threads.

I believe that you will begin to see more improvements as time goes by, make a note of any increases in pain or changes in location of pain as this is generally a good sign for someone with a spinal cord injury on this study. Not my words, but words from people who are on an inclined bed!

Best Wishes Raam and family

Andrew

"Go With The Flow"

Old 09-29-2003, 09:50 PM #93
Kathy65
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September 29/2003

Just a quick update about my progress. Things are about tthe same, I have extreme burning in my body, and the weather doesn't seem to help things, I burn worse with turbulent weather. I used to have pits in my finger nails, they are now gone. My nail growth is very fast, and they don't seem a brittle. It's hard to tell how my body is progressing, I am burning and so stiff feeling. I get better once the weather stablizes.

That's about all for now.
Kathy

10-02-2003, 04:39 AM #95
Kathy65
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Hello,
I would like to add, my biggest problem is being away from home. I'm going to try to get a very large (wide) sponge for travel, maybe they can cut it down to the incline wedge. I have been a very bad example for this study due to leaving my home...for travel/work/fun... Please hang in with me till full winter everyone.

Thanks,
Kathy

Unfortunately like so many others Kathy was driven away from the Carecure Forum by the Forum Jesters and Bigots. The full thread can be viewed Here: