I was a downhill skateboarder, and now I am a paraplegic. AMA

Wow bro...I like how you kept your head up. :D

Can you move your intestinal muscles to poop?

Do you still party :D?

What do you plan to do in the future?

fun fact, your digestive system works without your brain. the brain helps speed things up and tell you how it's feeling down there, but otherwise i excrete normally. that being said, i can't control my anus. i can feel when it's full. what i use instead of my abdominal muscles and ass is pressure from my upper body from bending forward and my diaphragm. i think my diaphragm helps with a lot of my lung function, too.

i do still party, but not as hard as was able to haha. i am more of a lightweight now, but i think that's because of the blood thinner and muscle relaxers for spasticity.

in the near future, i plan on enjoying things! in the scheme of things like a job and stuff, i don't really know. i was in my fourth year of college but i think i want to switch majors. i was going for media production (film, tv, radio stuff). i just accepted a job as a customer service rep at a major longboard company, so that's what i'm looking forward to now!

What is the company? What was your setup when you crashed?

i will be working for original skateboards soon.

i was riding my passion nate ryan bromodel, radial concave, basically like my s9 lacey but wider. indy 215s on cindy 15/12.5 baseplates, .5" riser, and i think i had 75mm road rippers on at the time.

my setup of choice was my lacey, same riser, same trucks, 70mm rippers.

you did downhill on indys? you are one brave man.

cindrich's cindy baseplates helped out a ton. i was the first one to order 12.5 degrees (kp angle, not pivot), thought the 10* was too dead for the rear. took that lacey and 15/12.5 setup to the fastest i've gone.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/409649_3698310891370_1092671798_n.jpg

I can't imagine doing that shirtless. Look out roadrash!

it's fine, i didn't fall that day.

[deleted]

yeah they're super stoked and the company had come a long way!

Are you banned from talking about your situation to customers? :/

not explicitly, but i'll have to ask.

Guy who had a double pulmonary embolism a year ago here.

You make me feel like a parent (well, I'm 41, but not one yet) because of all this recklessness. You're not supposed to drink AT ALL while on the Coumadin, because they both act to thin your blood. Also you're putting your liver through extra work and that's never good (if livers could talk...)

So you go from a highly dangerous sport that resulted in a spinal injury, to a probable leg blood clot because you now can't move your legs which resulted in the embolism (I got mine from a long aircraft flight where I apparently took it a little too easy and didn't drink enough Bloody Marys), to not following doctors' orders.

Are you actually trying to kill yourself, except with flair? Because you're doing a convincing job.

You get points for spirit, though. You'll need that.

/parent-like-older-dude-mode-off

sorry, dad

Lol. Seriously, I'm sorry you're having to deal with this, but if you want to do good in the world before the inevitable bucket-kicking then you're going to have to value your own life a tad more. I almost died and it freaked me the fuck out and changed the way I value a lot of things.

when i drink, i have like one beer. i nurse too. it's fine.

[deleted]

only if there are racers! I was thinking of designing a downhill chair. I also want to make true wheelchair rugby for paras instead of just watching murderball for quads.

[deleted]

many sports chairs have overbuilt frames so they don't get caught on each other and interrupt the game.

You should check out the wheelchair guy from nitro cirus. He does backflips off jumps that Travis pastrana goes off of. You seem crazy enough to do it.

yeah i have bad shoulders. it's okay though.

maybe drift trikes?

there's also fourcross.

should be fairly easy to toss a little hub motor on that front wheel, too.

drift trikes never really interested me. the fourcross thing seems neat, but i wouldn't bring it to the skatepark.

Have you seen Nitro Circus? You should be the next wheels!

nah, my shoulders are too crappy for wcmx

It sounds like you're getting some good nerve regeneration; certainly your conditioning as a boarder should help you regain some or even all of your mobility eventually. May I suggest using this recuperation time (and it may take years) to really learn your body? As your sensation returns, you can almost visualize what's growing, rerouting, and reconnecting, and it really helps you to self-direct your rehab.

A good gross anatomy book (amazon, used) and a sympathetic doctor will make a lot of difference, but the real key is knowing yourself and what you're feeling -- your muscles, your nerves, and of course, the limits of your will.

Good luck to you vic! Hang in there.

Best, a

thanks for your input, it's definitely possible. i'm just trying to be more realistic than hopelessly optimistic.

listen to this woman! she had her face mauled by a bear and drove x amount of miles to get help. really interesting story; you should check her AMA out.

kind of different circumstances, but definitely interesting. I'll check it tomorrow.

[deleted]

don't need the practice, and i've got my hottie. thanks ;)

My ex broke her upper arm, bone nerves, clean off. Her rehab in the beginning was pretty different. Just sitting and watching her fingers. trying to move anything - at all... Was more like brain gymnastics than physiotherapy. It worked, she's back to 100% now. The body is amazing at healing, and it helps a lot being fit and motivated, competitive people seems to have an advantage...

fascinating, i'll keep that in mind.

I hope you live a great life from here on in. Just chiming in.

thank you, things are looking good. i need money, but it's coming! $$$

Can you feel a boner?

yes. i can especially feel when i am beginning to get one. the unfortunate thing is that i can't feel how hard it is from once it starts to actually is.

also, the baclofen (muscle relaxer) wreaks HAVOC with my erection. in rehab, i could jack off (not that it did anything for me, can't ejaculate and the sensation is just weird instead of weird + fantastic), for literally hours.

i bought some dick pills online for 25 bucks at 5 bucks a pill. it worked okay, but the erection is still super unreliable.

viagra costs $20 a pill. THANKS PFIZER

once i start working, i'm absolutely filling that prescription... gotta please the missus.

You had a pulmonary embolism and are on blood thinners ... and you use unprescribed erection medication?

??!

Are you trying to kill yourself?

This guy doesn't have the greatest judgement, in case you hadn't noticed.

lol.

it's fine. honestly, I think the reason I had it was because I am sedentary. the greatest risk for PE is in the first year of SCI.

you have no idea how well I understand my body and what I put into it. I analyze everything, it's almost a necessity, and definitely gives me peace of mind.

I am an EMT, and I have had someone die within an hour of starting to feel really bad from a PE. He had no idea it was coming, and neither did anyone else, because sometimes you don't get a warning signal until its too late. Please take that into consideration. It's better to lose an erection than your life. I'm being completely serious here.

I am also an EMT. I remember seeing the commercials on viagra directing a potential PT to discuss with their MD the use of blood thinners and phosphodiesterase inhibiters, but was unable to think of the exact link and interaction between these two drugs from an A&P standpoint.

A cursory google search revealed that the warning relating to the interaction between these two medications is specific to patients who have pulmonary hypertension which may result in bleeding. Assuming the OP does not have preexisting pulmonary HTN he appears good to go. (the usual caveat applies, a frank discussion with his MD and a legitimate prescription would be far superior then ordering them offline from an unknown source)

With that said, I am interested in any information you have to the contrary.

definitely fair enough. i do not have pulmonary hypertension, and it would be wise to seek advice from my primary care.

i fully understand the danger of PE, and the PE i got in december was before i took any ED drugs. thank you for your concern. trust me, if i exhibit any of the symptoms i rush my ass to the hospital.

I. KNOW. ME.

That last bit is a really great way to punctuate it. Reddit is far too full of armchair physicians.

i'm saying, this is why i say reddit sucks (ready for the downvotes) :p

honestly did this because my buddy said it would be neat. i'm not mad about it.

it's fine. honestly

Was this also the last thing you said before you tried going down that hill?

funny. i think i actually said "let's go" because the race organizers were incompetent.

I'm sorry, but you're a fucking dick.

I agree. The guy severely, permanently injured himself taking part in a dangerous sport. It happens. No need to throw it back in his face as a bad life decision. If you want to criticize his current health choices, fine, but don't be a douchebag about it. I doubt fakestamaever knows anything about being a paraplegic.

it's fine, people like to think they're funny. but none of the trolls on here would say this shit to my face. ;)

The right way to do things. Just because something is a risk doesn't mean you can't get a better idea of just how much of a risk and then make an informed decision on it.

that's true, fair enough.

Right company, wrong spelling; it's Pfizer.

silent p, those assholes.

My last name is Pfeiffer :(

like peter pfeiffer?

Yes. The dude who pficked a pfeck of pfickled pfeppers.

hahahaha I was waiting for it!

also, when i was off the baclofen, i would only stay hard as long as i was being stimulated. the upside is, i imagine i would be able to go for hours. sorry ladies, i'm taken.

or sexy things in general?

what?

where are you getting your money from?

I was paralyzed. t2 through t12. I'm back to walking though and just my left leg is a little fucked up and one part of my back kind of hurts. i'm on no medication. it was a tough road back, but you don't think about not doing it. my upper body also got big and that did feel good, but that mostly gone now that i'm back to my lazy old self. life's not totally back to normal but i'm alive. I should've died. I was like ten years older than you too.

holy shit dude. good that you can walk, though!

my parents are a huge help, we're not rich though. i'm living at home with them. i'm on government benefits like medicaid and SNAP (stamps), just got approved for SSI but haven't received anything yet. also, with my job, my benefits are definitely going to be affected so i'm weighing how much i want to work and if i even need benefits like SSI.

my advice. first of all the obvious...why ssi and not ssdi? were your professional earnings enough so that ssdi would be decent? you would get approved really easily. if you do go w/ssdi have all your documentation, including a letter from the surgeon all ready to go.

find some supplementary ways to make money immediately. patrol craigslist. can you write freelance? maybe for an online blog or something that has to do w/your sport? something. go to school, actually, that's the best advice I can give you actually.

you are so young. you can have a good life if you don't rely on that bullshit ssi and ssdi...it really does bring you down if you stay on it for more than three years...you can choose between always being at or just above the poverty level, or you can work and live a better more satisfying life.

school is the answer for you. I know it's hard to face the public in a wheelchair, but fuck it...gotta do it. you must be prescribed some good drugs right? that makes everything easier. morphine? dilaudid? do what you gotta do.

i didn't have enough earnings for it to matter, i don't think.

i just got a job today! pays well, better than my old job. easy enough to do. much more money than the benefits. i think my mom is just afraid of me going to school and working at the same time, in which case the benefits would supplement better, but i think i will be at a point where i can just work and not bother myself with benefits and reporting to the gov't every month.

trust me, i'm working my way up there! i'm actually very comfortable with my outward appearance and plan on finishing my degree. not on any pain medications because i don't have much pain, only crazy spasticity which is going nuts as i'm typing right now. my legs are like jumping beans. but i am getting a baclofen pump soon, so i'm excited for that too.

oh dude the spasticity is the worst. it went away for the most part in my case, but it's taken forever. (i'm about 4 years into this) it drives you crazy. even sleeping sucks b/c you can't fucking straighten your legs. I remember at first just turning onto my side was hard. one night I fell asleep on my side and for the next week I was all fucked up. and i'm not even gonna start on bathroom type shit.

you might feel pain if you get some sensation back. right now you can't feel pain, even if it's 'there'. but if you do get some of that sensation back, it might hurt. and it can be really annoying.

I remember the split second the paralysis kicked in for me. at first my whole body was in terrible pain..then the paralysis worked its way down my body...like an elevator going down, and suddenly my body felt amazing. it radiated warmth and an amazing narcotic feel. like heroin. it lasted for like a few seconds and faded away. i'll never forget it though.

edit to add: I never did request baclofen like I could've. but I was always on hard narcotics so I figured why bother. so hopefully that helps. I don't know though...

yeah i'm sure i had plenty of brain drugs working at the time. i never felt pain from the injury though. the rods bother me occasionally, but it's just an itch under the skin than anything else.

i can't wait four years for the spasticity to die, it's been messing with my transfers for weeks now. i always have to wait for them to die down before i can move.

A note here...acupuncture works really well on restless leg syndrome. Have you tried that for the spastic muscles? It might be worth a try. Also...there are good acupuncturists and not so good ones...find a good one. I know of an excellent one in jackson hole and also in Hilo, Hawaii...but I doubt you live in either place...

not close to either, but i'd be down to try it.

As a downhill mountain biker who runs a ton of protective gear (chest/spine, Leatt neck brace, goggles, full face helmet, gloves, elbow and leg armour) why do so many DH skateboarders wear so little, if only to protect against soft tissue injuries?

dh mtb is gnarly, I actually wanted to do that years before I even knew about skating but the thought of spending 10k on a bike was horribly depressing in middle school hahaha.

one thing, skaters don't usually worry about trees. roads are pretty open so the most typical injury is abrasions or road rash. downhill skaters will wear fullface helmets and leathers are required for the gnarly events. I personally enjoyed kneepads but many don't. I never wore elbow pads but I never hit my elbows.

is definitely a desire to be cooler with less protection, but no dh skater needs to brag by not wearing a helmet at 50mph. I have never seen someone go fast without a helmet, so it's nice that downhillers have the sense to do that.

do you think spine/chest protection would've saved you from injury?

Do you do anything to promote savety within the skating community nowadays?

a spine protector would have definitely helped.

i don't actively promote safety, but i do support it. several of my friends have purchased spine protectors which is good to see.

I think you could become a poster child of promoting safety in your sport, thus doing a lot of good. Maybe something to think about :)

yeah there are already plenty of those. people know about me, skaters know about me, if they want to get a spine protector, they will.

Here here! It might be the really significant part of your life's work...to help people keep on enjoying e sport WITHOUT the bummer you are going through.

i'm not bummed though. lol

Stupid question: what is a crown? Like a king's crown? I no know.

the road sloped from the middle, it was slightly pointed at the middle where the two lanes met. not a stupid question!

Ran one of those over with my "mini-longboard", sketchy fuckers.

yeah, they'll getcha!

Fellow downhill guy here, I hope you make a decent recovery. Those wobs suck, worst part of the sport. I'll do a run for you when I find a good hill.

do a run and shotgun a beer.

/r/longboarding needs more folk like you

ughhh that subreddit hahahah

come fight the good fight!

you may win a battle, but you'll never win the war

YOU FIGHT IN VAIN

Zak Maytum maryhill steeze right there.

zak fucking rules

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but can you go back to downhill skateboarding?

it's a legitimate question. i haven't really left the community and my friends, and i still consider skating to be a large part of me. but i don't imagine myself getting on a board anytime soon or at all.

well the community ****ing loves you, so please don't ever leave us.

WHO ARE YOU THO lol

thanks bud

You call me dad sometimes. I'd like to think of you as my only asian son.

DAAAAAAAAAAD!!!

Another anonymous acquaintance checking in.

Only skated with you a few times, but you are a lot of fun and it's awesome that you stay active in the community. Your attitude is amazing

aww thanks man, i think i recognize that name somewhere... nope, got nothin :(

Honestly one of the best AMA's I've seen for awhile. You're diligent, responsive and sound like a fucking cool dude. Granted your accident is no joke, but honestly, you still sound like yourself, like a fucking human being out to have fun in life. This is just another obstacle. You have the attitude and motivation of a fucking war-mammoth-stallion-kick boxer on Viagra. You're my hero.

some dude sent me a link to a indian internet pharmacy, can you say dollar viagra? #THANKYOUBASEDGOD

What about street luge?

you need legs to luge, go fish.

I read most of this and it seems nobody has brought up John Cardiel. He's a really inspirational skater who went through something similar to what you're going through now. Also, congrats on landing a job at Original. It's cool to hear that they pay their employees well and their boards have been getting pretty good in the past year or two.

yeah my buddies sent me videos in rehab of John ripping pools after his accident, it was rad. original will definitely be a great gig for me and I'm stoked! thanks.

Were any of your friends drunk ass holes on the day of your accident and assumed you were fine cause you were able to text them...

yeah this jerk, rich.

it was actually fine lol

"Wanna come over and chill?" "In the hospital. Broke my back." THANKS FOR PUTTING A DAMPER ON MY DAY, DICKHOLE.

hahahahahahahahahahaha

Surprised nobody seems to have asked about your gf. Did she know you before the accident? Does she have some background in handling people with similiar injuries (assuming she can walk and you didn't meet her in rehab or something)? How's the sex life?

haha I've been dying to talk about her, she's amazing. we were hooked up after my accident, she's my buddy's girlfriend's sister lol. she is also a para so we just understand each other, but our personalities also mesh incredibly. she's gorgeous; I will ask her if I can post a picture. the sex is ridiculous.

I don't mean to sound like the asshole here but... how is it that two para people have ridiculous sex? Like good ridic or bad ridic? I just... don't want family guy to ruin the moment for me.

the family guy rendition is bullshit. we're both paras so we have upper body function. ridiculous in the good way. she has almost full feeling where it matters.

In all honesty, how exactly do you do it? It seems like all the common positions would be incredibly impractical or downright impossible.

sideways is easy, sitting up using the headboard.

GO ON.....

where's your sense of imagination? :p

What attracted you to the idea of downhill skateboarding?

Also, I hope you regain control of ALL your limbs. :)

i saw videos of adam colton on youtube my second semester in college. loaded and original videos gave out the good vibes. i wanted to do everything, dance, tricks, freeride, downhill. once i hit a hill up, i became addicted to downhill.

I wanted I ask if you can still have sex and all that but in retrospect it seems sort of disrespectful and pervy...I wish you the best of luck!!

I can and do. :) I'm lucky I have enough sensation for it to feel good, too. head feels great.

What was the first thought you had after the accident?

"fuck, i really crashed." not verbatim, but i was angry at myself for that. the hill wasn't very technically difficult.

Have you ever ridden MaryHill?

oh god, i fucking wish. mary's a beauty.

Hey, fellow gimp. I've been a T-12 paraplegic since 1986. They didn't know about this at the time that I broke my back, but since then, they have discovered that a massive amount of steroids, injected within 8 hours of the initial injury can severely lessen the damage to the spinal cord by reducing inflammation (which often causes more damage to the nerves than does the actual injury).

Did they give you this treatment?

yeah, i read about that after the fact, unfortunately. i don't believe i did get that treatment.

Sorry, man. It's unconscionable that the medical staff didn't know this.

Even so I can tell you from experience that life is still hella good no matter what. I'm looking at 27 years of it and life just keeps getting better.

A couple of tips...

If you travel, make sure that you book your plane tickets over the phone in order to make sure that you get proper assistance. Your (and my) category of disability in airline parlance is "WCHC". Make sure to tell them this and it will help you immensely.

They are supposed to board us on the plane before everyone else so that we don't put on a show, but that doesn't always happen. If it doesn't, don't get upset, just complain to the airline. Also, if you have to wait more than fifteen minutes after all of the other passengers have deplaned for an aisle chair to get you off, the airline should hear about it. I have gotten beaucoup refunds for this kind of stuff.

Make sure that they seat you in a row where the armrest come up on the aisle seat, and that you are seated in the window seat. Without a raise-able armrest the transfer to your seat can be a tad sketchy, and if they have you seated between another passenger and the aisle, that passenger is stuck, as they will not be able to get past you without you standing up.

If you get pressure sores on your ankles/heels, a soak in epsom salts (about a cup dissolved in a gallon of very warm water) can speed the healing.

Get yourself a portable shower seat to take with you on trips. A lot of hotels will have a fully accessible shower, but will have forgotten to include proper seating. I got one like this, which breaks down really easily and can be packed flat in your luggage.

Hang in there, Bro...it sounds like you are doing all the right stuff.

Message me if you ever need to talk or ask questions.

some clutch tips, thank you so much! my gf is actually travelling right now, i'll be sure to pass them on. :)

What is your future prognosis? Will you ever recover any use of your lower part of your body?

good doctors nowadays don't give prognosis on spinal cord injuries. no one wants to hear "you'll never walk again" and no doctor wants the liability of "he'll be fine in a year."

as for me, my surgeon was ambiguous and i appreciate that. as for my own interpretation, i think i'm at where i'll be for the rest of my life. i don't really mind. would it be cool if surgeons could reconnect the spinal cord with stem cells and get rid of the scar tissue? yeah, that would be. am i counting on it? nope. does it upset me? not really.

Was gonna buy you gold for your positivity in this comment, but then I remembered that you won't need gold when you're too busy driving around so I kicked in on your indiegogo. What the hell, it's Friday in Beijing, I'm in a good mood after your positive vibes, and you're making me miss my longboard back home.

Stay up, brother.

thank you so much, i really appreciate that! what are you doing in china?

I ask myself this question all the time.

But in all seriousness, working at a job to gain experience to find a better job that will hopefully send me back home to the land of the free one great day.

Also, the women.

hahaha word

If you could longboard again, would you? Would you still recommend downhill skateboarding to your friends?

absolutely.

Ever consider wheel chair basketball?

no, i shot one hoop at rehab and it was ridiculous. i'm also a short asian kid with short arms (read: average) but i have bad shoulders anyway. props to guys and gals that do, though!

Damn bro i play ball all the time would of brought you down to the court

and schooled me lol

Wow man. I have a similar story.

I too was a downhill skateboarder, or long boarder as we call them. 45-55 was my usual speeds. My 2 buddies and I would go everyday to this hill far off in the forest with nobody around. It was about a quarter mile, and full of straight aways and hairpins. The last time I ever went I was the back guy. My friend P was the lead and G was in the middle. P is filming this run from the front.

By the last hairpin we are going about 40 and one needs to drop low to even make it but it is still a really close call. I got a phone call right before the run so I stayed back for a second while they went. As I finally approached the last hairpin turn, I noticed I only saw P in the final straightaway. As I looked down G's board was in the mud. I stopped and looked for about 2 minutes before I found him 10 yards into the forest.

He had clipped his backwheels in the mud and been bucked off. Forehead into concrete at 45mph. Bounced off his head flipped several feet into the air before hitting his face on a tree and body on another 10 yards into the forest.

Scariest thing of my life walking into find my friend bleeding and what I thought was dead. He gained consciousness but had no memory. Thank god the paramedics found out where we were when we called. They said 5 more minutes and he would have died.

Turns out he had a 9 inch skull fracture, some brain damage and lots of just small cuts. After 2 weeks in intensive care he recovered.

I had heard about this stuff happening before but as never thought it would happen to me. This really changed my views on the sport. Helmets and protection is the only way to go.

And to think I have hit hills going 45 no helmet... Gives me shivers thinking about my stupidity.

hey, it happens. and people get lucky. it only takes one time, though.

speed wobble...shivers

I have had quite a few close calls with the speed wobble. Luckily, none of them caused me to lose control, although a couple were close. Unfortunately(or fortunately?), I haven't been out skating in over a year due to work and other time constraints.

don't fear the wobble, control it.

Do you feel that you or you attitude has changed since the accident? Like anything ranging from something insignificant to life in general, or do you feel that all of this hasn't had an impact on your outlook?

great question. i think i've pretty much been the same, but i don't believe in karma anymore.

Your positive attitude is an inspiration, Victor!

1. When you hit the curb, did you immediately suspect that you broke your back and may not be able to walk again?

2. Do you have a blog where we can keep up with your experience and progress?

i did not immediately suspect anything. i did realize i could not move my lower extremities, but it was not like "shit, i can't walk," it was more of an "oh, that's probably pretty bad" and being mad at the fact that i actually went down.

i don't have a blog, but i posted videos when i was in the hospital and rehab to youtube. i think you can find my YT from the indiegogo link. i also made the ones of me high on oxy and percs unlisted, but i'm working on making those public again... because they're funny. lol

At first I thought this was Adam Colton's AMA. He recently got into a plane crash and messed up his back and just generally go destroyed. Also good on you for keeping your head up. I like that additude.

nah, he was cliff diving in a flight suit lol. he was wearing a spine protector though! looks like he'll make a good recovery. :)

i do what i can haha

Yo bro as a longboarder these kind of injuries always cross my mind as I;m speeding down a hill, I truly applaud your positive attitude bro. One question, do you regret anything?

I thought about it for a while, and every single time I did, I wouldn't have changed anything. so I don't regret it.

How many times did you prestige on MW3?

once, i would've done more but it was getting so boring. lol. i think i'm lacesoutvic on xbl too, if you care.

what was your favorite gun??? I'M ASKING SHIT NOW

i'll answer for me, MP7 Silenced on FFA = complete RAPE

if i pick that controller up again, duly noted! i was a fan of the m16 with 4x scope for midrange shots, scar for all-around and ump for quick stuff.

haha no probs, if you dont mind me asking. What did you do with all your gear after the accident?

of course i don't mind. i kept the boards that mattered to me, my bottom bitch lacey, indys, road rippers. the board i won, passion nate ryan bromodel, my first board gravity kalai. (look up passion skate decks on facebook, my buddy's selling a dope run right now)

i still have my toolbox with bushings that i'm gonna sell off slowly. been working on selling most of the stuff.

Were you sponsored? If so, by who? Was it hard to get sponsored? just wondering a little as im getting quite good and wondering about sponsorships

i had a clothing sponsor and my buddy stefan considered me a part of his team for passion skate decks.

but don't get caught up in sponsors, that's a load of shit. skate for fun, skate for yourself, and if you get noticed, good for you.

Where do you go to school? I'm a media production major too, and I also just switched majors!

I go to western connecticut, it suckssssss.

My friend works with patients who have spinal cord injuries. They use this crane to life people onto a treadmill and then they have a few nurses actively pick up their feet and walk them along with the treadmill. The theory is that things like walking are a memory reaction and that the brain can re-learn how to walk again. Have you ever tried this kind of PT? They have a pretty decent success rate.

Good luck on the job!

i have not tried that kind of therapy, but i do not think it would be effective for certain people. people ARE still able to make huge gains many years after their injuries, though, so who knows? the spinal cord and brain are the big human mysteries. dat research dough, tho $$$$ :/

My friend is a longboarder who bombs hills way out of his skill level. He's also stubborn. Would you suggest discouraging his hobby?

Have you found new ways to connect with your old hobby?

you can't tell your friend anything because calling him an idiot, which he seems to be, will make him hate you. he also doesn't seem rational. I would get a more skilled skater to regulate his ass and talk some sense into him, because more than likely no one cares about his safety but you. and as importantly, he could blow up some nice spots for a lot of angry skaters.

while I was skating, I organized a few successful races for www.facebook.com/ctdownhill

I still organize events today and admin ct longboarding on facebook, as well as the ct bst.

I might be stopping by the push culture picnic this weekend in vermont.

That's brutal dude. When I first saw the post about you on Silverfish, it was pretty sobering. It was like a reality check that you could get seriously fucked up skating. I ended up donating some cash to the wheelchair fund you had going. Hopefully I can get together a few bucks to donate on indiegogo.

P.S. I'm thinking of setting up this again, on dewedged 215s to mess around on.

mystery model and indys? hell yeah, I can sell you my cindy baseplates too if you want, they never steered me wrong.

thanks so much for helping me out. people crap on sf all the time but I loved it haha. and nice people like you are on it! ;)

No questions dude, but keep your head up. I broke C7 and had a fusion, but lucked the fuck out and didn't end up paralyzed.

As someone who was very athletic, what have you done to stay positive and keep active, despite no longer being able to longboard?

Thanks for the perspective.

I lift things up and put them down haha. I desperately need 15lb and 25lb weights to progress though. I also like pushing around for exercise. going through carpet is hell.

far as staying positive, I've always been at least treading water. I've cried a few times but the major time I remember was because I wanted Percocet hahaha. it was just after transferring to rehab and I was still in a tiny bit of pain from surgery, very uncomfortable.

the winter, I watched unholy amounts of netflix and played mw3. wasn't necessarily happy but I was content; what else was I going to do through the winter?

I only started really being happy after I got over my loooong time ex. I figured, I've been miserable over this girl for so long, I'm tired of it. so I told myself I would stop clinging onto what would never be, and funny enough, my friend hooked me up with my gf later that week. now everything except my education is falling into place, but that will happen soon enough too. :)

Props to you for lifting weights despite your injuries. I was going to ask you if you lifted weights or picked up lifting weights but I decided to control+F first and found this.

If you have any questions regarding lifting, feel free to PM me or ask here. I'm a certified personal trainer and would be more than willing to help you out in any way possible.

I appreciate the thought but I'm pretty set. I lifted in high school and college a little so I know enough to get results where I want them. :) thank you though!

Were you able to use your injury to acquire a medical marijuana license at least?

I can if I want to. ;)

pitch a couple bucks guys, lets get him back on the road!!

thanks buddy!

I had a pulmonary embolism when I was 17 years old and it was some of the worst pain I have ever felt. I remember my father driving me to the ER and having to stop the car because the small bumps in the road were too much to deal with. The doctors didn't know what it was, and it took 3-4 days to diagnose. Between noticing the tightness in your chest and ending up in the hospital, what sort of pain did you experience? How long did it take the doctors to figure it out? I've never met anyone else who had a PE around my age!

it felt like my right lung collapsed, I guess. I could fill it with air, but it was slightly painful to. leaning to the right was very painful unless I took a deep breath, which as I said took more effort than normal. overall my PE was quite mild, which I am thankful for. the drive to the hospital was not painful.

Another DH boarder here, crashed out at danger bay two years ago and broke my jaw and pelvis. I feel you man, keep your head up and keep working.

thanks dude, I'm good. :) how is danger bay? I want to make it out to bc at some point!

Danger Bay is amazing, even if you dont race the whole event is one big party. BC is one of the most beautiful places ive ever been, so many beautiful hills. I hope you make it out there sometime it truly is great.

sometime, someday... kevin reimer will sign a t-shirt or something lol.

Sorry to hear OP. But I would be amazed if they werent able to totally cure you with stem cell research in the next 5-10 years. This isnt forever

next ten years, that's a joke. I respect your optimism, but get real. also, never tell a person in a chair that they will walk again. that's ridiculously ignorant.

I dont know how you feel about things like this while it looks a little clumsy technology will advance in the next 10 years so much these kinds of aparatus will be worn under the cloths.

Nothing i can think of to say or ask you really apart from would you consider something like that?

hahahaha funny story about exoskeletons, I was fitted for ekso, the suit at my rehab place this morning and my legs are too damn short for it by like an inch. I'm 5'7". fuck that shit, I'm not short!

also in terms of wanting to walk again, via the suit, doesn't mean anything to ne me. I think of it as a rehabilitative tool.

Keep on rockin' Vic, our community always has your back.

thanks bud, it means a lot!

There are some pretty new anticoagulants out there without the side effects of coumadin. My dad just replaced it with apixaban, but I think there are a couple others. You might ask your doctor if it's worth switching.

thank you for the recommendation, Coumadin doesn't really give me side effects but the oral baclofen is rough. I can't wait to get the pump!

Fuck, dude. I wish you the best.

I longboard way more casually than it seems like you did...but even though I wear a helmet when I bike or snowboard, I never do when I longboard. Even after bad wipe outs on the street. My last set of serious speed wobbles ended in a gnarly gash on my knee and an almost broken wrist. Nothing like what you went through...

So I guess thanks for the eye-opener, I won't ride without a helmet again. It's such little things we can do to protect ourselves, but most don't. Weird when you think about it rationally...

I guess since this is an AMA, here's my question: have you tried surfing at all? I've seen a few programs that help people surf even if they can't stand up on the board.

thanks, man. i haven't tried surfing, not really interested in ocean sports. i don't like salt water. also my shoulders are bad and surfing involves putting your shoulders above your head often enough.

I was deeply touched by your story and video. I sincerely wish I could help but honestly have no money to spare. I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone and you have an amazing attitude about life.

Stay strong, and if you keep on pushing... Eventually, things wheel turn out. ;)

thank you, and no worries! things are turning out and my life is pretty great. :)

Before I started driving I longboarded a lot more than I do now. I feel like what happened to you easily could have happened to me or my friends. Just curious, what was your set up?

passion skate decks nate ryan bromodel, 15/12.5 cindy baseplates, 215 hangers, .5" riser (indys are lower than rkps), 75mm road rippers. my board and wheels of choice are the s9 lacey and 70mm rippers, but the passion is just like the lacey, just wider.

If you could walk again, would you keep skating?

absolutely.

Why did you love indys :-( rkp 4 life

you're doing it wrong

What do you want most right now?

right now, to take a dump. i've been holding it all night to get my bowel program back on track hahahahahaha. #thestruggle

I don't mean this in a dick way at all. Were you wearing a helmet? If you were, how bashed up was it?

I was wearing my predator dh-6. it was fine, I didn't hit my head.

/r/longboarding would be pretty distraught.

over what?

Worth?

it?

Which race?

greenwich slide jam (and race), it was very poorly organized.

Do you consider yourself foolish for bombing down hills without adequate protection or do you consider yourself lucky to be alive?

neither. it would've taken an extremely extenuating circumstance to kill me. I wore a helmet. and hit my back. am I lucky? of course. am I unlucky? definitely.

let me be clear: I don't regret a thing.

I only almost puked twice reading that OP. Going to sleep now hope you have a good road to recovery it sounds like you are getting some nerves back.

puked? that sucks, feel better lol

Are you done for good? Or is this a temporary condition?

I'M DONE, GAME OVER, CREMATE ME NOW :'(

Sucks what happened to you man, I think i'll stick to regular skating downhill sounds like some scary shit.

if you want to do it, don't let my experience scare you. I skated downhill for over 2 years and eased myself into it. if you wanna skate the regular stuff, that's cool too. nothing like downhill though.

I'd love to try it don't get me wrong but downhill boards cost a shit tonne, been skating park/street for nearly 10~ years now and that's been expensive enough ahaha

they're more expensive, but you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking in a few weeks. a solid compete should cost you $200.

Congrats on staying so positive and keeping in touch with your local scene, really inspirational.

Have you managed to find a sport/activity that can substitute (well try to) the excitement and adrenaline of dh?

Was wondering if you had considered trying sit-skiing? It might be a good replacement for skating, particularly the speed aspect.

i'd be down to try it, but i was never too stoked on winter sports. i might try wheelchair racing sometime in the future.

Are there any times where you regret skateboarding?

How did u get over the dark times so far?

never, skateboarding saved my life.

there hasn't really been a super dark, brooding time for me (yet) regarding my injury. on my bad days, i always figure something's gotta give at some point. my hope is always in the future, hope that things will be better, hope that i will be better, hope that i will be happier. that has gotten me through my worst and keeps me dragging through the day.

How do you feel about safety regarding freeride in parking garages? I usually skate alone in garages late at night. After reading this I think I'm going to buy a helmet.

depends on the garage. if it's over kicking speed, especially if cars are involved (like broadway bomb), a helmet isn't a bad idea.

did you expect an injury such as this to befall you?

no one really does.

As someone who does not take physical risks at all, if possible... Why in the name of fuck would you ever do such a thing?

I mean, jesus, fuck, where was your brain? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that shit ain't safe.

I hope you get well and all, but, man, what the hell?

my brain was safely tucked within predator dh-6 helmet, one of the finest helmets for the sport. as you can see, i do not have a traumatic brain injury.

if i was really smart, i would've worn a spine protector.

you know what kills a fuck ton of americans? cars. who would convince you to drive such a monstrosity? ;) there's a lot of things you can apply that mentality to. i loved to skate, i loved to skate downhill, and i wasn't that bad at it. luck happens. circumstance happens.

but i suppose you prefaced it with "does not take physical risks at all"

your loss? sorry man.

There are statistics. Cars kill a fuckton of people all over the world, but the number of people not killed in cars despite driving around in them is mind-bogglingly huge.

The number of people who routinely skate downhill at high speeds and walk away without significant injuries... that's a pretty tiny number.

you're making stuff up. serious injuries in downhill skateboarding are uncommon because it takes a brain to know what you're doing when you're throwing yourself down a hill.

I like this reply, and I like your attitude about it all.

thanks, i'm doing pretty okay. :)

How did you become a parapawhatever?

my back went into a curb going 30mph, please read the OP

2nd second question, what is a parapawhatsawhosit?

if you know what a reddit is, in sure you know what a google is.