15 years ago I was stabbed in the neck & left a quadriplegic. Now I want to help & inspire others. AMA

Since your injury, have you found things you are passionate about that you were not previously? Have you been able to accomplish certain things you set out to do? Very interesting story and I hope this AMA gains some traction.

Yeah definitely. I've gotten really into science, philosophy, theology, physics, metaphysics... all kinds of random interesting subjects that I probably never would have gotten into if it weren't for the injury.

As for accomplishments, after my injury I decided to start college and got my degree in IT. I was pretty proud of that.

Probally not the question you're looking for, but how did it feel to get stabbed? What happened? What first aid did you receive?

To be honest I didn't know I got stabbed. I didn't feel it. The actual stabbing cut the ligaments in my neck which weekend the structure. Then I was knocked down and hit my forehead on the ground. The first thing that happened was an immediate PING sound. I thought to myself "Oh I must be about to be knocked out," but that never happened. Then I went to get up and couldn't move anything at all. Then my friends picked my up (never do this with a neck injury) and drove me to the hospital. I was so convinced that I had just fallen that I actually got into an argument with the police officer who came and asked me who stabbed me. The first few months are really blurry. I was on a ton of medications. I remember a lot of anxiety attacks, particularly at night because I couldn't move to get comfortable. Then months and months of physical rehab.

You're an amazing survivor to trudge on and share your story with others.

Thank you.

Damn man

Yeah it was pretty tough. I try only to look at the past in a positive way though, and be grateful for everything I've learned from the incident.

You should try a psychedelic experience. I can't help but think of pink floyds learning to fly song. Glad to see such positive prevalence. Saw that your into philosophy- I'm currently into slave species of the gods . Id recommend it to you.

I have, both before and since, although not often. I like to keep my psychedelic experiences to times when I feel like I really need them. Expansion of the mind has been a crucial part of my journey, and has been a big influence on the person I am today.

I'll check out the book. I have both Fingerprints of the Gods, & Forbidden Archeology, so that seems right up my alley.

What ability do you miss having the most that may have been taken for granted prior to your accident?

P.s. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I hope your attacker was caught and brought to justice.

That is a SUPER difficult question to answer. I can't say I miss it because they weren't born yet when I got injured, but I have a very young nephew and niece who I would love to just pick up and hold. They climb on me so we kind of make due, but it would just be awesome to be able to interact with them more than I'm currently able to do.

And thank you. Actually he wasn't, but that's another story.

Omg that's absolutely heartbreaking. Thank you for the reply. No need to go in to details about your attacker if you don't want to but that's really messed up if he got away with that shit.

So growing up I was friends with everyone; the nerds, the stoners, the cowboys, Jocks, and the gangsters. For some reason I just seemed to click with everyone. While I was in the hospital a guy who I had been friends with, definitely what you would consider a gangster, (for context he's currently serving a life sentence in prison) came to my hospital room. He told me he knew who had stabbed me, lifted up his shirt, flashed me a gun, and said "Give me the word and I'll take care of it." I told him "no, that's not what I wanted." and that was the end of it. I've been told by a few other people that they knew who the guy was, but there were never any arrests made or anything like that. I have forgiven him though, and wish no ill will.

I'm curious. I would think someone in your situation is more susceptible to con artists and charlatans offering some kind of treatment for your condition. How do you validate potential treatments? Especially in situations where you have to pay for the treatment (like with this stemcell thing you are raising money for).

So I'm pretty good at seeing through bs. This wasn't someone who contacted me, this is something that I did a lot of research on. The Dr., Neil Riorden is well known as being an innovator in the field of stem cell treatment. Not only that, but both his father, and brother are known for being innovators in other medical fields here in the US. They're known as a family of medical renegades is the best way I can describe it.

After I found his facility and did some research into it, it started popping up everywhere. Mel Gibson, his father, Bass Reuten, Dan Bilzerian, all of them have gone to Dr Riorden for treatment of different ailments, and all have reported pretty amazing results.

Hi Wyatt. Thank you for doing this AmA. I’m sorry for what has happened to you. You’re an incredible force and very inspiring. You mentioned in a comment that you would like to travel the world. Where would you like to travel? I reside in the UK and can offer you no charge, room, board and home cooked meals for the duration of your stay if you ever choose to come to the UK. I can also be a personal tour guide if you wish. I plan to contribute to your go fund me, but other than that, is there anything a stranger in a different country can do for you to help accomplish your goals? All the best.

Thank you. I appreciate the compliments. There are a few places I've always wanted to check out. Romania, Hungary, Colombia, Brazil... but basically anywhere I've never been. The UK would be awesome to check out. I would love that. It sounds amazing. I'll definitely have to take you up on that. As for what you could do from another country... I'm not sure right now. I'll have to think on that one.

The great thing about Europe is it is very easy to travel. Message me when you are ready to travel. The offer stands.

Yeah I've heard that. My cousin did some traveling there years ago. Looking forward to it. :)

I'm sorry for what happened to you, and I hope you get the funds you need.

What was the worst "side effect," for lack of a better word, of your becoming quadriplegic? Like, not being able to hug family, or not being able to get comfortable, etc?

Thank you. Like I said that's super difficult to answer. Not being able to get comfortable was definitely rough at first. I've gotten pretty used to it though. Not being able to play with my niece and nephew is rough. But just not being able to do average stuff like just take a shower without being super difficult is definitely something I miss.

Did the guy who stabbed your ever get caught and charged?

Nope. To be honest though, there wasn't much information for the police to go on.

Could you expand on your sporadic movements and sensations? How long did it take before you started feeling and moving, and what therapies have you done that led to these results?

So yeah. This is a bit hard to explain unless you've experienced it. I'll do my best. There are times when I feel... sort of an energy build up in my stomach, or legs, or hands. When I feel that build up, say in my stomach, I'll try to do a sit up. My stomach flexes super hard and I can usually get my head and shoulders off the bed on the first try. The second try it'll be a little weaker, and so on. Usually I can get 4-5 flexes off before things shut down. The sensation is pretty consistent, I guess the sporadic-ness of it is just how much sensation there is. Sometimes I'll have about 60% sensation in my right leg, sometimes 30%.

The amount of time it's taken for everything is different, and it's so gradual that I couldn't tell you exactly how long it took. The movement in my biceps and upper forearms took a few months, the rest has been accomplished over years.

I've used all kinds of things to try to stimulate the nerves in my body. Electrodes, vibrating massagers, heat & cold stimulation. There are 2 things that I would give the most credit to though, different types of supplements, and meditation. I can make a list of different supplements I've used if anyone's interested. The meditation is a bit... unexplainable (to me at least) though. A lot of times if I'm having trouble I can zone out, put myself in a trance like state, and then it's like for a brief instance my body and mind are in synch and I can move.

Blowing me away. When you described in the beginning about the energy in your abdomen, hands etc, first thing I thought of was meditation and the like. Sounds like meditation, visualization etc could be very therapeutic, nice that you're pursuing it.

What are the supplements you're using?

If you really want to get into how the mind can affect the body, you should read a book called The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton. I got it completely by accident, but it's been one of the most inspiring things I've come across so far.

I'll make a list of things I've taken, and post it. That'll take me a minute though. I'm currently taking PQQ, Inosine, Lions Mane, & Royal Jelly capsules.

I wish you the best, and I find your determination inspiring.

Is the stem cell and NAD therapy assured of some kind of success or is it more or less hit and miss?

Thank you. When it comes to medical treatments nothing is guaranteed. The stem cell treatment facility is run by Dr Neil Riorden. He'a very well known and his family have done remarkable things in several medical fields. There are some amazing testimonials on his website. So that's what I'm hoping for. The NAD treatment is a bit different. A lot of the research on it is fairly new, but it has shown promise in both regenerating nerves, and as a neurotransmitter.

have you tried hypnosis and/or self hypnosis? I found the personal life of Milton Erickson inspiring about the power of the mind in the rehabilitation. Well.. before knowing you!

I have tried hypnosis. I found it helpful for some things. I think I'd need some real deep hypnosis, and a lot of it, in order for it to be effectual for bodily healing. All of the hypnosis I've used was from prerecorded stuff on the internet. Like I said though, it can be helpful with some things. Now I want to look more into Milton Erickson though.

Side note: did you know that back in the day people didn't have last names, so when you see last names now like "Erickson" it literally means that one of their ancestors was the son of a guy named Erick? Also when a person has Mc or Mac at the beginning of their last name it means "son of." So Mark McGuire means "Mark, son of Guire."

Erickson contracted polio when 17 and remained almost paralyzed.. Doctors said he would never walk again. using self hypnosis and observing his young sister learning to walk he slowly trained himself to move then walk again. He then became the most successful and innovative hypnotherapist. It was about a century ago and it was polio.. but it's very inspiring, like you. Hypnosis needs training and not every hypnotist is skilled enough to achieve big results, but I can guarantee it's worth spend time on it.

Edit: typos and autocorrect since English is not my first language

that is pretty crazy. I've looked into self hypnosis, but I never quite got the hang of it. I also looked into NLP, but that didn't seem to do much. I do have to say it's hard to use NLP on yourself when you have trouble moving lol. That is really interesting though. Maybe I should give self hypnosis a second shot. Wouldn't have guessed English wasn't your first language.

First thank you for doing the AMA and everything else you mentioned. My questions are rather personal, don't mean to sound insensitive but I'm really curious. Typically I feel when thinking about such things many people say something to the effect of I could never do that, I would kill myself.

How did thoughts of suicide come to you and what was it like coping with them? Was there a moment when you accepted what happened and decided to press on?

Yeah that's definitely personal, but I don't mind. It’s hard to put into words how much this incident has changed my life. Before my injury I was a chronic socializer. My favorite thing in the world to do was get together with friends, and meet new people. Now just getting out of the house is a difficult process. I went to the gym daily, sometimes twice. Now I have difficulty getting my hands to hold on to a 10 pound weight. I loved swimming and going outdoors, and all types of physical activities, now I’m relegated to streets and sidewalks and sitting down 24/7. I went from being as independent as possible to needing someone with me 24/7. And this hasn’t only effected me. My friends and family have been along for the ride. My parents spent their entire lives working hard to provide for their family. Now that they should be retired and enjoying life they’re working hard to take care of me. It’s a terrible feeling knowing that.

At the time I got hurt I was 20 about to turn 21. Now I’m 34 about to turn 35. I’ve missed out on 15 years. Crucial years when most people are living free and having the time of their lives. It’s been great to see the successes of all my friends and family. Nothing makes me happier. But at the same time, seeing them all go on to build successful careers, and create beautiful families of their own. only reminds me of what, at this point, I am unable to do, and it hurts sometimes. When I was young I had so many dreams and aspirations that I thought would be accomplished by now. One of my main ones was to travel the world, visit new places, and meet new people. Traveling long distances is now far to stressful on my body to do with any regularity, so I’ve settled for living vicariously through other peoples photos and videos.

There were definitely some dark times, when I had some dark thoughts, but I'm a big believer in your mindset controlling your reality. When I'd get down it would be for a day or so, then I'd have to remind myself to look at the positives. If you choose to focus on the positives, as difficult as that can be, it is a game changer.

As for acceptance... I know my current situation, but I will never accept the limitations that others have put on my life and situation. I will always keep looking forward to the possibilities.

How exactly are you able to type, or at least type very in depth and well? Also, what type of exercise do you get daily?

So quadriplegic doesn't necessarily mean you can't move your arms. That's how I started out. Completely dead from the neck down. What quadriplegic actually means that you don't have full control of your upper extremities. In my case, after a lot of hard work, it's now just the backs of my arms and hands that are affected. After paralysis your tendons tighten up if they're not stretched. This allows for me to close my hand when I flex my wrist up. I also have a tool that is shaped like a bicycle grip that has a piece of plastic coming out of it that is shaped a bit like a finger. So I hold the tool by flexing my wrist, and type like an old person who types everything with one finger.

My daily exercise consists of some weight lifting, pretty light weights because my hands aren't able to hold onto anything heavy, and me flexing the muscles in my body that I can move, as many times as possibly, before the nerves lose signal. It's weird. You'd think if I could straighten my leg out once I should be able to do it all the time. That's not how it works. The muscles don't get tired, the nerve signals get weaker and weaker after every movement. I am grateful for that little bit of movement though. It makes my life drastically easier then it was before when I had no movement at all.

Once the treatment is complete and successful, what are you looking forward to the most?

Being independent again. I love my independence.

Do you regret the circumstances of your stabbing?

While I've definitely wished things would have gone differently that night, I try not to have any regrets. I find that regrets do no one any good. Good q.

How where you able to get stabbed, like how did you approach the attacker in order for him/her to be able to stab you in the neck? Did you know he/she had a knife? Did you know the person who was attacking? Did you get any hits in?

Honestly I don't know. Like I said earlier, I didn't even know I had gotten stabbed until the Dr told me. No one saw it either. I'm guessing he just ran up from behind and stabbed me. The wound was actually in the side of the back of the neck. And no I didn't know the attackers or the person who got hit with the bottle.

Did you meet the stranger you helped in the incident ever again? (fixed grammar)

No, but he turned out to be a friends brother in law. He got knocked out with some kind of hard alcohol (I think Jack Daniels) bottle. Apparently he was in the hospital for quite awhile as well. He couldn't even be exposed to light for several months, and my friend said he was never the same after that.

I truly hope that whoever did this to you and your friends brother in law was caught and put in prison. Edit: scrolled down and seen that they weren't caught, Real sorry about that too.

When ever something like this happens that I have no control over, I like to just hand it over to the universe to take care of.

What would you most like to tell us that no one has asked about yet?

Probably how great my family is. We've had some rough patches for sure. I feel like that can only be expected when everyone is dealing with this kind of stressful situation. But when it all comes down to it we love and support each other, and their support has been amazing. This whole fundraising campaign was my sisters idea and she's worked super hard on it. My parents are both older, right around 60, and although they've missed out on a big part of their lives, because they still take care of me, they do their best not to show how frustrated I know they get. I love, and am very grateful for everyone around me.

Do you play video games? If so, what game(s)?

I've tried. The only one I ever got any good at was golf. anything that required quick movements was just too difficult. It's hard to push buttons quick, and with any accuracy when you're just mashing your hand into the controller. My buddy has been trying to convince me to try Fortnite for a few months now though.

Check out rockynohands

That is impressive. That quad stick is pretty interesting. I need to look into that. Thanks.