病人成为ODU物理治疗的代言人
2019年10月11日
《bet8九州登录入口》饰演示了REX的用法, the high-tech bionic legs that aided his recovery at the ODU Monarch Physical Therapy Clinic.
这张x光片显示了马修·尤厄尔脊柱损伤的位置.
文/欧文·B. 哈勒尔
想象一下，你只有19岁，无忧无虑. You're free-climbing with friends at a familiar park in the West Virginia mountains. 一个完美的肾上腺素瘾君子, you leap from rock to rock like you've done countless times - without protective gear.
然后突然之间，死亡率介入了. You slip and find yourself hurtling toward the ground, which is about 10 stories below.
欢迎来到马修·尤厄尔的世界.
“我登陆, 几乎立即死于撞击, 压碎了我的C7椎骨, 导致瘫痪,他最近在bet8体育娱乐入口(bet8体育娱乐入口)的一次聚会上对人群说. "I had to be resuscitated twice, flatlining for roughly seven minutes."
Ewell was initially diagnosed with an unrecoverable incomplete spinal cord injury. 他胸部以下瘫痪了. His plans for a career in the military would vanish, and his life would change forever.
In the past year, Ewell has become a spokesperson of sorts for ODU Monarch Physical Therapy Clinic. Handsome and well-spoken - sporting a youthful smile - he credits his testimonials to his gratitude for the help and encouragement he has received at the clinic during his rehabilitation.
他的信息从一开始就引人注目:
"I would like to thank the University for giving me the honor to speak today on behalf of the 健康科学学院 and ODU Monarch Physical Therapy Clinic. 我叫马修·尤厄尔. 9月. 2016年18日，我失去了生命."
尤厄尔戴着REX传递他的信息, a high-tech pair of bionic legs that can allow the wearer to experience normal movement patterns, 即使一个人的肌肉不能自我激活. 这是第一个商业广告, powered exoskeleton that can move individuals with complete spinal cord paralysis.
"If nothing else, the device humanizes the individual using it,他说.
Ewell then took the audience on his journey to recovery and left them awestruck as he closed his presentation by stepping out of the REX and walking without assistance. 人群起立鼓掌回应.
Walking wasn't something that Ewell ever expected to do according to early prognoses. 在事故发生后的一周住院期间, 他的手臂开始活动, 但是他的前臂痛得很厉害. 到了第七天，他的右腿已经能动了.
尽管有这些生理上的里程碑, Ewell received news that temporarily tempered his optimism after he was transferred to VCU Medical Center Inpatient Rehabilitation. Mobility tests revealed that there was a 30 percent chance of any mobility on the left side of his body, 他说.
“这样就不用走路了. 不会有竞选，”他说. “会有轮椅. 一开始，我很崩溃. 我开始失去希望. 它把我撕成了碎片."
But his desire to thrive kicked in, and with it his defiance of his disability.
Ewell went from motorized wheelchair to a regular one, although the pain in his arms persisted. (“它就像一匹不会走开的查理马.") He managed simple movements when possible as he became more acquainted with the wheelchair. But he remained resistant to the thought of relying permanently on the device.
“我一生都很活跃——在童子军里, 踢足球, 棒球, 排球——我的伤让我难以接受,他说. "It's like being trapped inside a body that doesn't work the way it used to."
Not only had Ewell's physical life crumbled, but with it his social and emotional life as well.
“我和我女朋友分手了. 我和父母的关系破裂了，”他说. “我已经跌到了谷底."
但尤厄尔仍在抗争，他告诉自己:“我不能接受这一切."
这需要循序渐进. 尤厄尔专注于站立. 他逼他的心理医生逼他. 他试图使用已经休眠的肌肉. He started standing more, using a walker, and standing in the shower. 没过多久，他就能做我们很多人认为理所当然的事情了.
“我可以自己尿尿,他说, noting that he and his therapist were brought to tears by the accomplishment.
不久他就能拄着拐杖走路了, 2017年11月，他来到诺福克, 在邦塞库尔接受物理治疗. 然而，金融方面的情况并不稳定, 所以尤厄尔发现自己在弗吉尼亚海滩沙发冲浪. Two friends in the area, Heather Andrew and Jeremy Douglas, reached out to help him.
“他们是我最亲近的家人，”他说. "They helped me realize my potential and better control my situation. 他们帮我重新站起来."
Ewell continued treatment at Bon Secours for about seven months until landing a job at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and working on mobility issues at Southeastern Physical Therapy.
From there, Ewell came to ODU Monarch Physical Therapy to continue his progress. 在那里，他结识了史密斯博士. Lisa Koperna是诊所的主任. 他把她称为治疗师和母性人物, someone who has pushed him and possesses that "never say never" attitude.
“当我遇到丽莎的时候, I had less muscle control and couldn't properly exercise to build muscle symmetry,尤厄尔说. "I had bad pelvic issues and way worse balance impairments than now. Lisa helped realign my body so I knew how to walk functionally for the first time."
Ewell is a believer when it comes to ODU Monarch Physical Therapy and the 健康科学学院, which 他说 "strives to make such miraculous and almost impossible recoveries (such as his) something within the grasp of every patient that comes through its doors."
他更进一步.
"I plan to use my experience as inspiration to future patients,他说. "My goal now is to design updated versions of the REX for more regular and optimized performance."
