fourthmeal
Administrator
Note below is from Paul Thacker, who lost feeling from his mid-upper back to his toes following a crash while practicing on his sled mid-December.
Hello all! PT here just checking in with a little update.
Man, not sure where to start! So much has been going on I am not sure where to begin. I write this sitting in my new temporary home in Las Vegas, NV. I am living with my Dad who is based here for his private pilot job (he flies a bad *** Gulfstream) part of the year and he has a nice single level condo that works perfect for me until my legs decide to start working again. (Which at the rate I am going should be in no time, but we will talk about that in a minute) It seemed to make more sense to come and do a little more healing here in Vegas in the warmer weather than the sub zero temps in MN or AK. There is even a spinal rehab facility not too far from where I am located so I am going to check that out in the next day or so. So needless to say my bones are a little more happy with me than if I was in the minus 35 weather that MN is seeing right now.
So, as far as my rehab and healing process is going, in a word… it’s ROCKING! Pretty fortunate to be months and months ahead of where anyone expected I would be at this point. I was actually discharged from Craig Hospital after only a month of rehab and quite a bit before my expected discharge date. After they started having me help teach classes they figured it was time for me to be turned loose on the world haha. I worked my *** off and was able to break a few records for all kinds of agility and strength activities as well as how quickly I was in and out of the hospital. Every day I am getting new sensation further and further down my body. When I left the hospital my injury was actually ungraded from a T4 to a T6 which means that in a month I got two more vertebrae lower worth of feeling. Definitely not the norm. As well as the feeling I am getting more and more lower ab and back muscles activating and working. All great things happening as far as recovery goes. Clearly as the swelling goes down and healing takes place I am getting more and more function back in my body. It’s only a matter of time before that function is wiggling my toes as far as I am concerned! Haha
So after I got discharged from Craig Hospital of coarse my 1st stop wasn’t more recovery time at home but a trip directly to ESPN’s Winter X Games 15! No rest for the weary right?? I was asked by ESPN this year to help announce the events that I wasn’t competing in. As fate would have it I was able to announce all of the sled events! What a great X Games! The boys really raised the bar once again. I definitely had mixed emotions watching and not competing. I definitely feel that if I had I been healthy, I would have been in the mix this year in a couple events for medals. But it was definitely nice to still be a part of the great events and it was awesome to see everyone. The well wishes and positive feedback was unreal and almost overwhelming at times. I am not sure people expected me to have a presence at X this year, but it would have taken tie-down straps to keep me from being a part of the event- haha. Overall, I think snowmobiling at X went super well and hopefully will help grow our sport, lord knows we need it!
I have to say that the highlight so far of my few days out of the hospital was Friday night right before Speed and Style. I happened to see my Polaris Rush sitting all by itself looking mighty lonely. So with the help of a couple close buddies I wheeled myself over and hopped on it!!! I fired it up and I was off like a flash! I was absolutely stoked!! I ripped around for about half an hour just shredding back and forth. I was stoked at how well I felt on the sled as I wasn’t sure exactly how my 1st ride would go. But it seems I will have no issues getting back on a sled! I had an ESPN interview right after and it was noted during the interview that I couldn’t stop smiling! Felt amazing! Huge leap forward! 2 months after my crash I was back on a sled ripping! I rode a couple more times throughout the weekend, loving it the entire time! Look out because I am on the comeback trail more than ever now! Haha
So now I am in Vegas healing up in the warmer weather and planning my next events. There are lots of things on the horizon and I plan on not only being back on the sled for a full spring film season but fully plan on being upside down again. If I can do a flip at last year's Winter X with no hands the whole time I can surely do flips without my legs working that great! Haha!!
So stay tuned and keep those positive vibes and prayers coming because clearly it’s working!!
Again a quick shout out to all my sponsors, Monster Energy, Slednecks, Polaris, Oakley, Shoei, RSI, HMK, C&A Pro, Fox Shox, Alaska Spine Int. Bikeman Perf, Kicker, Stud Boy, and ArtcicFX. Thank you all for sticking with me as I get back on my feet and on the sled!!
-PT11
Hello all! PT here just checking in with a little update.
Man, not sure where to start! So much has been going on I am not sure where to begin. I write this sitting in my new temporary home in Las Vegas, NV. I am living with my Dad who is based here for his private pilot job (he flies a bad *** Gulfstream) part of the year and he has a nice single level condo that works perfect for me until my legs decide to start working again. (Which at the rate I am going should be in no time, but we will talk about that in a minute) It seemed to make more sense to come and do a little more healing here in Vegas in the warmer weather than the sub zero temps in MN or AK. There is even a spinal rehab facility not too far from where I am located so I am going to check that out in the next day or so. So needless to say my bones are a little more happy with me than if I was in the minus 35 weather that MN is seeing right now.
So, as far as my rehab and healing process is going, in a word… it’s ROCKING! Pretty fortunate to be months and months ahead of where anyone expected I would be at this point. I was actually discharged from Craig Hospital after only a month of rehab and quite a bit before my expected discharge date. After they started having me help teach classes they figured it was time for me to be turned loose on the world haha. I worked my *** off and was able to break a few records for all kinds of agility and strength activities as well as how quickly I was in and out of the hospital. Every day I am getting new sensation further and further down my body. When I left the hospital my injury was actually ungraded from a T4 to a T6 which means that in a month I got two more vertebrae lower worth of feeling. Definitely not the norm. As well as the feeling I am getting more and more lower ab and back muscles activating and working. All great things happening as far as recovery goes. Clearly as the swelling goes down and healing takes place I am getting more and more function back in my body. It’s only a matter of time before that function is wiggling my toes as far as I am concerned! Haha
So after I got discharged from Craig Hospital of coarse my 1st stop wasn’t more recovery time at home but a trip directly to ESPN’s Winter X Games 15! No rest for the weary right?? I was asked by ESPN this year to help announce the events that I wasn’t competing in. As fate would have it I was able to announce all of the sled events! What a great X Games! The boys really raised the bar once again. I definitely had mixed emotions watching and not competing. I definitely feel that if I had I been healthy, I would have been in the mix this year in a couple events for medals. But it was definitely nice to still be a part of the great events and it was awesome to see everyone. The well wishes and positive feedback was unreal and almost overwhelming at times. I am not sure people expected me to have a presence at X this year, but it would have taken tie-down straps to keep me from being a part of the event- haha. Overall, I think snowmobiling at X went super well and hopefully will help grow our sport, lord knows we need it!
I have to say that the highlight so far of my few days out of the hospital was Friday night right before Speed and Style. I happened to see my Polaris Rush sitting all by itself looking mighty lonely. So with the help of a couple close buddies I wheeled myself over and hopped on it!!! I fired it up and I was off like a flash! I was absolutely stoked!! I ripped around for about half an hour just shredding back and forth. I was stoked at how well I felt on the sled as I wasn’t sure exactly how my 1st ride would go. But it seems I will have no issues getting back on a sled! I had an ESPN interview right after and it was noted during the interview that I couldn’t stop smiling! Felt amazing! Huge leap forward! 2 months after my crash I was back on a sled ripping! I rode a couple more times throughout the weekend, loving it the entire time! Look out because I am on the comeback trail more than ever now! Haha
So now I am in Vegas healing up in the warmer weather and planning my next events. There are lots of things on the horizon and I plan on not only being back on the sled for a full spring film season but fully plan on being upside down again. If I can do a flip at last year's Winter X with no hands the whole time I can surely do flips without my legs working that great! Haha!!
So stay tuned and keep those positive vibes and prayers coming because clearly it’s working!!
Again a quick shout out to all my sponsors, Monster Energy, Slednecks, Polaris, Oakley, Shoei, RSI, HMK, C&A Pro, Fox Shox, Alaska Spine Int. Bikeman Perf, Kicker, Stud Boy, and ArtcicFX. Thank you all for sticking with me as I get back on my feet and on the sled!!
-PT11
