Suffolk County

Published on: December 23, 2011

Military Is Heavy Burden to Soldiers

by Stephen Bilkis

United States soldiers have a great burden to bear – literally, according to studies. One such soldier wore all the typical gear – body armor, a vest and pack for his radio, batteries, food, water, flashlight, ammunition, and all the rest of the things he needed in the field. Together with his M4 rifle, all of his equipment weight 70 to 80 pounds and he could feel the weight keenly.

He was in pain, especially when his squad was under fire. Running or diving on the ground was especially excruciating, making his neck and shoulders burn intensely in agony. Some soldiers have suffered herniated discs.

The soldier has now been back in Washington State for two-and-a-half years, doctors have learned. He has been diagnosed with bone spurs in the vertebrae of his neck. The cause? A degenerative arthritic condition. The pain can be so intense that he has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

Published on: December 12, 2011

Utah Teen Severely Injured In Wrestling Match

by Stephen Bilkis

A benefit dinner was held recently in behalf of Heber, Utah student who suffered a severe neck injury while wrestling that left him with the possibility of permanent paralysis.

The high school senior, who attended Wasatch High School, was performing a wrestling move that he had done numerous times before. While performing this move, a vertebrae in his neck was dislocated, leaving him the possibility of life-long paralysis or paraplegia, stated a source.

His friends and family have stated that the high school senior has kept a positive outlook, and always has a smile on his face, even facing the future lifelong adversity. According to a witness, the high school wrestler has begun to feel some sensation in his arms, which has added to his feeling of elation. Hospitals in Brooklyn and Suffolk County have taken note of these developments.

Published on: November 25, 2011

Legislation to Include Traffic Tickets to Cure Paralysis

by Stephen Bilkis

Legislation has been introduced in the California legislature that seeks to impose a $3 fine onto every ticket that is issued in California for reckless driving. Assembly Bill 190, as the legislation has been titled, seeks to reestablish the goal of another California law that funded spinal cord paralysis research. That law was referred to as “Roman’s Law.”

Roman’s Law was named after the college football player who was involved in an accident while playing college football in 1994, in which he was paralyzed, discovered a person close to the scene. His father, Don C. Reed, worked hard to establish the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Center and was a citizen-sponsor for the Roman’s Law legislation. The laws official name was the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, Assembly Bill 750.

Roman’s Law was one of the few pieces of legislation that has passed the legislature that almost everyone, republican and democrat alike actually agreed on and supported. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was also a supporter of the bill. The research the bill has been attributed with include stem cell, the Geron trials, the use of an “Avatar” helmet where the wearer can move a computer cursor across a computer screen by using their thoughts, and many others.

Published on: November 11, 2011

Marquis Daniels Released From Hospital

by Stephen Bilkis

Boston Celtics player Marquis Daniels was released from the hospital on February 7th, 2011 after sustaining a spinal cord injury during Sunday’s game.

Daniels was playing with his team, the Boston Celtics, against the Orlando Magics when he sustained his injury. The injury occurred when Daniels tripped over Gilberu Arenas, reports a New York Spinal Injury Lawyer. Daniels hit his forehead against the ground, which resulted in his spinal injury. He lay motionless on the court floor for several minutes before being removed from the court on the stretcher. According to a knowledgeable person who has studied cases in Nassau and Suffolk County, to give the fans a sign of hope, he did manage to flash a thumbs up sign as he was being carted off the floor of the T.D. Banknorth Garden Stadium.

A spokesperson for the Boston Celtics team informed the press that Daniels was released from a local hospital early this morning. He was said to be in good spirits and joking with the nursing staff.

Published on: August 11, 2011

Someone who has suffered spinal cord injury will usually have suffered some recent trauma

by Stephen Bilkis

Someone who has suffered spinal cord injury from a slip and fall accident will usually have suffered some recent trauma and will report tenderness on a certain part of the spine and pain when moving, NYC Spinal Injury Lawyers have noted. They may appear to even be paralyzed from the waist down, but still have some sensations, or even some slight movement, in that area.

Signs of real neurologic energy will often include bowel or bladder dysfunction and changes in sensation in the region around the anus (perianal region). Physicians should obtain a history of any previous spinal injury or neurologic difficulties the patient may have suffered in the past. The mechanism of the current injury should also be studied, along with the patient’s general state of health. Injury Lawyers recommend that the patient’s family be interviewed, or even observers, if the patient is unable to respond.

Upon being physically examined, a physician may discover cuts, bruising, and deformity on the back. It may be possible to feel any shifted vertebrae through touch. A seatbelt may have also left bruises or other marks along the chest or abdomen. The patient may also have difficulty moving his or her legs. It is difficult to assess motor function or levels of pain in a patient who is unconscious or intoxicated, NYC Spinal Injury Lawyers have discovered. Sometimes, the only way to tell, at first, if there is spinal cord injury is to watch the involuntary movement of the victim’s limbs. Examination by doctors in Nassau and Suffolk Counties should also include head injury assessment and checks for broken bones or abdominal or urologic trauma.

Published on: July 9, 2011

Concussions Leave Football Players with Permanent Brain Injury

by Stephen Bilkis

It has been estimated that at least 300,000 concussions occur each year among adults and children who play football. A concussion is considered a mild trauma to the brain that can cause permanent damage. While most people who receive a concussion are not rendered unconscious afterwards, they may complain about headaches, dizziness and nausea days later, reports a New York City Spinal Injury Lawyer. About 15% of those who suffer a concussion will blackout. But even if a person does not blackout, it does not mean that damage to the brain has not occurred. As doctors in Nassau and Suffolk County have discovered these injuries can lead to fatal spinal injuries.

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, a leading neurologist and researcher of brain trauma, has stated that every person who has played football, whether as a child or as an adult, may have some permanent brain damage. Others in the field are beginning to agree with Amen and have started seminars and training sessions for parents so they can better protect their children, states a NY Spinal Injury Lawyer.

Deceased NFL player Dave Duerson was so concerned about the impact of concussions on his fellow players that he had stated he wanted to donate his brain to science after he died so the affects of playing football on the brain may be studied. Many football players in the NFL have received at least one concussion during their high school, college or professional careers. In some cases, players may have received as many as 15 concussions. While the impact of these injuries will require further research, protecting the brain while playing football is a big concern. Wearing the proper equipment, restricting players from participating if they are suffering from a concussion and being able to diagnose a concussion quickly may help reduce the affects of a concussion, or in some cases, save lives.

Published on: June 16, 2011

One of Five Explosion Cases Reaches Settlement with BP

by Stephen Bilkis

Europe’s second-largest oil company, BP Plc., settled one of the five cases set to go to trial last September on the day the trial was to start. The case concerns an explosion that occurred at its Texas Refinery in 2005.

The two sons of a 26-year-old man who killed himself about six weeks after the explosion, settled with the corporation the night before trial was to start. The settlement was for an undisclosed amount, both sides said. That leaves four claims for the first trial.

The March 2005 blast killed 15 and injured hundreds.

Published on: June 9, 2011

First Patient to Receive Stem-Cell Treatment Reports Recovering Feeling in His Paralyzed Legs

by Stephen Bilkis

The first patient to receive a human embryonic stem-cell treatment for paralysis from a spinal-cord injury says he has regained some feeling in his legs.

The 21-year-old young man from Alabama was partially paralyzed in a Sept. 25 car crash. Now he has reported that he’s begun to feel slight sensation where he had none before — for example, a sense of relief when a bowling ball is lifted from his lap or discomfort when he pulls on hairs on his legs.

A New York Spinal Injury Lawyer cautions that the information is anecdotal at the moment and not scientific, but it is still very exciting for the stem-cell researcher who invented the procedure. “It’s an extraordinarily exciting outcome,” he said. “One that is very hopeful for the treatment.” The doctor echoes the caution though, indicating that it is far too early in the clinical trial for conclusive conclusions to be made.