Hi guys, time to hit the serious button for just a few minutes.

A close friend of mine at the 117th ARW (Birmingham Air National Guard in AL) recently broke his neck at therapy.  I haven't received his blessing, so I will try to say what I can without revealing too much.

He goes into surgery tomorrow to have some disk removal and vertebrae fused.  By the information he's given me, I'm thinking a friggin' lawsuit may be in order, but I digress - right now my primary concern is with his health and his rehabilitation.  I've known another person who's gone through repeated back surgery, and despite having body movement limitations, everything turned out OK.

His name is Malcolm "Sonny" Hayes, rank of TSgt, and a highpower service rifle Master.  I believe he was even there to view Tippie's offhand 200-19X a few years ago!  He's not a member here, but I'm working on that.  With his track record and experience, he'd definately make a sound addition to AR15.com.  I told him how tight-knit a group we were, and how we would be glad to offer financial or legal assistance, or medical advice at the drop of a hat.  While I'm not sure if he needs any of this at the moment (as he goes into surgery tomorrow morning), he will definately need some emotional support.  Worried that this might put an end to his shooting, or ruin his military enlistment, anybody would be emotionally floundered at these prospects.

I will keep you posted on his progress.  If I can convince him, he might even pop up here and speak for himself hopefully.  While everything may be worked out in the future, as far as aid goes, what could definately be used in the present are some kind words and some prayers.  Whether you're in the military, know him personally on the firing line, or just feel like throwing your heart out - please drop a message here or email him at [email protected]'m sure he'll appreciate somebody's thinking of him.

Will update post as info. is provided.  Cheers, for now.

Sonny,

You will be in my prayers. Get well soon

Scott

I don't understand what you mean by "broke his neck at therapy". Do you mean that he like, went in to PT for a pulled hamstring and he ended up leaving with a broken neck or what?

Regardless, breaking your neck has to severely suck. My best to him.......

Please pass along my thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery, fast recovery, and a speedy return to duty (and shooting).

And if a former soldier from north of the Mason Dixon line can pray for an airman from Alabama, you know all kinds of good things are possible.

prayers sent, ive heard of people recovering from worse.

My prayers to the TSGT. The big question is,
was there paralysis or spinal cord damage?

Your post was not real specific about his disability or prognosis.

Only time will tell how much he will recover but if there was severe spinal cord insult the prognosis is not good.

Please let us know after he comes out of surgery.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Without getting into details...work related back injury, Doc said no need for x-ray, saw therapist and screwed it up even worse.

Thanks for all the concern so far, will try to get his word in on this ASAP.

Please keep us post on his condition.  My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

medcop

Me & mine will be praying for him.

My prayers go out also,
This sort of thing is why I INSIST that the PT see's my X-rays/mri's
before they do anything. I had an upper neck/back injury and was sent to PT (physical
terrorists) and they stuck me in traction and popped it back out I was screaming at her to get me out of the noose. Set me back 2 months
on that little problem.

Then when I had my right shoulder probs same sort of shit. (turned out to be bad cartilage
and everything they did just agrivated it.)

I would say it is lawsuit time, as otherwise he will not be able to recover the cost of the operations. (And I don't like lawyers a whole lot.)
Tell him good luck.

Sure is easy to sit back and play armchair physician I guess.

Removing a disk and fusing vertebrae is not typical treatment for a neck fracture.  Sounds like your friend has some sort of disk disease and not a neck "fracture".  Probably the reason the doc did not get plain films to begin with.  You cannot see disks on plain x-ray.  Even if you did an MRI and saw a ruptured disk, these typically are not treated surgically unless they are symptomatic.  

Drjakeb, are you a doc? I would think it would be bad practice to send a patient to PT without
some diagnostic pictures/MRI no? (Something about do no harm?) I have a bit of a rant about PT as
it is often used (from my perspective) to show they are doing something and keep the Insurance co's happy. I have no problem with PT if some precuations are taken to not injure the patient.
with the lack of information about this case it is impossible to figure what happened. From my
bad experiance the first thing I thought of
was traction/readjusting and thats what finished it off.  

To all:
   I work at the 117th and have known Sonny (Gunpowder, as we know him) since 1993 as we are/have been members of the 117th and the AL Nat. Gd. teams. He works Camp Perry SAFS, freely gives gun advice and assistance, works with the Univ. of Ala. ROTC shooting team, gives gun safety classes, etc.,etc. He is a good man, and I am proud to call him a friend. If you have Feamster's book, you will see Gunpowder and his kids shooting the black gun. He will be deeply touched by your thoughts and prayers.

Jewbroni,
  I hope you got my e-mail. Please respond one way or the other.

My most sincere best wishes to Sonny and his family.

Eric

My best wishes for Sonny as well.

I often send patients to PT without radiographs(Xrays) much less MRI. Insurance will absolutely not pay for MRIs without an indication for the test-it better be good. Most problems are not that hard to diagnose. Everyone these days seems to think that diagnosis is made by expensive tests and that they need them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of your diagnosis is obtained by patients history. Some on exam. Tests are more confirmatory or to rule out the few really bad things that could be going on.
As always, if I'm wrong I run the risk of getting sued-at least if the patient suffers damage.

Amen.

Thoughts and Prayers.

SRM

Yes, I am a doc.  General Surgery.

We send people to PT all the time without films.  I agree with drjarhead, too many times today people think they need expensive tests to make the diagnosis when the history and physical exam would have sufficed to come to the same conclusions.

Thanks for posting this!!  I have known Sonny since we were on the Alabama Nat'l Guard Rifle Team together back around 1991.  While he is in the Air Guard now, he was a US Marine on active duty.  He later joined the Army Guard, due to the shooting program, and ditto the Air Guard...  If he enlists in the Navy after this, he'll have scored a "Grand Slam!" [:)]  I was sorry to hear of his injury, but glad to hear the surgery went well -- I will call him ASAP to let him know we are all pulling for him!  For those of you who haven't met Sonny, I'll say this -- he's one of the most honest, decent, hardworking people I have ever met.  He is very dedicated to shooting and helping shooters, and will do anything for a friend.  He has a great sense of humor and he is DEFINITELY someone you'd want watching your back in hard times -- he's DEPENDABLE.  He is also a fine rifle shot, and was the first Double Distinguished shooter (rifle and pistol Distinguished) in the history of the Alabama Nat'l Guard, if I'm not mistaken.  I also will be praying for his recovery.  Any of you who have a chance to meet him on the firing line will be in for a treat.  Get Well Soon, Sonny!
John Feamster

To all:
   I went to see Gunpowder Fri. morning. The initial report is that the surgery apparently went well. He seems to have some pain relief that he didn't't have before. He was having fun with the anesthesia aftereffects, but that should clear up with time. Sonny and his wife were thinking that he might be discharded today (Sat., 13 Apr). He was very touched by the prayers and good thoughts. Hopefully, he will be up and around here soon.
   Good work, guys.

Does his employer have disability insurance?

 Hopefully things aren't real tight financially.....especially if he has kids.  

[email][email protected][/email]

send an email straight to him.

A suggestion...this is a post for the benefit of  Malcom Hayes. Save your rants for/against Doctors, Lawyers, etc. for your own special post. You come off a bit self-serving when you turn a post like this one into your own soapbox. This is especially meant for the folks who started the rants, TAKE IT AWAY FROM HERE!

Wholeheartedly agreed.  This topic will be used solely for the purpose of updating Sonny's condition.  We all understand, and are angered at, legal/medical situations that can arise from events like this, but this is not the place for it.

Pterodactyl - received your IM.  Sorry I didn't get back to you, I had drill at the 117 this weekend and was not really near a computer.  Sonny emailed me over the weekend and said he was OK from the surgery.  He also stated that you came by and visited him, and he heard that he was getting many kind words on the Internet.  He greatly appreciated your visit, and the thoughts and prayers of the AR15.com guys who wrote in this topic.

More than likely, he will be able to shoot highpower again (after recovery).  As to the condition of his enlistment, he is having doubts...I believe he is going to, if he hasn't already, contact the ANG about his medical situation.  While I greatly hope his condition improves in the future, I also am crossing my fingers that he might stay with us in the 117th.