OT 537 Case Study Take-Away

John Stoker was in a motorcycle accident in 1984 that caused internal bleeding and abdominal trauma. Complications during his surgery resulted in an incomplete spinal cord injury and blindness. He had no movement below the thoracic region and almost complete control over his right arm.  He had a trach and saliva bag and a G tube, but he still enjoyed eating some just to taste food. He passed away in 2003 from pneumonia. John was very active and healthy prior to his accident. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, fixing cars, and was a seaman in the Navy. John's aorta was clamped for too long during surgery, which lead to blood clots that caused the spinal cord injury and blindness. Prior to our discussion, I did not know that clamping the aorta for too long could cause spinal cord injury, and we talked about how blood clots could cause damage to the spinal cord and optic nerve. John saw an occupational therapist for about 3-4 months, and interventions were mainly focused on bowel and bladder control. He also wanted to gain more independence by being able to dress himself, being able to learn phone numbers to keep in touch with his family, and move around in his wheelchair without vocal cues for direction. John maintained a positive outlook after his accident and didn't let his injury stop him from doing the things he loved to do. Our discussion was really eye-opening to the causes and complications that can result in spinal cord injury.