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Lizzie's Story
I knew I was paralysed. I had a severe pain in my back and I felt twisted. I couldn’t feel anything below the waist.
Damage to the spinal cord produces a wide variety of complex health issues. These include movement and sensation, but also more hidden problems including bladder and bowel management as well as sexual function.
These are day-to-day issues that affect almost everyone with a spinal cord injury, including our supporter Lizzie Tench. She was badly injured a number of years ago after being knocked off her bike whilst simply cycling to the shops.
She recalls: “I knew I was paralysed. I had a severe pain in my back and I felt twisted. I couldn’t feel anything below the waist.”
“I have to catheterise every time I need to empty my bladder and I have to manually evacuate my bowel. I do this after meals and before going out and always before going to bed.”
During her initial treatment in the local trauma unit Lizzie was unaware that her injury would affect her bladder and bowel control, “I assumed I was wearing a catheter because I was physically unable to get up and go to the toilet.” It took Lizzie weeks to understand how to manage her routine, but even today it still impacts her quality of life: “I have to catheterise every time I need to empty my bladder and I have to manually evacuate my bowel. I do this after meals and before going out and always before going to bed.”
“If I had normal bladder and bowel control then it would give me a lot more freedom to live my life the way I would like and I would be able to be more spontaneous.”
Accelerating revolutionary research
Spinal Research is harnessing the science needed to beat paralysis. We currently have five “Below the Belt” research programmes dedicated to improving these particular functions which are so important to everyone with a spinal cord injury, including Lizzie:
“If I had normal bladder and bowel control then it would give me a lot more freedom to live my life the way I would like and I would be able to be more spontaneous.”
Whilst Lizzie can’t be as spontaneous as she was before her life-changing injury, her grit and determination have helped her achieve a huge amount. This includes becoming the British, and then European Champion in Paratriathlon, as well as competing for Britain in Paracanoeing at the World Championships.
Currently she is volunteering for several organisations, writes articles and teaches wheelchair skills.