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Ryan's Medical Fund

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On November 28th after weeks of debilitating back pain, and then sudden loss of the use of his legs, Ryan went to the ER in Bismarck. He'd been to two ERs in the previous 3 days, yet received no relief nor answers from them. At the Bismarck ER they tried and failed two MRIs because he was such tremendous pain that he couldn't lie still and flat for the duration of the MRI. On November 29th the doctors put him under general anesthesia for a 3rd MRI where they learned that he had a severely herniated disc. A few short hours later he had surgery to correct the herniation – waiting any longer would have resulted in further paralysis.

After surgery his pain was much improved, but he still didn’t have motor function nor complete sensation in his lower legs. He’d also lost the ability to control his bowels and bladder.  In the days following surgery he’s been slowly regaining bowel and bladder function, but the fine motor function in his legs is very slow to improve. He continues to have numbness as well as loss of strength and coordination in his lower legs. The neurosurgeon is certain that he’ll never regain 100% function, but he may improve to the point of regaining 70-95% function over the course of 1-2 years.

At this point he can wiggle the toes on his right foot, but there is still no movement on the left. Through physical and occupational therapy he’s very slowly learning to walk again with the assistance of leg braces, various therapy equipment, and strength training. He’s currently in inpatient rehab in Minot, and he could be there for weeks or months. The hope is that he regains enough function and independence to return home before the birth of his first child in early April 2018.
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  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Lindsay Bofenkamp
Organizer
Garrison, ND

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