I don't know if anyone here watches Extra, but they opened an e-mail address especially for messages regarding Christopher Reeve. the address is:

----------------------------------- Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Subject: REEVE MOVE: Doc's statement Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 17:18:42 GMT Lines: 122

Dr. John A. Jane (Wednesday, June 28)

I'd like to begin by thanking you, Mrs. Johnson (Reeve's mother--see other post) for your kind remarks about the University of Virginia.

The family has asked me to provide a little more detail about the medical management of Chris, and I am happy to do that.

(Dr. Jane referred to some drawings, which obviously cannot be reproduced here...I will describe as best as possible/ca).

The injury was at about C1-C2 (First and second cervical vertabrae, the top two in the neck. CA) We know that the phrenic nerve is intact (goes from brain to diaphragm, ca). He does not have conscious control of his respiration, but the mechanism is there. The second thing is that the nerves to his trapezius (muscle just behind the top of the shoulder, ca) are working quite well on the right side. So both of these pieces of information combined with a third thing, namely that he has sensation, an imparied senstaion, on the left side of his body, and he has quite good sesnation to about C4 over his thorax. All of that together tells us that the injury to his spinal cord was not complete; his spinal cord has not been severed. And that is confirmed by the MRI, that shows that the damage is mainly on the left side of the cord.

He has what we call a modified Brown-Sequard syndrome. So that is good news. Every once in a while we think that he is showing some contraction in his pectorals, as well, and that would really be another level down around C4 and C5. And what we next want to see is some phrenic nerve activation.

So that is his injury and his current medical situation. Now, what we did to reapair the damaged vertabral column: Injury was mainly to C1. He has waht is called a type 1 odontoid fracture and a type 3 odontoid (means shaped like a tooth/ca) fracture, and the type 3 was not the usual impacted type of injury, but rather distracted. He had instability between C1 and C2 and also probably had an occipital atlantal (docspeak for a bone at the back of the skull, and for the C1 vertabra/ca) as well.

So our operative procedure was to put wire underneath both lamina -- the bony covering over the spinal cord--we took bone from his hip and placed it in between and then stitched this down--squeezed it down--to get a solid construct between C1 and C2. Once we were confident that it was solid, we took a titanium ring (and the reason we used titanium in this operation was becuase it was compatible with the MRI, the imaging study that we do). We then took a titanium ring and fused that with the sub-laminal wire to C1 and C2. And then we drilled holes in the skull and passed the wires through again to get a solid fusion. We've done a CT scan--last Monday--and it shows that the bone taken from his hip is in place, and there is no further distraction of the elements of his vertabral column. So we are pleased with the way it looks. It is too early to tell if the fusion is complete. The fusion will be evaluated at Kessler in in about eight weeks. So that is a summary of the medical situation.

ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS:

Brown-Sequard syndrome due to hemisection of the spinal cord.

"Sensation" means that he can feel, not move--he feels touch quite normally and he feels when his limb is moved on the left.

No prognosis. No pain.

He speaks over the ventilator. It is a little tiring, but he speaks whenever he wants to. Takes advantage of the expiration and uses it to speak. Quite audible. Sounds like his voice.

He has sensation over his clavicle.

Eating: He is fed, but swallows quite well.

Injury is at C1-C2, but recovery takes place in sort of a downward segmented way. His injury is high, but he is recovering below that injury. (CA--when the cord is severed, there is no recovery below the site of injury, nor any hope for any. This is another sign that the cord is not severed and gives hope for even more recovery).

******

That's it for medical reports from UVa. I hope you find someone at Kessler; I'll see what I can do to help. If any of you are interested in what goes on medically at UVa in general, we publish a free magazine, of which I am editor, called HELIX. It is written at about the bachelor's degree level, not too simplistic for physicians (nearly half of our readership) but not too complex for interested lay people. (Shoot, we have to be able to understand it to write and edit it, and we're not docs!) Though there is some what I call "politically necessary" content, we do cover various medical procedures and medical topics in depth, with the only real relationship to UVa being that those things are done here, and that our people are the sources for the articles. If you'd like to be added to the HELIX mailing list (It has been quarterly, but we may be moving to triannual because of budget) please e-mail Jeanne Cushman at , or me (I prefer Jeanne because she's the list keeper--and it will keep my box from filling up!) Please include name, address, zip code and, if you wish, your profession (helps our curiousity) And note which newsgroup you are responding from; I'm only posting on rec. equestrian but I know folks from other newsgroups are reading. Thanks for your interest in Mr. Reeve... I'll still be on Rec. eq, but after I finish with the Ben Reeve info I'm done with movie stars--unless another one gets hurt around here! Thanks for all of your kind words to me, and for my fifteen megabytes of fame :-) Clare. -- Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Subject: REEVE: Mom's discharge statement Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 16:41:33 GMT

Barbara Johnson, Christopher Reeve's mother, made the following statement after Mr. Reeve had been discharged from the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and transferred to the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Jane's Statement will appear on a separate post headed "Reeve: Doc's discharge statement." Mr. Reeve's brother, Benjamin, also stepped in to answer questions. His brief statement follows Mrs. Johnson's on this post. Benjamin also testified before Congress regarding spinal research. I will post that statement later. Clare.

Mrs. Johnson:

"Christopher left this morning (Thursday, 6/28, released a little after 9:00 AM EST) to go to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey. He was transported by ambulance to Charlottesville Airport and by plane to Morristown where he was met by an ambulance for the short ride to Kessler. His wife, Dana, and son, Will, also flew to Morristown this morning to be with him as he arrived and gets settled in. A very efficient team from this hospital handled all the transportation arrangement which went off without a hitch. As Dr. John Jane said yesterday on Good Morning America, the acute care phase is over and Chris is entering a new phase in his recovery. Dana, Benjamin Reeve and I all visited Kessler and we are confident that he will do well there. He will be under the personal care of Dr. Marca Sipiski, a physiatrist (ed note:Physiatrist is an MD specializing in recovery/rehabilitation of such injuries) who headed the spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit there at Kessler before being named medical director of Kessler's West Orange facility.

My purpose here today as Chris's mom is to express his and the family's gratitude for the superb care he has been given here from the time of his accident a month ago yesterday, to the moment the plane carrying him to Kessler took off at 10:30 this morning (June 28). I will not be able to namae everyone by name, and I may miss some key people, but it is important for me to try. The list begins with the anesthesiologist, whose name we do not know, who happened to be standing by the jump in Culpeper at which Chris had his fall. His skillful administration of CPR literally saved Chris's life. The four EMTs who got him to Culpeper deserve credit, along wiht Dr. Bil Maloney (sp?) and the emergency room staff at Culpeper. The handling of Chris in those early moments was crucial to his survival without furather nerve damange. Pegasus (UVa's medical air transport helicopter) brought him here and Dr. Mohan Nadkarni and UVa Medical Center emergency room staff took over. One of the sweet things was how Dr. Mo, as we called him, took little Will, three-year-old Will, under his wing and cared for him for a while so Dana could be with Chris. Just one of those many kind and caring touches that have happened all along the way.

Chris was very fortunate in many ways that his accident happened here in the Charlottesville Area. As we discovered early, Dr. John Jane is regarded as one of the top neuorosurgeons in the country. In addition to being highly skilled, he was always very straightforward with Chris and with us, and we appreciated that. That was also true of Dr.Scott Henson who personally was a great help to me at a difficult moment. I myself have not met all the other doctors involved in Chris's care other than his anesthesiologist during his long surgery. I did get to meet several of the ICU nurses, however, and they were wonderful. I'm in awe of their skills, their profesionalism. I remember particularly Cathy, Joy, Jani,Susan. I understand from Chris that I should also mention Molly, Helen, Sue, two Jackies, Lois, Stan--there may be a host of others of them. They were very skillful, very caring and highly competent. Also the respiratory therapists--I am going to be mentioning names that Chris gave me--Stephanie, Barry, Gary, Bill and I think there was also a Paul. Dr. DiBenedetto was his physiatrist and Meg Kritchart (sp?) his physical therapist and they both care very much for him and about him.

I was very appreciative of the hsopital chaplain, who was very helpful to me personally. In addition to Chris's care, what we need to mention is the care of the family, and this was extraoardinary. Rebecca Lewis and her staff, Barbara Duffy and Janice Brock. Rebecca is patient care services administrator. And they have been fantastic. They looked after us in just an unbelievable way. We were sort of unable to look after ourselves, I think, but they were facilitating, coordinating, arranging and taking care of things with tact and a high degree of professionalism. We were well looked after. There were rooms made avalable for us in which we could congregate. There was always a pot of hot coffee, juices, fruit. All kinds of amenities. Telephones were made available for us, a fax machine. It was just wonderful. Security! I think those security guards were some of the most pleasant people I have ever met. They sat long hours, making sure that all was well with us.

I should also mention Miss Jan of the play school. After all, it was a tough situation for a little three-year-old and Will very much enjoyed going up to the 7th floor (Children's Medical Center) every day, and Miss Jan enjoyed having him up there. And the few moments when at times he needed a little extra entertaining, especially Susan Gibson and David Mercer who became very fond of him.

Chris being who he is there were volumes of mail and I'll have some more to say about that in a moment. And the volunteers who trundled the mail up to us each day. I believe it's Bruce Shifflett who sorted that--I mean thousands of pieces of mail. We've been packing up a lot of that in the last couple of days and sending it on to the next place. And volunteers Janice and Debbie helped me slit and sort. There were flower deliveries--my, the florists you have in Charlottesville do an especially nice job.

The media--Marguerite and Katherine have done a wonderful job in handling the media.

I don't know the names of the poeple at the front desk who handled the many phone calls that came in. Everyone has just been very professional. I think that's the word that keeps coming to me over and over again. Very tactful, very understanding. Just superb.

I think an awful lot went on behind the scenes that we the family perhaps weren't aware of. I hope I can convey that we're just very, very appreciative.

We are grateful to the people of Charlottesville. Several people have offered us to stay in their homes, or arranged hospitality for us at clubs. It's just such kindness. I think we've also noticed that we we walk down the street, people here nod and smile. I hope this is a trait that you all keep.

There were several restauraunts that ofered to provide meals. I'd like to mention C&O and Rococco's. Chris has this kinda gourmet taste now! He didn't have a very good appetite, but they were wonderful about preparing meals for him in the evening.

REC EQ AND OTHERS PLEASE ESPECIALLY NOTE THE FOLLOWING ca

My plea, I think, at this moment, is to the world at large--it is to continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers--but to hold the mail! I'd like to say that as tactfully as possible but as clearly as I can. He is going to a rehabilitation center; he says it is like going to be a little like "boot camp." He will have to be working very hard there. There really isn't time in the day for him to read or be read to, each and every piece that comes. We all appreciate the mail and the sentiments that have been expresssed in the letters. The high regard in which Chris is held by people all over the world has stunned even his mother! That has bouyed him and cheered him--but let's do it with thought waves, perhaps, from here on in, and maybe not burden Kessler or his family any more than is necessary.

Chris is entering a new phase. His fine mind and great heart are intact and working as well as ever. I know that he will work hard to become whatever he can or wants to become, using that fine mind and that great heart.

In closing, I just want to address one of the questions that is often asked of us--how are his spirits? His spirits are good; he has low moments, as anyone would with an injury as severe as his. But he also has some very good moments.

The other day, in his room, we were looking at a photograph on the wall--of a Buddhist temple with many, many steps that are going up, and there is blue sky above. It was taken by someone who, I think, has dedicated this to Chris. Chris has really glommed on to this. He said to me "I can visualize this." It is what I think really will be in his mind as he goes through rehabilitation. Those little tiny steps leading up into blue sky at the top. It's a nice image.

I just want to thank all the people here in this hospital in Charlottesville for helping him get to this point, and helping him start on the way up those many steps. Thank you.

-- Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Subject: BEN REEVE: TESTIMONY AND DISCHARGE STATEMENT Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 17:24:40 GMT

At the press briefing the day that Christopher Reeve was discharged from the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center to the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute in West Orange, New Jersey, his brother Benjamin finished the presentations (see other posts from his mom and his doc) with the following, and then opened the floor for questions--which he didn't get.

Ben Reeve:

I have only to say that my mother speaks for the family as a whole and we feel as she described that we do. We are very grateful to the University of Virginia--the hospital here and to everybody who has been very good to us during our time here. My mother says exactly the truth--we've taken the first steps and today we begin the second steps in what is certain to be a long journey. But we are all looking toward the further progress of it. We are looking to the time when Christopher again has a public career. In order to do that, we are going to need the good will of many people. #

NOTE: Please remember that mom said "Hold the Mail!" and send good thoughts. CA.

Ben Reeve also testified before Congress on the topic of spinal cord research. My fingers don't have the energy right now to type it in, but I'll try to do it over the weekend.

Thanks again, everybody. Clare. ------------------------------ Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Subject: UVa Reeve updt:6-9/10:20AMEST Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 14:54:56 GMT

Dana Reeve, Christopher Reeve's wife, made the following statement at a press briefing at 10:00 AM EST on Friday, June 9. (If I make typos, I apologize in advance):

Dr. Jane will speak to you soon about Christopher's current medical condition. (note from Clare: see end of this post.) I am here to express Chris's and my sincere thanks to everyone who has been helping us through this very difficult time. I'd like to reiterate our thanks to the University of Virginia Medical Center and its staff -- the superior medical team, headed by Dr. Jane and Dr. Henson, the administrators, and paricularly the hard-working and committed nurses and respiratory therapists in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit/ca). I would like, too, to express our thanks to the press who, by and large, have handled this ordeal with care and tact. We know that Chris's accident has affected many, many people who know him personally through his work and many actiavities, or who feel they know him through his movies and television appearances. The respect with which the press has treated Chris and the family has been a crucial part of the healing process.

Of course everyone wants to know how Christopher is doing. Chris's spirits are for the most part quite good. He has been visiting daily with the children and other family, watching hockey on TV -- I think his spirits might be better if the Rangers were in the playoffs, but... He has already begun the first stages of physical and occupational therapy.

Much of his day is spent listening to messages from well-wishers. I can't BEGIN to express how important these are to him. Chris is a man blessed with extraordinary inner strength. He is a passionate man, committed to doing things well. I can't think of a challenge he has not met head on with frevent gusto. He is a fighter and a survivor of the first order. But this has to be the toughest challenge he has ever faced. I know it is mine. Chris needs all the positive support he can get right now and that is why he and I are so deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and concern we have received from all over the world since his accident. He and I and the whole family are overwhelmed and truly honored by the affection and respect that have been expresssed in the thousands of cards, telegrams, letters, phone calls and faxes; the flowers, plants and baskets of food;a the generous and varied offers of assistance; the drawings and cheering thoughts of children who have written; the many books, videos, and cassettes sent by well-wishers; the poster, artwork and good luck talismans we have recieved; the prayers and special masses that are being said everywhere for his recovery.

The support and love Chris feels from the Hollywood and theatrical community means so much to him.

He is honored by the good wishes sent by President and Mrs. Clinton and many others in public office around the country and the world.

I know, too, that Chris is particularly heartened by the brave and thoughtful letters sent by people who have suffered similar injuries. These letters of strength, compassion, and encouragement bring much hope into our days.

I closing, I would like to convey that, as a family, we are working 'round the clock to open all the mail and share as much as possible with Chris. We are coming to realize, however, that the sheer volume of cards, letters, flowers and gifts is going to preclude our acknowledging each one individually as we would have liked to do. Please know that your messages of concern are getting through, are being read, and that they mean the world to Chris and the family. We hope that you will continue to keep Chris in your thoughts and prayers, but that you will also join us in not wanting to overburden the staff of this fine hospital. An announcement will be made sometime in the near future with regards to the possibility of sending donations in Christopher's name to aid in the research and treatment of spinal cord injuries.

***NOTICE***

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