Former resident regains mobility

With each step, there is pain, but Neil Scott is just happy to be able to move.

Scott, a former Green River resident, can still recall the day he broke is back in five places.

At the time of the accident, Scott, who now lives in Colorado, was working for Halliburton, at a shell location northwest of Pinedale. Sept. 16, 2009. It started out as a typical day, with Scott and a coworker were working on a new truck that was modified and new to the department. Scott and the coworker were attempting to lift the motor, but the other worker for some reason almost dropped the motor on Scott's fingers.

Scott who had already had three fingers broken before, did not want them broken again or worse have one or more cut off.

"I sent him off the truck," Scott said.

His next decision, which he didn't know at the time, would change his life forever.

"I attempted to lift the motor by myself and that's when I broke my back," Scott said. "I was trying to avoid breaking those fingers, but if I had nine fingers I would be better off than where I am now."

Scott was taken to the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, but later he was referred to a neurologist. After scans of his spine were taken, doctors discovered Scott had a deformed vertebrae. His deformation made his spinal cord fairly straight, which does not allow the spine to take impacts well. Doctors also discovered that Scott had extra fluid on his spine.

"Sometimes the stars align for the good, but in this case it was not for the best," Scott said. "It was almost like the perfect storm."

A couple of years after the accident, Scott was also diagnosed with osteopenia. According to http://www.webmd.com, "Osteopenia refers to bone density that is lower than normal peak density but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis."

The doctors believe this may have contributed to the break.

With his back broken, Scott was bed ridden and in pain.

He said the doctors were not even sure if all of the breaks happened at the time of the accident or if a couple happened prior to it, however, Scott said he couldn't remember doing anything that would have led to compression fractures.

Scott thought he would be bed ridden for life, but research into spinal injuries continues to improve. Soon, doctors were telling him they could help with his movement, lessen his pain, and even walk.

The procedure

In July of 2010, Scott received his first spinal cord neurostimulator. According to medtronic.com, "A neurostimulator is a surgically placed device about the size of a stopwatch. It delivers mild electrical signals to the epidural space near your spine through one or more thin wires, called leads. The electrical signals cause a tingling sensation in the area of your chronic pain."

The site also states "Neurostimulation provides pain relief by blocking the pain messages before they reach the brain. The neurostimulator sends out mild electrical impulses that reach the brain faster than the pain signal can arrive. In other words, it outsmarts your pain. Instead of pain, you feel a tingling sensation."

Scott described this tingling sensation to how it feels when a hand or foot falls asleep. Scott said in his case, even if there is not pain in a certain area, those pain signals do not shut off.

He compared what he feels to a paper cut. Say one has a paper cut, the body sends a signal to the brain to tell it that it is in pain. Even after the paper cut is healed, the body keeps sending a signal to the brain telling it the body is still in pain. The neurostimulator can alleviate some of those signals.

"I was bed ridden for about a year and a half before I had the first neurostimulator," Scott said. "It sure makes a difference."

For the first four to six months, Scott was bed ridden the entire time, getting out only when he needed to.

After the surgery, Scott can now walk. Even though it is painful for him to do so, he is just glad to be able to walk.

"I can't walk very well," Scott said. "Walking causes more pain."

Scott just wants to get moving and lose some of that weight he put on while bed ridden. He said he is considered obese and about 30 pounds over what a normal Body Mass Index would have him at.

Since it is still so painful for Scott to walk, he has started swimming at a gym.

"At first I didn't move my legs, but now I do," he said. "I swim a few miles a week."

Even with the neurostimulator, Scott still has to lay down most of the time. Since, his wife, Misti, works full time, he tries to make dinner for the family every night. Even that can be a challenge when he can't lift anything more than 5 pounds.

Scott received his second neurostimulator June 5, 2015. He said they usually last about five years, so his was due for a replacement.

"The one I had taken out was damaged," he said.

Although the neurostimulator is cutting off some of the pain, Scott is on five to six different pain medications. In the short time Scott has had the new neurostimulator, he has noticed a change.

"It seems better than what I had," he said.

Reclaiming his life

Scott wants nothing more than to spend time and possibly keep up with his family. He has two daughters, Raina, 13, and Lisa, 11. When Scott tries to do something with his family he winds up falling behind.

"We have gone swimming as a family before, but I'm just looking for something to do to keep up with my family," Scott said.

This is why Scott would like to purchase a recumbent hand cycle.

"I was hoping the hand cycle is something I could do with my family without being left behind," Scott said.

The hand cycle Neil tested had an electric motor on it, which is charged when he applies the hand brake. The motor will kick in if Scott gets too tired. The hand cycle can go up to 30 mph when the motor is used. To purchase a hand cycle would cost about $4,000; and to retrofit it for Scott's needs would cost an additional $2,000.

"I decided I can stay at home and try to avoid things that cause pain or I can try to live life," Scott said.

"We are not asking people to donate, but I felt that Neil's friends would like to help if they knew about the cause," Jan Scott, Neil's mother said.

However, if people feel inclined to do so, they can at Trona Valley Credit Union. An account called FBO Neil Scott has been set up.

"I would prefer that they contact me, so that we can thank them," Jan said. "But it is more convenient, of course, to go directly to Trona Valley."

If residents have a Facebook account, they can locate the Neil Scott Bicycle Fund and make a donation there. The organization that operates this site keeps about 9 percent of all donations. All money received will be put in the FBO account, Jan said. So far, $800 has been collected. To contact Jan call, 875-7605.