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“If I have the ability to change my outcome, why not?”
That mindset has fueled Michael G. — who goes by Gio — as he has given every ounce of his effort to intensive rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab after experiencing spinal cord injury (SCI).
With hard work and determination, as well as the support of his expert care team and family, he has made tremendous progress throughout his recovery while meeting important personal, professional and travel goals. He now looks toward the future with optimism.
A Sudden Impact on Mobility From an SCI
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By all accounts, Gio, 44, was leading an active lifestyle — keeping busy with a rewarding career as an ophthalmologist; spending time with his family, including his wife and three kids, ages 3, 5 and 9; and participating in marathons nearly every year.
In fact, Gio was training to run a marathon when his activities were suddenly sidelined. One afternoon, he was walking into a retirement home to visit a family member when — out of nowhere — he noticed his feet were starting to tingle.
During his visit, the tingling in Gio’s feet began to spread up his legs. With his medical background, he knew immediately that something was wrong, and he went to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
“By the time I got to the hospital, the issue had progressed so much that I couldn’t move my right leg at all, and I could no longer wiggle my toes,” said Gio.
At the hospital, a neurologist discovered a hemorrhage on Gio’s spinal cord that resulted in a T-11 SCI — an SCI located in the thoracic region of the spinal cord, specifically in the mid-lower back. With an SCI in this region, arm and hand function usually remain intact, but a patient’s trunk and legs may be affected.
Further Reading About SCI: A Guide to Common Terms: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Gio was referred to a neurosurgeon and transferred to another acute-care hospital, where he went through several diagnostic procedures, including an MRI and a spinal angiogram. Ultimately, Gio’s doctors discovered that he had a congenital cavernoma — a collection of abnormal blood vessels on his spinal cord — that had suddenly burst and caused the SCI.
Gio required back surgery to remove the cavernoma. Then, just two weeks after the successful surgery, he transitioned to inpatient rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to work toward regaining mobility in his legs and feet.
From First Movements to Climbing 105 Flights of Stairs
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Gio spent a total of six weeks in intensive physical and occupational therapy as an inpatient at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
He recalled that therapy was tough at first because he was unable to move his lower extremities. However, one week after his arrival, one of his toes started to move again. Little by little, Gio started to gain more sensation and control in his legs and feet — and then made rapid progress in his mobility as he re-learned to walk.
Over time, he was fitted for and learned to use adaptive devices, including ankle-foot orthoses (ankle braces) and forearm crutches, for additional balance and stability.
Throughout it all, Gio’s therapists encouraged him to reach new milestones. For example, Gio practiced climbing stairs in therapy, one step at a time. Near the end of his inpatient stay, his physical therapist, Jonathan, told him about SkyRise Chicago — Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s annual stair-climbing event at the Willis Tower in which participants scale 105 flights of stairs to raise money for the hospital.
Jonathan posed a challenge to Gio about SkyRise Chicago.
“Jonathan told me, ‘If you do it, I’ll do it.’ Only three months after I was discharged from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and just five months after my SCI, I ended up doing SkyRise Chicago,” said Gio. “When I made it to the top of the Willis Tower, Jonathan was waiting there for me so we could take pictures and celebrate the milestone together.”
“Everyone has been awesome during my entire time at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab,” he added.
Community Reintegration Outing Makes Vacation Plans Possible
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Prior to Gio’s SCI, he had a major milestone on the horizon — a trip to Orlando, Fla., with his family. The vacation coincided with a conference where Gio was planning to give talks to the medical community.
Gio and his family kept the trip on the books during his recovery, but they knew Gio would face challenges with traveling, given the changes to his mobility.
Right before he was discharged from inpatient rehabilitation, he joined Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s recreational therapy team for a “community reintegration” visit to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. These airport trips, a collaboration with United Airlines, provide patients with limited mobility an opportunity to practice all aspects of air travel and to earn about accessibility in different environments.
During Gio’s visit to the airport, he gained real-world travel skills in a community setting. He learned how to board and deplane; transfer from a wheelchair to an aisle chair; access his seat and the restroom; and navigate the airport security screening process.
Further Reading: The Sky’s The Limit: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Prepares Patients for Return to Air Travel
With the skills gained during the practice trip, Gio was ready to tackle the airports in both Chicago and Orlando for his much-anticipated vacation. He checked his bag with medical equipment, navigated the security and boarding process with his family at his side, and safely flew there and back.
During the vacation, Gio used a mobility scooter at the theme parks to make it easier to cross long distances — and to make the most of enjoying special moments with his family.
“Everything went well! My talks went well, the vacation was amazing and my family loved it,” he said. “The community reintegration program to the airport definitely helped prepare us.”
Continuing Recovery in Outpatient, Returning to Home & Work Life
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Even after achieving huge milestones like a vacation and climbing 105 flights of stairs at SkyRise Chicago, Gio continues to give his all to his recovery.
Today, he participates in outpatient physical therapy at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Burr Ridge Outpatient & DayRehab Center. He usually has two to three appointments a week with physical therapists Jake and Missy.
He currently is enrolled in a research study at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in which he will participate in 20 additional gait training sessions — giving him even more opportunities to build his mobility skills.
“More is more,” he said, reflecting on his mindset through his recovery.
As Gio looks to the future, he has a long list of goals and milestones that he continues to work toward. He is starting the process of being able to drive again. He is hoping to run another marathon, and, as he returns to running, he is focused on picking up his pace. He’s looking forward to resuming an active role in his kids’ activities and sports once again.
Gio also has returned to work as an ophthalmologist, performing glaucoma surgery once again and, next, hopes to return to performing cataract surgery.
For all of these reasons, Gio keeps pushing himself forward and taking advantage of every opportunity to build his strength and mobility.
“Recovery from an SCI is a long, tough process, and there are times when you don’t feel like you’re accomplishing anything,” said Gio. “But push for more and more, trust the process and keep going.”
