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Building
Strength
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"It was really neat," says Jen,
"to be able to look down at my muscles moving."
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On
December 27th, 1999, Jen embarked on a rigorous strength building
program.
"A delayed Christmas present," says Jen.
Short, high frequency contractions of her back, hip and thigh
muscles steadily prepared them to support her weight. Then
came the "extend-alls," in which 10 to 15 second-long blasts
of electricity, alternating with 5 seconds of rest, built
up Jen's endurance. An hour-long session, she says, is like
running five miles.
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| The
FES system allows Jen greater independence.
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Once
Jen's muscles were strong enough, she began using her FES
system to stand up and get out of her wheelchair. Should Jen
wish to reach an item on a high supermarket shelf, for
instance, she simply presses the "stand" button on the box
she wears around her waist. The box then sends a signal to
the implanted electrodes via radio waves. Her muscles contract,
allowing her to stand, using a walker to balance, and maneuver
her body into position. Then she tells the box she's ready
to sit. Her muscles relax, and Jen, too, can relax back into
her wheelchair, a restaurant booth, a sofa, an automobile
etc.
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Her ability to feel sensation was a great cause for
concern, almost disqualifying her from the clinical trial.
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Her
ability to feel sensation was a great cause for concern, almost
disqualifying her from the clinical trial. Surgeons feared
the electrodes might cause her too much pain to do any good.
In fact, Jen can feel the small shock she gets each time she
activates her FES, but, characteristically, Jen thinks the
slight discomfort helps her balance. "I feel a mild shock,"
she admits. "But it's an advantage because I can tell where
my legs are."
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