When Franci Sterzer hit that patch of black ice last November, her life changed forever. But unlike many victims of spinal cord injury before her, she has choices that offer her a possibility of meaningful recovery. As a participant in the first minocycline trial for spinal cord patients, she hopes that this neuroprotective drug will improve her prospects for regaining more mobility in the years following her injury.
In the first six months of treatment and rehab at Foothills Medical Centre, Franci progressed from being unable to breathe on her own to significant gains in the use of her hands, wrists and fingers. “In a relatively short period of time, Franci’s progress has been good enough that she doesn’t have to use an adaptive aid for her right hand,” says Yvette Andreas, a research nurse at Foothills Medical Centre. “Her fine motor skills have been continually progressing, and she’s better able to grip things. She can use a pen to write, and now she’s doing some painting.”
Andreas won’t know which patients were treated with minocycline until the study is completed next year. But, she says, “There have been some changes in some patients that make us hopeful. They’ve gained some recovery that you might not normally have expected.” If Franci was given the drug, the potential benefits from intensive rehabilitation should also be greater because more spinal tissue would be preserved.
Franci’s increased ability to use her hands, wrists and fingers has given her more independence. “I’m encouraged by the progress I’ve made in hand mobility,” she says, “but I’m uncertain about the unknown. Will the progress stop or continue?” The brightest glimmer of hope may lie in the flickers of movement in her lower limbs. “Franci is able to move her toes voluntarily. Our short-term goal is to get more controlled movements on a regular basis,” says Karl. “It’s uncharted territory. Our ultimate goal is for her to walk again.”
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