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CNN Live Today
Reeve's Recovery
Aired September 10, 2002 - 10:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are having a chance here to talk about what seems like some incredibly encouraging news on actor Christopher Reeve. We are getting word that he possibly has feeling in his fingers and some of his toes. And to learn more about that, we are going to bring in our own doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
You are going to have a chance now to talk with Christopher Reeve's doctor.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Dr. John McDonald, who is the medical director of the Spinal Cord Injury Center at Washington University in St. Louis. I actually had a chance to talk to him earlier. And before I bring him in, I just want to point out, Daryn, you and I were talking about this, that patient confidentiality, obviously, is a big deal, for Dr. McDonald, as it is for me.
But a lot of people really interested in the progress of Christopher Reeve.
Dr. McDonald, are you there?
Dr. McDonald, there has been some news with Christopher Reeve and his recovery. Can you bring us up to seed on what has happened, what is new with him?
DR. JOHN MCDONALD, REEVE'S DOCTOR: I can't really comment on Christopher Reeve. You'll have to talk to him directly about that.
GUPTA: There has been some talk that he has had some movement in his left fingers and left toes and things like that. We've actually seen some of those reports already, and I know that you've been caring for him. I don't want you to put him on the spot, but without talking about him specifically, what are some of the things that really separates someone who's had a spinal cord injury now for seven years, and starting to see some recovery, as opposed to someone fresh out of spinal cord injury.
MCDONALD: The biggest thing is that the belief is that most recovery occurs in the first six months, and that if it's not complete by two years, it's pretty much over. And usually and typically, someone who hasn't had any recovery early won't have any recovery late. And I think demonstration of very late recovery, substantial proportion, you know, would really change the playing field in terms of what is possible.
GUPTA: I got say, Dr. McDonald, late recovery, we are talking almost seven years later. I have never heard of that before. As you pointed out, within the first 18 months to 24 months, people after a spinal cord injury usually see all of their recovery. And what does this mean? Have you ever seen this before, first of all?
MCDONALD: Personally, I have never seen it, nor have any of my colleagues seen anything where there is a dramatic late recovery, when there has been no recovery early on.
GUPTA: Dr. McDonald, it is well known that you take care of actor Christopher Reeve. Tell us a little bit about some of the recovery, some of the care that he's gotten, that may actually separate him from other spinal cord injury victims. a MCDONALD: I think Chris is very similar to most everyone with spinal cord injury. And surprisingly, has, you know, pretty much an unbreakable will, and the will to go forward and realize that something is possible or some hope is critical to individuals with spinal cord injury. And to them, recovery of anything is important, recovery of sensation, or recovery of bowel and bladder control, or just feeling better and being healthier are very, very important things and are doable and laudable goals.
GUPTA: All right, just a couple more questions. I appreciate your time, Doctor McDonald. What do you think this -- how does this bode for Christopher Reeve in terms of five years from now, 10 years from now. Do you have any sense of how he is going do?
MCDONALD: No one can say what any individuals is going do without a magic ball. It's not really possible.
GUPTA: Are you more optimistic now based on some of the improvements, even this far out?
MCDONALD: Well, I think that any recovery brings some hope with it, and brings hope that there will be some continued recovery. How much is a question.
GUPTA: Final question, Dr. McDonald, there is a lot of teenagers and young people out there who ask me -- I'm sure they ask you as well, after a spinal cord injury about how they're going to do, are they going to walk again? And If you can tell us now today, after having taken care of Christopher Reeve for so many years now, how do you answer that question? What do you tell people, especially in light of the new findings? I typically reorient people toward, you know, doable goals and, you know, they are very open to that idea, that smaller gains, just improvement of health and ability to become important things, and that should be the focus of their goals, not walking.
MCDONALD: OK, Dr. McDonald, thank you very much for joining us.
And, Daryn, I'll point out as well, that you know, we were talking about this earlier but Christopher Reeve really has had some remarkable steps all along the way.
KAGAN: First of all, that he's even living. MCDONALD: That he's even living. He had an injury very up high in the cervical spine, the neck here. The first two bones of his spine were actually broken. That oftentimes is an injury that people die from right at the scene. So the fact that he survived that at all.
I will say, Daryn, as well as you know, that you know, I take care of a lot of patients like this as well, and the fact that he had recovery seven years out is remarkable. It is small, just some movement in his left fingers, movement in his left toes, some sensation now in his in body. But it is a big deal in world of neurosurgery and neurology that he has had any recovery whatsoever.
KAGAN: I was going to ask you that. First of all, difficult position both for you and for Dr. McDonald, because you're talking about patient confidentiality. He has to protect Mr. Reeve's privacy, even though he is a good figure, and good job kind of getting around that. But as someone who operates on the spine every week, and in the business, when you first heard about this, and even that slight recovery, what was your reaction?
MCDONALD: Well, my biggest reaction is I think we have to throw caution out there as well. Like I mentioned, it's a big point with me, a lot of people do ask about their likelihood that they're going to walk again. And it's devastating to see somebody who is nearly paralyzed after a car accident, who was fully functional just hours before often, and I think the message that I want to send is that some recovery is possibly, but I think even Dr. McDonald saying the likelihood of Christopher Reeve walking again is still something we just don't know, and I don't want people to get the impression that, boy, we are making some major breakthroughs here.
Christopher Reeve is a gentlemen who's had really unlimited resources at his disposable, and I think that's important to point out as well. Unfortunately, not everyone has that in this country. We'll have to see how everyone (ph) does.
KAGAN: And wish him well and we can take some hope to what he has been able to achieve.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much.
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