Marc was chief consultant of the neurological center of rehabilitation of and chairman of the French company of Physical therapy and Readjustment. He is since 1945 and could survive his accident and overcome his handicap thanks to an exceptional interior force, the devotion of an admirable wife and solids friendships. Meet of a superman.

 

. : In which medium you did grow?

: I was born in a stud farm but without pedigree! In 1922 the national stud farms still kept marks of the century of Louis who had created them for the needs for the wars. All the officers were the noble ones or and my father, come from his native, had reached, with the force of the wrist, the highest grade which it could obtain, i.e. regimental sergeant major. I was born in the Stud farm from the Pine and I made my studies in a college which was not very far from there, with Argentan, in the Flowering ash. As I had lived not badly in the middle of the horses, I initially projected to be a veterinary surgeon. I was stuck to the examination entrance for lack of sufficient preparation and as I could not look after the horses, I thought that I will be able to perhaps look after the men. I thus directed myself towards medicine. I never regretted because I really found much joy there.

. : Where do you make your studies of medicine?

: In Paris, while living in my sister and my brother-in-law who were always impressing with me. It was right after war. There was a contest in first year that I succeeded. Then, I followed the course of first year when I was at Genoa, then at or there were processions of trainees in . We were 20 or 30 and it was not easy to understand. Then I made a replacement of with in surgery and my fourth training course with at Mr . It is obvious that my accident of dive changed the guideline of my career.

. : How did the accident occur?

: It was in July 45, I were 22 years old. We had gone up in the canoe with some friends the exchange rate of towards . is a a little lazy river with meanders and . We make a merry halt to slacken us. The ones bathe, others , my wife Paule and me, we dance with the sound of a gramophone on the small beach. The idea me has just dived while passing over a comrade placed at four legs at the edge of water. I take my momentum and without I feeling any feeling of shock I find myself instantaneously inert in water. I do not have a wound with the scalp. I have simply badly with the neck. I am unable to move and my friends end up understanding that I do not play and leave me water. I tell to my wife: “I broke the column”.

. : You could have embedded you…

: Absolutely. Then, one takes me along by boat until or the surgeon who does not see what it can make returns me in the 24:00 in my mother-in-law to which we spend our holidays, to die close to mine. The ambulance men to climb install me on a stretcher and note cloth on my figure: I am regarded as death. I have 41,6° during two days. It is a thermal fever of , because all my beams of thermoregulation are cut. It will be all my life besides an unquestionable embarrassment. The fever having finished by dropping, one again transfers me to the private clinic. As something should be done, the surgeon of advises a neurosurgeon of Paris. The aforementioned comes in , with his wife as assistant, and removes me a cervical blade. Thirty years later, by analyzing radiographies, I realized that it had been mistaken in level but that did not probably change anything with the development.

. : You are ?

: Yes! I cannot move any more and I lost the sensitivity on the three quarters of the body. I am completely depend on the people who keep me. I do not have any notion of the complications which involve the immobility: , abnormal operations urinary and intestinal, the atrophy of the muscles, infections… As at the time one was unaware of what was prevention of bedsores (by admitting that one knows everywhere now), I have three bedsores quickly. But the family does not remain inactive, and I probably owe my survival with the fact that my sister was cured of a rare neurologic affection by the instructor , who is assistant of Guillain to . agrees to take to me in the service, and facilitates the things enormously to me. It makes it possible Paule to occupy the bed beside mine in a box located at the end of the common room. It gets to me in spite of their scarcity, of the American bandages which are very adapted to the absorption of the escapes of urines. I had an automatic bladder. When the inventories are exhausted, the family takes turns to bring in a bag of the clean briefcases and to gain the dirty ones. Thus, my crowned does not bathe any more in one permanent moisture. I am practically always on the back and under these conditions the cure is impossible. Charming a senior registrar me , in several stages, this very major and putrid lesion. My crowned and will cure in fact only two years after, in my parents, thanks to exhibitions proportioned to the sun in Normandy.

. : You remained all this time lengthened on the back?

: Yes. I do not die, but I do not recover either, if not some menus movements of two fingers of the right hand. At the end of six good months, we learn that a certain “engineer” has in a private clinic of , beside a surgical service, a service of equipment and that it manufactures aircraft of functioning. In fact in fact armours, he does not have there an other word weigh g, and which make it possible to hold upright. Guillain does not appreciate this transfer, it says that it is only one “tradesman”. , wishes him to keep the contact with us. Passed the phase where I fall in syncope to each survey, I end up managing to advance a foot of a few centimetres, then the other. I think that I could perhaps only walk but the fitter opposes it formally. Discovering one day one of my attempts, he tells me: “if I still see you I return you”. Fortunately, there is one aid-looking after, Mrs , with the predestined name, wonder of delicacy and effectiveness. With his complicity, I try to hold me upright without aircraft then to outline one or two pitches. When I leave at the end of nths, I can, the good days, to make 6 or eters between two ropes. Then, when I go to Normandy in my parents, I am made arrange Canadian canes, with stops at the end of the handles and of the rubber bands above the elbow not to release them.  I do not take logs badly, but a neighbor strapping man and obliging is often there to help me.

. : How does one walk with canes when one does not have a triceps?

: One needs canes with a support for the top of the elbows and which hold with cable ties for not that they escape.

. : You did not have any sensitivity?

: It is a good question! If I had been complete , I believe that would have badly finished. I did not have sensitivity thermal, but not preserved a sensitivity to the major pain and a certain sensitivity within the meaning of position. For the functioning, they is extremely invaluable.

. : Today, how would you analyze your lesion?

: A driving lesion supplements on the level with dissociation. And thanks to the medullary trim system controlled rather well, I could hold upright. I thus could walk a score of year on short-hauls.

. : When did you resume your medical studies?

: After three years of interruption. That was difficult on the physical and intellectual level. I was installed on a , an unit with three wheels, and was pushed by a buddy to go to the exchange rates and the essential training courses. It should be said that at that time the porters of the FAC were very powerful and that they avoided me many presences and of displacements.

With the examination of surgical private clinic of end of third year, I am questioned by Merle of on the fractures of the and I do not know anything. After a short discussion with Broc which was chairman of the Jury, it sticks one to me 2 out of 20. I explain my very difficult course to him and small the crowned which persists. He me : “But that gives you more time than the others to work. ” The blow was hard, but that rendered a great service to me. One never should assert of a handicap to request pity. I saw Blackbird of often thereafter, because he was board member of administration of my service with . Seeing how managed, it was surely astonished a little. It invited me to make a conference with on the and we often saw ourselves at the time of lunching in the countryside. He spoke readily, which pleased to me, about the School of .

: Which was the subject of your thesis of medicine?

: I had read obviously much on paraplegia and the subject of my thesis was “the processing and the readjustment of paraplegic by medullary traumatism”. I noted there that it existed yet in France no center official of rehabilitation for paralyzed adults whereas England and the USA had them, a knowledge to make in this field. The pressure of Associations of “Veterans” was very strong there.

On the consultings of the service of guideline of the Association of paralyzed France, I undertake the drafting of a small report on the vocational guidance of the paralyzed children. This work will have a negotiable instrument determining on my career. When I learn the opening from the National center of processing of the after-effects of poliomyelitis in under the management of , I will see it. It agrees to take to me as training doctor. I spend all my time there for nths and I acquire an invaluable experiment there. was for me a true Master. The gateway Office of childhood then requires of me to direct in a nths formation for foreign . I am 30 years old, it is my first remunerated work. I communicate my small report on the children paralyzed with the Director of the gateway Office of the childhood which undoubtedly appreciates it since it transmits it to the instructor Robert .

. : Did that interest it?

: Undoubtedly since he writes to me to wonder explanations and developments on my conclusions. I knew thereafter that it had taken again my suggestions on the level of the ministry. Thanks to relations of my sister and my brother-in-law, I postulate for the post of chief consultant of the service of readjustment which will be installed in the hospital of . The instructor Robert chairs the jury and he asks to meet me “to make knowledge” but especially to make sure of my physical abilities; one is not yet with the advent of the reclassification of the handicapped people! poses to me many questions about my health and I finish by him answering not without humor: “Excuse me, Sir, I believed that you were pediatrist”. That amused it and he did not insist. He gave his agreement for my appointment.

. : How you had courage to postulate?

: I wanted absolutely to have a situation.

: When you the management of the center of rehabilitation of , which type of patients discussed you take?

: At the beginning, during both or the first three years, they was the poliomyelitic ones. It is besides for that, at the time or flowered the polio epidemic one, that the regional Case of health insurance of Ile de France had created my service. The assumption of responsibility of the polios, they is enthralling, but thanks to vaccination their number falls gradually and we can admit casualties of the spinal cord more and more. The paraplegic ones die then in 80%, when with the grouse do not speak about it. This new guideline requires additional means. Then, a sub-manager of the regional Case comes to see me and tells me: “But you will not take all that, you will be the dump of the Public assistance. They are the exact words. I answered him: “But, look at me, I am in the dump”! That nailed the beak to him. And the paraplegic ones were taken.

: What do you make which was not done at the time?

: We make them survive and we try to make them autonomous. On the plan, in their learning how to empty their bladder, by sterilizing them all times that it is possible, by discussing the complications of the high channel, in their learning control from the saddles. On the skeletal plan driving, to develop all as much as possible that could the being and particularly the depressants of the arms which are essential. I had a very good team, with a little hard a physio chief, but that did not make evil. There was truly, the School of . It would be very unjust to let believe that a School is the fact of only one man; Of course it can be the core about it, but it is nothing without a team. And I had for my part much chance, while being surrounded of collaborators of great quality: doctors and surgeons coming each week from the Parisian hospitals, Charlotte Martin neuro-pediatrist, Paul Masses and Michel csotcina.comedic surgeons, , then in urology, Nicole into neuro-psychiarie with whom we made common consultations.

As for the team of the service made up gradually, it is necessary me to quote in first Bernard who had the responsibility for the service children, but also No5el Francois, Marie-Helene , Micheline , Jean-François Desert.

Without forgetting all the auxiliaries including the people responsible for the service equipment who carried out with the request all the orthotic devices.
Obviously, if the service were known with the national plan and even international as regards rehabilitation and readjustment of the medullary casualties, it is with them all that we must.

: You had contacts with other Schools?

:  Yes, in particular with that of . This neurosurgeon of Silesia taken refuge in England, had created in 1942 in close to Oxford, in old ships of Royal Air Force, a processing center for the war wounded victims of medullary lesions. It was the emblematic figure of the speciality in Europe. He had left in crusade against the laminectomy which made under the conditions of the time was not used strictly for nothing and in addition worsened the risks of bedsores because the patients were not turned over. was not only one pioneer but a popularizer who travelled to spread his ideas. It had, in Europe, a major influence in the change of attitude of looking after with regard to the medullary casualties. On the social plan, it militated for the reintegration of the patients and it was at the origin of the para-Olympic plays for the handicapped people. had visited me in my residence in 1949; it had not examined me but had held me an encouraging speech. It was the first time that I understood positive and enlightened remarks. A few years later, I find it as a doctor to make a 15 days training course in his service. It is not always of an easy trade. In spite of my very bad English, I go every year to his symposium of which takes place at the same time as the plays. One day, I meet there, a French doctor whose mother is English and who makes his classes at . explains me all that I want to know. I return very reinflated in because I realize that there are things which we already eliminated such as the cystographies with the syringe, and which did not apprehend yet. Towards the end, he lived a little on his assets. One day with a congress, repeats for the nth time that it has 80% of sterile urines and nicely speaks to tell: “Sir, perhaps that you have 80% but me which am Director of professional center in Mulhouse, I can tell you that the patients whom sends to me all have of the sterile urines”. This day it was less . I had learned at with the polio neuro-csotcina.comedy. We had discovered in my service neuro-urology and neuro-serology.

. : What did you think in the Seventies of the development of the vertebral surgery?

: Unfortunately, we continued to receive patients very late and with multiple complications. This moment, the csotcina.comedic problem was not any more topicality. When at operated, they arrived in an appalling state, covered of . They had been operated and then one had washed the hands of them. It sometimes happened to me on several occasions to discuss with the reports the contents and the container the rachis. I butted myself perhaps a little but I still wonder if the surgery facilitates neurological recovery. However, insofar as the surgical stabilization of the rachis is not an obstacle with the prevention of complications early, why not?  But if a plastered collar is necessary, even with greatest vigilance it can involve cutaneous complications on the hot areas.

: How did you make with respect to the moral one paralyzed?

: We had a psychologist who was a remarkable girl, but it was not essence. Everyone did not pass in the psychologist. Moral was initially not to give the forecast too early. For the incomplete lesions it had been more than awkward because we are unaware of the development, for the complete lesions we let the patients come gradually towards their truth. They saw the others wounded, then by meeting those which returned in balance-sheet, they became aware that firstly they were not only, that secondly there were some who managed very well with the same handicap, and which perhaps it was to better work all the positive sides of the rehabilitation rather than of Bayer to the crows in waiting of a hypothetical recovery.

. : It had despaired all the same there?

: I will astonish you, but very little. When a patient arrived in rehabilitation in wheelchair, believe me that shook. They were not listened to, one the energetic ones. There was the difficult problem of the wives and the families. It is necessary to avoid making accept the family that it is final, but at the same time it should not be misled. Very delicate but fundamental balance. Believe, some are ready for me to divorce quickly! One day, before my inspection, the head nurse takes to me with share and tells me that the patient of the room of at side does not go well from the whole. His wife came on the previous day, it announced to him that it left it. This patient, I do not know if I made well, but I it. I told him: “My old man, if your wife from goes away now, at the end of two months, with another, as well better, it is as it was not worth the blow of it”! When I re-examined it in consultation after his exit, its questioning was not any more the same one. Its will, its family entourage and the resumption of work had enabled him to reach the first stage, undoubtedly most important. But once passed the amendment to the ad of the final paralysis, it is the life during which the revelation of the handicap will be made.

. : There are the problem of the wives, and the mothers then?

: It is at least also difficult. I saw some which wanted to stop the independence of their son and who wanted to be recovered it. There are nevertheless patients whom one entrusted to the specialist. During the first three years, I had a psychiatrist who was psychoanalyst. But the patients told: “One takes to us for the insane ones”. When it left, at the end of three years because it was bored, I took the precaution to take somebody, that still at that time existed, which was neuropsychiatrist, i.e. neurologist and at the same time psychiatrist. It was Nicole, aggregate of with Tenon. It had a not far from . With him, it was not any more the same thing. The patients went in consultation of neurology and that passed very well.

: How did you make at the time of your accident to keep at this point the faith?

: I was married, I had a three month old little girl. I wanted of me very to leave there, but I had during the first two years of the difficult moments. Because to find me in the former medium, in my mother-in-law who was a marvellous woman, but with all these constraints … I had many buddies who came to see me… I had a certain eagerness for me to leave there. But the idea even of the suicide can help to live. In the difficult moments when the development of the disease becomes unbearable, it makes it possible to defer and save time. And then there was my so courageous and careful wife.

: You had children thereafter?

: Not, we did not plan to have other children. That will astonish you, I were occupied so much by my service, my wife was radiologist. We did not speak about it, that was done like that. But I could have had children because with the aid of one of my assistants, we obtained 7 pregnancies out of 50 attempts in 1980. Since, this collaborator took the management of a center with and it had many other successes thanks to the .

We had begun our work with gynecologists and a team of the Center of Studies and Conservation of the Sperm of of the Instructors David and .

The method of electrical stimulations had been clarification in the monkey. I was very proud of our first success and I forwarded it to an international congress. The vice-president of meeting comes to see me very skeptic and asks to me whether I were certain that the paraplegic one was the father of the child. I ask him then if it is married and it tells me yes. You have children tell him I, yes two. I continue: “Summers you sure…? ” It understands quickly and does not insist!

. : In spite of your retreat, you kept professional contacts; which are the twenty last years progress in the assumption of responsibility of the paraplegic ones?

: I believe that there are sectors or indisputably one progressed. When one is in an informed medium and that one profits from an early stabilization without cutaneous complication, it is certain that it is a positive mailman for the future. Another unquestionable progress and that one I profit from it, it is that on the under-organic neurological pains. marrows age a little more quickly than the others and of the neurological pains appear more or less early. These under-organic pains can be terribly painful. They led some to the suicide. Me, I did not suffer at the beginning, then the pains came with the passing of years. Enormous progress was the drug treatment by the Gabapentin, which I have taken every evening for a few years. It is the same level of progress as that of the pump with to fight against the spasticity from which I profited too. It would be necessary to also quote the clean car urinary survey, the Cranberry capsules which obstruct the fixing of the bacteria to the visceral wall, the botulinic toxin which calms the vesical activity. One can as say, as all the hardware improved and standardized. Special mention for the hardware of respiratory assistance perfectly maintained by a specialized Association, the . For the immediate future it is allowed to hope in the original cells and the nanotechnologies, but I am far from knowing about all.

. : Did the glance of people change?

: The time is not any more where the parents hid their handicapped children. There is indisputably a vulgarizing of the handicap. When I was in , we had taken the practice to make once leave our patients downtown per week with a physio. They were going to make shopping and were accustomed very well taking into consideration the others. I think that it is necessary. But there is still enormous progress to make in the support for the handicapped people. I had obtained a grant of the European Community so that a social worker of the service on their premises will visit the first 250 patients left the service. This work took more than two years. And well, the report that one left there was explosive. The regional case was struck to note that about half of paraplegic on their premises did not have “toilets”. It was at the bottom of the garden, and to go there the winter in armchair it was not convenient! This report highlighted many other insufficiencies. Did that today improve? There is a thing which improved however, it is the hedging by the insurances which makes it possible at least to the recipients to have a decent life.

. : How did you make to hold 62 years after your accident?

: ! there are many mailmen which besides varied with time. Most important it is the quality of the entourage, and to have the always occupied head, to have projects, always projects. The possibility of giving me upright and of going a little during a score of years helped me and made it possible much to travel. I had to stop about at the time of my retreat. Difficult passages.

The adaptability is often put to the test by ageing: tracheotomy there are ten years and intermittent respiratory assistance then permanent, loss of progressive independence, until having two aid of full-time life. Without forgetting that the entourage needs respite and its independence. If I have held for 62 years, it is also thanks to the durable friendship buddies of college, it remains about it still two or three, with the sport which I practiced much, valid and invalid, in very dynamic Association of Paralyzed France where I could found an ethical think tank. After a blow of bad luck, I had much chance inter alia that to be able to become doctor…