Nevada
Mary Wolak

Greetings from Las Vegas, Nevada!  My name is Mary Wolak.  I have been married for 27 years to my terrific husband, Walt, and I have two grown daughters, Emily and Elizabeth, and a 14-year-old pug named Lucky.  I suffered an acute onset of transverse myelitis in the C6-7 area of my spinal cord in May, 1986 at the age of 31.  Yes, it was almost 21 years ago.  It left me virtually a quadriplegic.  I spent 2 ½ months at UMC, building strength and learning to walk again.  I never regained the use of my fingers, though, and have no feeling from the chest down.  This also means that I have no pain.  Most times that’s a good thing.  At least the weakness stopped short of my diaphragm, so I can breathe on my own. 

TM wasn’t diagnosed until I’d been in the hospital about eight weeks.  I had the first spinal MRI at Valley Hospital and a doctor newly transferred from Texas made the diagnosis.  No one had been able to tell me much about this condition.  I always felt I was all alone until I discovered the TMA a few short years ago.  When I received the first newsletter, I cried while reading others’ stories.  Here were people experiencing what I’d experienced and what I am experiencing!  I’ve always just plugged along through life doing the best I can.  I was involved in Girl Scouting for a dozen years, volunteered as much as I could at my daughters’ schools, and even worked part-time for seven years at a public library.  That was until three months ago.  I’ve been having a problem falling.  My legs just zap out.  I just keep getting up and going on.  My walker is my new best friend!

I am really interested in starting a support group in Nevada.  What a difference that would’ve made in my life all those years ago.  There ARE people out there who understand and care!!  Please feel free to contact me anytime.

Mary Wolak
10110 W Tropical Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV  89149
(702) 234 – 9327
Notahorse4@aol.com