Wisconsin and Minnesota TM Support Group

Hi!  My name is Lynn Seifert.  I’m 47 years old.  My wife’s name is Jodie and we have four children (Erin, Ryan, Emily and Evan), one dog (Hannah) and one cat (Mittens).  I live in Pepin, Wisconsin, which is a small town with a population of around 900 on the Mississippi River.  I am a barber three days per week and a carpenter three days per week.  I was diagnosed with TM about nine years ago.  I woke up one morning with both legs asleep from the knees down.  Jodie said I was walking like Frankenstein's monster.  I was checked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and treated with an IV drip of Solumedrol for three days.  It worked but I’ve been left with decreased sensitivity in my legs from the knees down to my toes.  I have the most trouble feeling my toes.  I don’t always know where my feet are unless I’m looking down while walking and I fatigue easily.  My lower legs hurt worse as I tire out, but I am still working.

Just a few months ago Jodie said she found the TMA website on the internet and requested their newsletter.  After reading Stephen Miller’s article on support groups, I looked for a support group around the Mayo Clinic area in the directory.  I could not find one.  After much consideration, and many discussions with Jodie (for the first time as I’ve been unwilling to discuss my situation with anyone until recently), I contacted Mr. Miller to start a support group in my area.  He said, “Great! We’ve needed someone to get this started up there; we don’t have support groups in either Minnesota or Wisconsin.  Why not do both?”

So, here I am after jumping in feet first and eyes closed, hoping and praying for everyone’s patience as I’m learning on the run, so to speak.  Mr. Miller asked for my goals, but I don’t know as I have any yet as such.  I have hopes.  I hope to have open lines of communication amongst all of us already diagnosed and those yet to be diagnosed.  I hope there are many of us willing to be contacted by those recently diagnosed who need someone to talk to and tell them we are going to be ok. We have all learned to cope, now let’s help others.  I hope to, at the very least, meet all of you in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  I hope to have the knowledge, patience, communication skills, and humor to do this job the justice it deserves.  Thank you for this opportunity.

Mr. Lynn Seifert                                   
PO Box 268                                                      
Pepin, WI  54759                                
Home phone: (715)442-5205   
Work phone on Thursdays and Fridays: (715)442-5122

I am in the process of setting up email and when it is available, it will be posted on the TMA web site under the link ‘support groups.’