Arizona Support Group

My name is Barbara Sattler. 

While most Americans remember September 11, 2001 as the day the world trade center was attacked, for me it was also the day I was diagnosed with TM.  I have read many of the articles where people talk about contracting TM, but unlike many of you, I really don’t know when the disease started.

About 6 months before my diagnosis, I began having discomfort in my chest corresponding with the area where I had the largest lesion in my spine.  Next I had weird rashes, horrible diarrhea, and then for a time, pain which made my eyes water when I bent down.  Finally, I woke up one day with a fever and abdominal pain; what I now know is the girdling effect and a myriad of other weird symptoms.  When the fever broke, and I tried to get out of bed, I found both legs were partially paralyzed.  Although I consulted numerous doctors, it took a month after that to get an accurate diagnosis. 

Now, over 7 years later, I walk, hike, and lead a normal life other than suffering from chronic pain which I deal with by taking narcotics and other pain medication and medications to reduce side affects of the pain medication.   I have gone through periods of anger, sadness, “why me” and yet more often, feeling blessed because I could have wound up permanently paralyzed or with other more serious disabilities.

In my worst hours, reading the TMA Journal and web site and hearing about others fighting with TM, has been an inspiration.  When I first found the web site and saw there were others out there who knew what I had gone through, as well as reading information about the disease, it made a tremendous difference in my attitude.  I felt like I knew Sandy and Pauline from Sandy’s articles and even though I never met them, I felt like Sandy, Pauline, and others like them were almost part of my family.

I have recently retired.  I was a lawyer for many years and then a Judge.  One of the things I most want to do with my time is give back something to the TMA.  I am happy to report that Tucson, Arizona had its first support group meeting on February 5th 2009.  There were only two of us present, but for both of us it was the first time we had ever met another person with TM.  We have been in contact with others and will have our second meeting in approximately a month.  If we haven’t found you yet, we want for you to join us.  You can contact me at bsattler@myelitis.org or call me at (520)325-5861.  I would love to hear from you and I would love for you to get involved.