Re: Transverse Myelitis

Nick Kessler (bkessler(AT)hookup.net)
Thu, 4 Nov 1993 18:15:01 -0500

----------
> From: OB5906(AT)aol.com
> To: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com
> Subject: Re: Transverse Myelitis
> Date: November 4, 1996 4:28 PM
>
> Hello Everyone,
> Thanks, Barbara, for your response. I've been thinking a lot of my TM
and
> thought maybe I can get some opinions from all of you. I am going to the
> neurologist for a three month follow-up visit this month. The problem is
I
> have appts. with two different neurologists and I don't know which one I
> really want. The first one I went to was convinced for the first several
> visits I had MS, then when spinal tap and blood tests were neg, along
with
> response tests, he said it's TM. The second one said TM and definitely
not
> MS, but has been unable to explain some symptoms to me such as vertigo,
and
> shaky vision, and disregarded the small spots found on my brain MRI(I
have a
> moderate size leision at C2 also). Since I was last at the Dr. I have
fallen
> twice, been awakened at night with painful bouts of numbness, and have
> dropped and broken glass bottles and other things in the market because
of my
> numb fingers, experienced some vertigo and constant exhaustion.
> How do you choose a good neurologist? I am a fifth grade teacher. My
> colleagues tell me to go to both Drs and see what each says, but I don't
> think my insurance will pay. To be honest, I'm not crazy about either one
of
> the Drs!
> My Best to All, Carolyn
>
Just my humble (psychiatric) opinion but just ignoring a small lesion
on the brian needs to be explianed!! Having more than one site in the cord
is not that particularly unusual --as I said, my lesions were scattered
from T6 to T12. Althoug vertigo is strictly a brain stem function and
should r/o TM it is ALSO a VERY common psychiatric symptom. Shaky vision?
--what drugs are you on that could cause that?

In the brief time that I have tried to become more expert at these two
disorders (since contracting TM in May) it must be clear to most others
that one of the primary similarities is demyelination, BUT that transverse
myelitis by defintion involves the spinal cord and not the brain stem or
brain proper. Of course, that doesn't prevent one from having a
generalized "encephalitis" from the initial virus! (at least that is the
way I see it --if there is a neurologist out there who thinks differently
--please correct my misconeceptions)

See two neurologists?? Good God! I've had trouble geting any straight
answers from a neurologist, a rehab specialist and an infectious disease
specialist!!!! Surely though your insurance would permit a "second
opinion". Then comes the tough question --what difference does it make?
Although there is plasmaphoresis for MS I'm not sure it's being used widely
in TM. Although there are reports of recurrent TM it is generally held
that MS is either a relatively static or a deteriorating condtion --I've
got a great aunt who had a diagnosis of MS at about age 35 and aside from
some brief difficult periods she has managed to raise five boys (poor gal)
and reach the age of 75 without a wallker! And I see reports here of
people diagnosed with TM who are walking in two to three months! -- I'm
trying to imagine that i can feel my quads contracting after six months and
THAT is NOT encouraging BUT I did consult an "old" medical text and it
clearly stated that there are three types of neurological deterioration and
that those involving "local demyelination" can recover quickly --while
those involving nerve death and demyelination can take one to two years to
recover. Does all this sound confusing --I certainly am. :-(

Perhaps that is why the three books that I am currently reading are 1)
The Road Less Travelled (M Scott Peck), 2) God -a Biogaphy (Jack Miles) and
3) All Women are Healers (Diane Stein)

bryan