Re: tmic-digest Digest V98 #9

SFrascella (SFrascella(AT)aol.com)
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 23:38:06 EST

Hello everyone. My name is Susan. I "came down" with TM one year and seven
months ago (but who's counting?) on Mother's Day, 1996; I was 52. I had a
terrible flu the week prior. Like many of you, I spent a week in hospital and
had every test under the sun ~ none of which told me as much as I have learned
from reading these messages. (one example of many ~ reference to the "girdle"
which has frightened and perplexed me, but which I didn't even mention to my
dr. because I didn't know how to describe it!) I was put on a heavy-duty
course of prednisone. I was paralyzed about two months and made what was
touted as an "amazing" recovery. This means I could walk without assistance
by October and had recovered about 60% sensation ~ my %, of course!

I have had a tremendous fear of re-lapse. I know that it not an unusual fear
at all, and one that many of you share; for me, a lot of the fear is based on
my need to earn a living. I am a single woman; I raised my four (terrific!)
daughters on my own and was only just beginning to feel some financial "hope"
when I became ill. I returned to work while still in the wheelchair (too
soon) and actually lost very little time. To add to the drama, I lost my job
last May (a year after TM) and have been slowly rebuilding my professional
life as a consultant ~ only within the last two months starting to feel like
it's going to be okay ~ if I keep my nose to the grindstone! (It's great to
work at home, definitely less stress overall)

Long story short (I am long-winded, huh?) last Friday afternoon, my left foot
(so-called "good" side) and lower leg went numb. By 8 that night, partial
numbness on the left side up to buttocks and almost completely numb on entire
right side up to rib cage. However, I did not lose my strength and can stand
up, walk (so to speak!) with a cane. Doc put me on an anit-viral and a six
day course of methyl-prednisone, which I just completed. Improvement, yes,
but not that much. He now wants me to take prednisone itself for another two
weeks (about 60mgs/day), which I was to start today. This is where I would
like your input: I have decided not to take the pred. though I haven't
informed my dr. of this ~ he'll flip, I'm sure. But prednesone makes me really
nuts: I can't sleep, I can't think straight, I get manic/jittery and I can't
focus on my work! I have an appointment tomorrow with dr. of oriental
medicine. I believe she uses several approaches: acupuncture, herbs, some
"vibration" machines, muscle testing, etc. It's obvious that the medical
community knows very little about the whys and wherefores of TM; therefore my
confidence in standard treatment is low, though I'm not prone to alternative
approaches.

I am open to response regarding "not following doctor's orders" ~ and
certainly invite anyone who has had a re-lapse to share their story with me.
I appreciate having a forum like this to express myself ~ I won't take up this
much room in the future!