Just read your "New TMer" message, and I am extremely impressed with the
amount of strength and courage you have at this difficult time in your life.
My heart is with you, your husband, and your two little ones; and you will be
added to my list of people to think about and care about.
This disease is so divastating--and even though the cases we read about sound
sooooo familiar, they are all sooooo different. You seemed to have had a fast
onset of TM (as did most of us); were given the typical drugs to "stop" the
symptoms from progressing; and have been moving along well in your recovery.
Most of us have travelled the same path. Some have gotten totally better,
almost better, somewhat better, status quo, not better, etc. I'm not sure if
a physician can tell who will improve at the onset. For me, they said the
inflammation in the lower part of my buttocks had to leave in order for them
to be able to tell if there would be permanent damage to the area/nerves.
This I was told can take a year or so.
Since joining this TM group, I have learned that recovery is not limited to a
year--it is an ongoing process "probably" the rest of our lives. I was told
exactly one year after the onset of TM that I would "probably" be the way I
was at that time for the rest of my life. (I have had TM 8-3/4 years and have
been improving slowly the entire time.) So far, the TM list is right and the
doctor is wrong, at least in my case.
I suggest you keep visiting the e-mail site daily/whenever possible. The
amount of helpful information you will learn will help you as much if not more
than the doctors. The people on the list have been through it all; we have
taken just about every type of medication out there; have tried all types of
therapies; have suffered through the ups and downs; have had depressions; have
had set backs; and are very involved in learning as much as we can about our
disease, and how to minimize its symptoms.
As for pain, I suggest a good Pain Management Clinic. I have been going to the
Univ. of PA for 1-1/2 years now and have truly been a guinea pig with the
medicines I have been given to manage pain. After one full year, we reached a
level I am comfortable with. This was a very unpleasant year--the side
effects were miserable, but the outcome has been wonderful. So the process
was worth it.
I live in Pennsylvania and Clearwater, Florida (approx. five months a year).
Are you anywhere near Clearwater?
Take care of yourself and keep an open mind. Honestly, in time, if you keep
trying-- positive attitude, exercise, therapy, self-hypnosis, meditation,
whatever works--and have faith, there will be improvements. Recovery may be
very slow or it could be extremely fast, but you can have a good life.
PatS.