> I hope someone can help me, I am crying out for help at the moment, let me
> first explain all that has been going on. A week before Christmas last
year
> I lost feeling in my right leg from the knee down which rapidly went to
> below the waist, I saw a neurologist who said there was nothing wrong and I
> was depressed. it happened again in February and went to T6 level I went
to
> a hospital in London who again said they didn't know what was wrong and my
> reflexes were fine sent me home. I am still in a wheelchair but have
> regained some movement and feeling down to my waist, my G.P thinks I have
TM
> but says it is a difficult situation as the specialist says there is
nothing
> wrong, can you have TM and still have reflexes, I don't have a lesion on
the
> MRI and my spinal tap is clear can anyone shed some light on this situation
>
> thanks
>
> Jenny
Hi, Jenny,
Wow, one thing that really angers me is when a patient has obvious and serious
symptoms and a dr. says nothing is wrong!! I'm so sorry you've had to deal
with that. Yes, you can still have reflexes with TM (I do) and you can have TM
without a lesion on the spinal cord or brain (many do) and clear spinal fluid.
As far as I know no one has developed a test that clearly indicates TM, but
usually the diagnosis is made as a result of symptoms and ruling our other
causes that there are tests for. I'd strongly suggest asking your GP to refer
you to another neurologist and also going to www.myelitis.org (web site for
the Transverse Myelitis Association) and click on
"Transverse Myelitis: Symptoms, Causes and Diagnosis" and print that out to
show to the neurologist and GP. There are many other helpful links to click on
there as well. While at this stage in research there is nothing that will
bring back feeling or reverse paralysis, sometimes that happens on its own,
and there are many things that can help with specific symptoms. Physical
therapy helped me greatly, as well as prayer. I'm sorry you're having to go
through this, but glad you found us. Write any time and we'll help all we can.
I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Best wishes,
Barbara H.