> As most of you know, Transverse Myelitis is not a disease. TM describes
a
> set of symptoms. It is a clinical diagnosis.
Hate to s... in your cornflakes, but this would also apply to the
common cold --although we know it is caused by may viruses --most of
uswhich around 40+ yrs old have had almost all 50 some odd cold viruses!
> There is no known cause.
Actually we DO know that TM is caused by inflammaton, death and
demyelination of nerve cells which is casused by both direct invasion of
the nerve cells by the virus in question (many have been implicated) AND a
huge amount of immunocomplexes depositied in that limited pipe called our
spine. This is a squeezing phenomenom --like the nerves are "chocked"
> is chiefly diagnosed based the onset of symptoms after a viral infection.
> It is often misdiagnosed as Guillan Barre, as it was initially in my own
case.
Although any physician worth his salt would know that paralysis and
lack of sensation is NOT GB. Again the association with a variety of
viruses is well established.
> Here is my theory: Transverse Myelitis is caused by a particular unknown
> virus. The virus may be a common virus. This virus is only able to
wreck
> its havoc when the auto immune system is down after some other viral
> infection, and that is why TM occours as the aftermath of some other
viral
> illness.
This is often quite true.
> It also hits only those few of us unlucky enough to be innately
> susceptable to it.
And AREN'T we lucky --1.34 cases per million in Canada and USA per
year!
> This virus may be dormant in every human being, only
> striking those susceptable few whose auto immune systems are only half
> charged. Symptoms may sometimes wax and wane because the virus lingers
in
> the body.
> Sometimes the symptoms are monophasic because once struck, the auto
immune
> system
> recognizes and fights this now recognized foe.
> Until the virus is isolated there is no real treatment or cure. After
> onset, as in my case, a good dose of human immunoglobin should be
> administered to jump start the immune system against future attacks.
> Recovery is dependent on the severity of the permanent
> damage to the spinal cord and the ability of the body to repair that
damage,
> which is different in each case.
This is actualy a VERY good point and the degree of recovery is VERY
related to a lot of spiritual aspects of one's life as a very recent issue
of Time magazine pointed out.
> Hard core viral researchers should attempt to isolate the virus, much
like AIDS
> reserachers. Of course this may not happen because the research may cost
> millions and
> there is a limited constituentcy.
Well, at the risk of reminding people about the connection btwn
medicine and politics, the constituency may be small be it can still make a
lot of nosie --as in HIV. AND TM is very well known to be associated with
HIV infectiion --either as an initial manifestation of seroconversion --or
as you say a result of an otherwise harmless viruses wrecking havoc in an
immunocomprimised patient.
> Thats it folks. In the spirit of free and open debate you are cordially
> invited to
> tear the aboce apart....
Hope I don't sound like i'm tearing anything apart here but certain
friends will be certain to keep me in line with their opinion about THAT!
What is true is that we need more people realizing the TM is NOT MS or
Spinal Cord Injury and needs to be looked at separately.
> Peace, Love and Happiness to all
> jim f
wow, i'd take just one ;-)
bryan Kessler