Re: ATM
John Pesec (pesec_john(AT)keithley.com)
Fri, 20 Dec 96 09:27:46 EDT
My wife has recurring transverse myelitis for two years. She
has had many MRIs which have shown varying amounts of
inflamation. She has been treated with high levels of
steroids (prednisone) to reduce inflamation and Imuran to
reduce the risk of recurrance. She has never had a biopsy.
I think you should be very careful about getting a biopsy,
since it will do harm to your spine, and perhaps limit your
recovery.
My wife's first TM episode occured early September 1994.
After a week of severe back pain, she lost everyting below
T6, and some functionality above. Successive MRIs showed
inflamation grow all the way to C6. She had some recovery
during the first month, but still nothing below T6. After
one month, she had more pain, and her MRI showed additional
inflamation. Her doctor at that time suspected that the
prednisone had been too quickly "tapered".
By Christmas that year she could wiggle a toe, and by the
next summer, she was walking with a walker. In August 1995,
she had a second bout, again losing everthing below T6. Her
MRI showed increased inflamation then.
Following her August 1995 bout, she began taking Imuran. She
has shown steady progress, although she is not to the point
she was prior to the August setback.
We have been working with the Melon Center at the Cleveland
Clinic, which specializes in demylinating desease. The
doctors have differing opinions about the reason for TM.
Some say it is an unusual presentation of MS, others say
not. We hope we never find out.
We have theories relating the illness to the stress of the
birth of our first child (July 1994), or to heat, or even to
our daughter's vacinations which are stangely correlated to
the recurrances.
If you have questions, please contact me on this page or at
pesec_john(AT)keithley.com.
Good luck!
John
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: ATM
Author: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com at SMTPLINK-ISD
Date: 12/19/96 9:05 PM
I am a 42 year old female diagnosed on October 20 with acute transverse
myelitis. I was improving clinically and had repeat MRI's of the spine which
just came back as showing increased inflammation and spinal cord swelling at
the same area. I am now going to a specialist at the Univer. of PA. for a
possible spinal biopsy. Has anyone else had repeat MRIs which showed
anything?