Re: ATM
Donna L. Brown (browndl(AT)SNET.Net)
Sun, 22 Dec 1996 17:27:41 -0500 (EST)
At 11:28 AM 12/22/95 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>----------
> Karen Luglio wrote
>
>> 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?
>
> Good question! I just phoned my MD this morning to find out the
>result of my second MRI. With any luck I will have an answer by this
>afternoon --since he's a friend and coming to dinner tomorrow nite and I
>have told him he will get no dessert if he fails on his mission --- but
>seriously --a spinal biopsy?
>
> Well, I got the results and my friend got his dessert! My second MRI
>shows some continuing inflamation (or infiltration) between T8 and T10
>--this is great news because there was initially lesions scattered
>reandomly from T6 to T12. There is now some "thinning of the cord" at that
>level too --who knows what that means --?continued irritation has not
>allowed re-myelination? . In any case this is more or less in keeping with
>the slow but continuing progress that I have experienced over the last six
>months.
>
> Spinal biopsy?????????????? WHAT FOR??? Once that piece of your
>spine is "taken out" --it's GONE! If there is some concern about a primary
>spinal tumor --then yes that might be appropriate --but if it's just to see
>what inflammatioin looks like --I'd run (or wheel) the other way in a hell
>of a hurry. October, if I am correct, is only two months ago --hell --two
>months after my initial attack I was still trying to sit up without falling
>into my knees and I had to brace my elbows on the table to cut my food. My
>neurologist said there was no point of repeating the MRI until after six
>months --which happened. Of course --with a worsening condition there are
>a few questiions --like --is this indeed transverse myelitis! It's
>possible if the initial "infectioin" is still brewing --then things would
>be getting worse. Let's not forget the theory held by "most" is that this
>is a condition caused by deposition of immune complexes, not direct
>infection (which is not to say some unusual bug is still not hanging
>around). Sounds complicated but I would submit to a spinal biposy ONLY is
>alllllllllllll the other possibilities have been THOROUGHLY investigated.
>
> There --that ought to annoy your physician -- "who the hell does this
>guy think he is anyway?" --i can just hear him/her saying --;-)
>
>Bryan
>
>