I switched to another doctor and he put me in the Rehab wing at Good
Samaritan Hospital here in Phoenix and the difference was like night and
day...The entire atmosphere was VERY positive... I had a deal with my
therapist, she could work me till I was exhausted but she couldn't actually
kill me.. She would work with me for a hour(sometimes two) in the morning
and the after lunch another hour and I would take a nap.. Around 4 in the
afternoon she would take me to a HOT therapy pool nearby for a 1 hour
workout and that is where I probably made my most progress....
Today, ten years later, I am partially paralyzed in my legs and feet, I can
walk with a cane, although it is quite sloppy, I have the recurring
myelitisis ban around my chest(slight pain), problems with my bowels and
bladder and terrible lower back pain almost all the times...
My main reason for writing this message is to warn you about walking.... I
too have the problem with the feeling in the bottom of my feet and legs and
because of that I have problems with foot placement and therefore stager
around somewhat as I walk.. Walking has become a trick, it is not a
automatic function.... Therefore if I trip the least bit, I don't recover
from it the way a normal person does,,, I fall down!!! My mind doesn't work
fast enough to tell my foot what to do to recover and the cane is really
not much help... So, my advise is to be very focused when you are walking,
look down where your feet are going and step very carefully... Don't let
someone get you engaged in a conversation where your attention wavers,,,
"oh look at the pretty whatever", you look up at the whatever, take a step
where you shouldn't and,,, down you go... Whenever you walk past something
stable, a chair, a table, a car, or a wall, your free hand should
automatically fall on it for added stability. Walking with a grocery cart
is very helpful. When I was learning how to walk, to strengthen my legs, I
would go to Home Depot and walk with a cart up and down the isles,
remember, the floor is flat and the cart will warn you of anything in your
path before you get to it... I am warning you this because over the years I
have broken my wrist once and ribs twice falling down... Stay Focused!!!
If you have any questions, e-mail me or send me your phone number and I'll
call you...
Jim Andrews Phoenix
At 08:47 PM 11/1/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I was recently diagnosed with TM following an "episode" where I had clonus
and
>spasming in my left leg, followed by weakness. I walked into the ER,
>unassisted. Following a CT Scan, (4) MRI's, angiogram, cardiac stress test,
>spinal tap and pulmonary function test, I was diagnosed with TM. I was
put on
>3 days of steroids, 1000 cc''s by IV drip. I had several allergic reactions
>to medications , which slowed my progress. I spent 10 days in an acute care
>hospital and was transfered by ambulance to a rehab facility for 2 1/2 weeks,
>where I received PT, OT, Rec Therapy and Clinical psychology follow-up. I
>feel that I am one of the fortunate ones, as I am now ambulating short
>distances (70 feet) with crutches, albeit very slowly. I use a chair in the
>house for Energy Conservation and to access the kitchen. Fatigue, weakness
>and sensory changes in my legs, L>R, are my primary challenges at present.
My
>legs feel as though they are freezing from the inside out, and when I walk I
>feel as though I am walking on sponges. The only medicine I have found that
>helps is Neurontin and Baclofen. I also have chest pain that pierces through
>my back from the center of my shoulder blades. I want to get off medication
>(vicodin), but I have not yet been able to find anything that works. Any
>suggeestions? I am currently recieving home health PT and OT, and when the
>fatigue becomes less troublesome I hope to go to out-patient PT. I am
>interested in knowing if there are any other health professionals out there
>with TM that were successfully able to return to manual work. I am a
Physical
>Therapist by trade and I am quite concerned over my ability to perform my
>previous occupation at a level that would be acceptable to my co-workers and
>my employer. Any input would be greatly appreciated.- LZ
>