My experience has been so far is that I now walk with two canes, (took four
months to get legs to move), still have to self catheter, still need
supositories and no pain to speak of, just darn sore legs internally. I
have to be carefull with my body from T6 down as I have next to no external
feeling, i can cut myself and not know it.
But, I try to keep very focused on what I intend and try to achieve. I am
55 years of age and walk and exercise as often as I can or when the body
allows. I use a wheelchair at home in the evenings when I am very tired
and worn out. I walk with the canes very slowly, have dificulty crossing
roads but I have managed to walk up to two and one half kilometers over a
period of three and opne half hours with a couple of sit down stops along
the way. I may not be fast, but do I ever get a buzz out of the walk and I
only have to cross a couple of quiet minor roads. So Connie and Al,
please dont give up, try hard, and when you feel worn out, rest and try
again. After hospital, I wxercised in a work out gymnasuim three days a
week and also exercised in a heated pool. Real good.
So to end, try to keep focused, Its going to bee hard, and never give up on
your own big picture, and as the group have said to me, they are all
"sitting on the verandah urging me on" and so I commend that to you.
Kind Regards from Errol, Narangba, Queensland Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Wenciker <wenciker(AT)hotmail.com>
To: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com <tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com>
Date: Monday, 09 November, 1998 6:07 AM
Subject: My Son Recently Diagnosed With TM
>
>On Aug.31st 1998, my son, 42 yr.old, was suddenly stricken with sharp
>pain shooting down both legs, and in a matter of hours was paralysed
>from the waist down. The 1st ER Dr. he saw, sent him home with a shot of
>Demerol, and Valium. Later he was hospitalized, and an MRI was done of
>spine and brain, to rule out MS and finally he was diagnosed with TM.--
>to date have no cause, as there was no virus preceeding this attack. He
>did have a Tetanus booster 1 mo previous, which we are still wondering
>about. I'm a RN, and had heard the term, but had never seen a case. It
>was soon evident that most, if not all of his Drs. or nurses had ever
>seen a case either. He was started on large doses of Solu-cortef, IV
>first, then orally. This we were to understand was to halt the progress
>of the disease, but not to cure. He experienced much pain the first 24
>to 36 hr in his back. He now has much discomfort in his legs which he
>describes as nerve spasms. He lost his bodily functions, and has
>learned to self cath intermittently, and uses suppositories for bowel
>function He was hospitalized for 2 weeks, and then sent to Rehab. for 4
>wks. He is home now , still goes to PT 3 times a wk.-- is mostly in the
>wheel chair, though he is learning to walk with a walker. He feels most
>of his walking is being done with his upper body strength. His body
>functions have not returned, and he still has no feeling in his feet or
>toes. Because his Drs. know so little about this condition, no one has
>been able to tell him what to expect. He has questions like will I ever
>walk again? Will my body functions ever return? Does sexual funtion
>ever return? Will the nerve spasms in my legs and feet go away? Will
>this condition recur? If any of these functions do come back, what time
>frame is he looking at. He also now has a bedsore in the coccyx area,
>and would like information on the best and fastest way to heal it. No
>one knows, but those of you who have this disease what a change this
>makes in ones life. Our prayers go out to all of you. My son Al, has
>stayed very positive, and plans to go hunting and fishing again. I have
>read from others how important positive thinking is. I wonder if this
>is an attainable goal? I would like to hear from any one who can give
>any encouragement and/or information that might be of help. Also, if any
>of you may have had a vaccination of any kind it would be interesting. I
>am Alan's Mother Connie. My E-mail address is wenciker(AT)hotmail.com
>
>
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