rick's "tm" ordeals!
NACYTRACY(AT)aol.com
Wed, 18 Nov 1998 20:21:49 EST
In June of 1998, I was working in Clarksdale, Mississippi , installing carpet
in a comfort inn hotel. While lifting a roll of carpet to put a dolly under
it I felt a pop or a snap in my lower back l It really didn't hurt that bad
so I continued working that day. A few days later my back started aching. My
knee hurt bad and my right foot got numb on the side. My right heel felt like
I had a stone bruise. I made an appoinment with a local Dr.. He examined me
and said that I had probably pinched a nerve in my lower back. And pulled a
hamstring. Also, that I should see my own Dr.. Just my luck my doctor was
out of town. When I got back in town, his office sent me to a specialist
(neuro) in the same building. By this time I was starting to have a lot of
pain and I was also starting to drag my right foot. To my surprise this neuro
said that I should just take 3 weeks off work and the problem would probably
go away. He couldn't have been more wrong. He completely misdianosed my
condition.
Things started really getting worse. I thought I was dying. I contacted the
neuro again but he couldn't see me that day. I went to the e.r. In my
hometown (Covington). They checked me out and couldn't make a diagnosis.
They shot me with demerol and sent me home. The pain in my legs was so bad
that I went back to the er 2 more times. This was over a 2 day period. I
hurt so bad that I was screaming with pain similar to a severe sunburn. On
the last trip to the er they finally contacted a neuro in Memphis, Tennessee
. He said for us to come to the er (AT) Baptist Hospital East in Memphis. The
er was filled with people so it was a very long agonizing wait (36 hours in er
hallway)before even getting room in er. I don't even want to "go there"!
Finally the neuro came to me to start running tests. By this time I had lost
feelings in my lower back and both legs and I was really freaking out and
scared. And if I'm scared I say I'm scared!! LOL my neuro's daughter, also a
neuro, recognized my symptoms and did a spinal tap and mri.
she diagnosed me with tm.
that was 4 months ago and 4 months of physical therapy later, I am still
paralyzed from waist down. This started after getting the "dreaded
GOMBOO/Mississippi Crud/Delta Crud, the doctor in Mississippi called the flu
like symptoms prior to my hurting my back lifting a roll of carpet. Gain this
was in July 1998.
I am not getting much better.
because the diagnosis was tm, my workers comp. Used to cover me so we are now
depending on friends and family for mostly everything. F of course GOD and
our (my wife Jeanette) church family.
what I want to know is how many people with this terrible ailment got it from
an injury, .