Transverse Myelitis Internet Club List: MS and TM

I am a 59 year old female and I have MS withTM. I became ill in August of 94 after we returned from France. My husband was over there on a work assignment for 2 1/2 years. When we returned our daughter had a brain tumor removed. This was her second one and it was benign. After that, my husband was transfered from Ohio to Kansas. We were to move in August. 2 weeks before we were to move, one day I felt like something was picking at me on the left side around the rib area. It reminded me of the feeling when you leave a tag inside your clothing. I brushed it off and continued to get ready for the move. 3 days before the movers showed, my left side where the priking was turned numb. By the next day I was numb down to my foot and buy the 3rd day my right side was also getting numb. My doctor in Ohio had me go to the hospital and have an MRI on my lower spine, showed nothing. I was in a lot of pain so he prescribed Percecet for me to travel. He told me to go to the local hospital when I arrived in Kanas as it was a weekend when we arrived. They took one look at me and said, you have MS. Well my husband and I almost fell over, never suspected that. Than we started looking back over my medical history. About 10 years ago I had a spinal tap done for MS, nothng showed so I went on. I had most of my life feeling fatigued, especially in France as we did a lot of traveling through other Counteries while we were there. Anyway they sent me to a nuerologist who addmitted right away and gave me prendesone IV. He said I had Lupus with TM. He put me in touch with a Rheumetologist. At this time I was on many medicines, so much that I couldn't think straight. We decided to get a second opion so we went to the Mayo Clinic. There they said it was not Lupus but I did have TM and possibly MS. So here we were back to square one again. I than saw a neurologist in Phila., Pa. He said yes I did have MS with TM. My neurologist back home did not beleive so I choose to get a new doctor.

Two years after my onset, I was doing quite well, not taking a lot of medicines. That July I got hit again this time I ended up like a paraplegic. All I had use of was my arms. I spend 2 weeks in the hospital than 2 weeks in a rehab. Those 4 weeks I made myself excersise no matter how tired I was. I was bound to get myself back to where I was before it hit me again. I did it, I came home to a wheel chair but before they were finished putting ramps in for me I was walking with my walker and than a cane.