Re: ? Re: Recovery Time
Rizahdough(AT)aol.com
Wed, 2 Dec 1998 13:46:46 EST
Hi Connie,
I'm not sure what the doctors told you is fact. I was paralyzed (39 years
ago) in a matter of an afternoon. I was swimming, felt tired and got out to
rest. I laid on the pool chaise for a short time, when I tried to walk back
to the hotel room to lay down.......I felt like I was drunk........I weaved
around, had to hold onto the side of the building for support and my legs were
weak....they felt like limp noodles. I slept for awhile, a very hard sleep
in fact. Because I didn't wake up when my step-Dad carried me to the car, I
slept thru the whole ride home and continued to do so when I was carried into
my house. When I did wake up, I had to use the bathroom. I climbed out of bed
and fell to the floor. My legs were useless......they couldn't hold me up. I
had the ability to hold my bladder, at that time. But later, when my Mom
rushed me to my pediatrician....which was about an hour later......I could no
longer hold my bladder. It was the next morning, however, that I was numb.
So my TM came on very quickly and I recovered very quickly too. I was
walking and playing outside about 6-7 weeks after I was released from the
hospital. I want to add to that by saying, my left leg is weaker than my
right leg. For whatever reason that is, I don't know and neither did the
doctors. It is just the way my legs recovered. About 5 years after I was
diagnosed, my Mom took me to a doctor, who was the doctor of a couple of the
big sports teams here in Los Angeles. (His name escapes now, I want to say
Dr. Lobe or Jobe?) He wanted me to have a test to see how much muscle
strength I had in my leg muscles. I went to the Childrens Hospital where I
had the test. My right leg was measured with 85% and my left leg was measured
with 63% strength. I know it had nothing to do with the condition of my legs
prior to TM. I was a dancer, I marched in parades and I was a
ballerina.......my legs were both strong.
Geez........I have rambled on enough. I hope I answered you Connie, tell Al
to not give up......and to picture himself walking......keep that picture in
his mind and believe it!
Kris~