Smiling your way,
Kris~
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Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 08:05:47 +1000
From: Louise <lou(AT)big.net.au>
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To: Rizahdough(AT)aol.com
Subject: TM veterans
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Greetings from Australia!
I understand that you have earned the (esteemed?) title of being the
person to have had TM the longest period of years. I have been searching
for someone who has it longer than me (37 yrs ) in order to compare
notes and hopefully to learn something, particulary in relation to pain
management.
I am a paraplegic, lesion T4/5 and some cervical damage, can stand a
little to transfer but use a wheelchair full-time. Have had a good life,
very active and positive, but have had to slow down considerably in the
last year because of pain - lower middle back, around right kidney area,
right hip area ( a new and excruciating pain), and other arthritic-type
pains. These pains move around so difficult to treat with some of the
centralising drugs (injections); I have had a number of falls also,
which occur when my legs protest and dont hold me. I have many headaches
and spasms cause a great deal of stiffness.
Well, sorry to ramble on, just want to give you a little background. I
was never aware of what TM was, when it was diagnosed in Mayo in 1963 (2
years after the onset - spent in hospital with no treatment and only an
obscure explanation that "it must have been the dive (high springboard)
which went wrong the night before onset". I spent 2 years in a rehab
centre in Holland after that and there learnt to be independant and
trained bladder and bowels.
I have never thought about TM and could not get any info. about it in
New Zealand (where I was born and had the TM) and just basically got on
with my life, career and sports asnd family. Now I need to take some
responsibility for my disability and learn some coping mechanisms.
Hve recently got on the Net, and found the TM pages very interesting.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Louise.
p.s. feel free to pass this letter on...