I was diagnosed with TM in the first week of Nov. 1999. I am 23 years old.
I think my case of TM is mild. The onset was strange becase all my symptoms
seemed to relate to something else. Only when I began to experience weakness
in my legs did I suspect something neurological.
My symptoms began on a Thursday. My arm had a tingly/burning
sensation....I had been swimming in a therapy pool at my clinicals(I am a grad
student in speech pathology). My supervisor told me there was enough chemicals
in the pool to kill a small rodent, so I assumed that I was experiencing a
rash from the pool. On friday, I had been typing up evaluations on the
computer. Afterwards, I felt like I had pulled a muscle in my upper back
between my shoulder blades. Well, I was throwing the kids around a lot in the
pool the day before. In the middle of the night on Friday, I had trouble
voiding when urinating. So I went to my family Doctor Saturday and she
suspected a urinary infection...which would make sense because I had been in a
pool all day Thursday. Saturday night I had to go to the bathroom. After
4:00 am I could not urinate at all. I waited four more hours than went to the
ER(in IN) had they placed a cath to void the urine. A urologist came in, they
exrayed my bladder, didsn't see anything, sent me home. I was back that night
once again very anxious because I couldn't go to the bathroom but felt like I
had to really bad. So they sent me home with the cath and bag this time. By
this time, my legs started doing weird things. I had a wide gait. My legs felt
wobbly when I walked.
I went to bed that night with the cath bag at my side. Through the
middle of the night, I knew someting was terribly wrong. I had socks on and
was unable to pull myself down to my legs or pull my legs up to me to take
off my socks. My mom and a family friend had to help me out of bed. Mom
called to get me into a hospital in Louisville, KY(because we don't really
trust the ones on this side of the river for something serious)While she was
on the phone, Patty, our close friend, gave me a sponge bath. I cringed the
whole time because I was sooo senstive and Patty couldn't stand seeing me in
pain so she stopped. I felt bad for her!
I went to the ER in KY. My nuerologist came in and examined me. He
suspected TM or Gullian-Barre(which scarrd me because I had just recently
studied that syndrome in my Nueo class). My mom questioned the nuerologist's
age(he looked very young). He was very nice, not stand-offish. Anyway, he
thought it was TM because my reflexes were intact. He sent me for a MRI (I
didn't even hear him say they were ruling out tumor, I think I was in shock or
denial). The lights on the street went out three times so they had to reboot
the electricity and I was in the tube for 3 and a half hours. I'm not sure
exactly, but I think my inflamation was in cervical spine and I later found
out after reading my chart that it was also in the medulla. But I never had
symptoms from it being in the medulla, my speech and swallowing was fine. I
had some other tests including a spinal tap. My neurologist as great. He told
me to stay off the internet though becasue he thought I'd scare myself with
what I'd find. I aksed my Dostor how I got TM and he said bad luck...he said
it isn't certain, but probably from the uppper respirtory infection I had 21-2
months prior was a probable cause. He explained that the antiobiotics that
should have attacked the infection instead attacked my spinal cord and caused
the inflammation.
Anyway, he put me on steriods via IV. I was in the hospital a week, my
fiancee was there everday and mom stayed with me in the hospital the whole
time. I was very scarred when I heard things like MS being thrown out there.
ThI fell twice while in the hopsital. I then progressed from walking with
assistance to walking with a walker to using a cane. I had PT for about 2
months post onset. My walking is fine now. I went home form the hospital usinf
a self-cath. About one month post onset I was finally able to void about 50cc
or urine on my own.Then I began feeling a urgency to go all the time, but only
a little came out at a time. Also, sometimes I would lose control. So I wore
panty liners. My nuerologist said I had graduated to a spastic bladder. Which
I thought was better than not being able to go at all. So he put me on
detrol, which took about 2 weeks to take effect. Now, I can urinate naturally,
but I have to push my bladder and I only get small amounts out. So I sit there
and push and push untill it's all out. The medicine helped me regain control,
but I still feel the urgency sometimes, like right now! Now, on three
occassions I have lost bowel control. I don't know if I should be concerned,
because it's been about a month ago on the last one and all three times I was
in the comforts of my own home.
Again, I am sorry if I offended anyone earlier with the question
pertaining to sex. It's just that I am getting married in June and Scott and I
have been together since '93. I am too embaressed to discuss this with my
family, so I thought you guys could maybe help. I don't mean to impinge on
anyone's morals. Scott is great, he has been very understanding and
supportive. I don't know much about everyone here, I just joined yesterday and
I just got a computer last month. Hope to here from someone soon. God bless
you all.
Lisa