My wife's history is somewhat similar to yours.
She had her first episode at T-8 on September '97, after feeling flu-like
symptoms for a couple of days, and after tests and an MRI, her neuro
called it TM.
She became numb below the waist and had trouble walking for a while. She
also felt the tingling sensations you describe, and her feet felt like she
was walking on cushions. Her balance was also affected. Eventually, said
symptoms decreased but never fully went away. She just adjusted to her
'new' condition. No medications were prescribed at that time.
Then, she had a second episode in late January '99, this time in her neck,
between C-5 and C-6. This time, she felt sharp needle-like pain in her
left arm, then her left arm went numb and she had trouble using her left
hand. Her fingers wouldn't respond, and she had one heck of a time at
typing. Her typing speed went way way down.
After the second attack, she was put on prednisone starting at 60mg a day,
and tapering off the dose every three days or so.
She was then hospitalized for three days after another MRI confirmed the
second lesion and was given 500mg of methylprednisone twice a day. To
stabilize her, I guess. She is also to start on Avonex (interferone beta
1a) as soon as the ins.co (scumbags) approve it.
At the moment, she is still on prednisone but is tapering off. A lot of
her discomfort has gone away, including that on her left hand, which
prevented her from typing for long periods of time. We're not crazy about
them steroids because we don't know about any long term effects (to be
researched). She has experienced some weight gain, and her face is puffy
and red from time to time (it lasts a couple of hours), but that's all so
far.
We were told that once one has another episode at a separate spot, it is
then 'multiple', ergo the change of dx. to MS, and that's where she's at
now. But not all doctors agree on this one, as I'm finding out.
You said: "if i don't develop a setback". A setback, in my wife's case was
the second attack. A few days prior to that attack, she went thru a lot of
stress both at home and at work, and we now believe that said stress
brought about said attack.
So I suggest you try to avoid if at all possible, situations which will
bring you grief-stress-etc..... yeah, I know....show me how.....:>) :>)
:>) it ain't easy, right..!!
Not losing control of bladder or bowels is a good sign indeed. My wife is
quite mobile, unassisted, drives her car quite normally and now that her
typing is back up to snuff, her only complaints are her puffy face, her
increased appetite, and the remaining numbness.
Unfortunately, the fact that there is no cure nor cause to this (these)
disease(s) is at the moment true. The viral cause is indeed suspected, but
one need not be sick immediately prior to a TM attack. A herpes-type virus
is also suspected, and my wife has suffered from zosters in the past, so we
suspect that maybe the virus lingered in her body for months or even years
before it decided to attack her CNS.
The TMIC pages often will list articles with the latest advances in this
field, so I urge you to read them regularly.
And that's about all I can say for the moment. If you have any questions,
don't hesitate to e-write me or others in the TMIC pages.
We're all in this together.
cheers, Robert in Elvisland
.