Your initial hospitalization sounds truely horrendous.
Hard to believe that there are those in the medical
community who decide that its all in your head if they
can't figure out what is going on.
I'm glad you have a terrific partner - it makes alot
of difference! Ann
--- Kimberly Stolhmann <a_stechno(AT)ameritech.net>
wrote:
> In October of 1993 my finance rushed me to the ER
> when I complained of a
> severe back pain and loss of feelings in my legs. I
> spent 2 hours in the ER
> before the doctors scheduled an X ray and an MRI.
> Between the Ray and the
> MRI I had a spinal tap done. It was 4 hours after
> entering the ER that I had
> my MRI. After my 2 hour MRI I was wheeled back to
> the ER and poked and
> prodded more. After 6 1/2 hours in the ER the doctor
> finally decided to
> administer IV Steroids. That was also the first time
> since I entered the ER
> that my finance was allowed to see me. I was
> admitted to the hospitals
> surgical wing after 8 hours in the ER. My diagnosis
> was Psychotic Paralysis.
> After 3 days in the hospital with the same doctor I
> saw in the ER, I was
> told I would be transferred to either a psychiatric
> rehab center or a
> physical rehab center. My doctor was to make that
> decision. He choose
> physical rehab ( I am sure it was a legal decision,
> not his medical
> opinion). I then spent 8 weeks in the physical
> rehab wing of the same
> hospital.
> One night I decided to read my chart which hung
> outside my room. I was
> appalled to find that the entire rehab program
> specified that if they could
> get me to think I could walk I could get my feelings
> back and walk again.
> the next morning I asked what I had to do to go
> home. I was told I had to
> walk out the front doors. I asked for a definition
> of "walk". The nurse
> explained that I had to be mobile under my own
> strength in an upright
> position. It was then that I began to build up my
> arm strength to use a
> walker to "walk" out the front door. I " walked" out
> the front door under my
> own power. I used a walker to get upright and used
> every bit of strength to
> drag my myself through the doors to my finance's
> awaiting car.
> Two days later I went to The Cleveland Clinic in
> Cleveland, Ohio and saw a
> neurologist who diagnosed my condition as Transverse
> Myelitis. He also
> stated that the extended time with my misunderstand
> condition could cause my
> recover to be less then favorable. None the less I
> was able to walk again.
> Now 6 years later my doctor is telling my that my
> condition is worsening.
> I had originally attained 90% recovery with minor
> foot drop problems. Now,
> after 6 years of 90% recovery, the numbness and
> tingling have returned. The
> doctor is now calling my condition Ascending
> Myelitis caused by Transverse
> Myelitis damage.
> The condition is progressive and will result in
> permanent paralysis with
> complete or partial loss of sensation in my legs. My
> bladder and bowel
> control ability is not known at this time. It is
> assumed to me a loss of
> both.
> I am now married to the wonderful man who saw me
> through my nightmare. We
> have two beautiful healthy children, 1 girl (6) and
> 1 boy (3). I work full
> time for a company who admits to not being
> accessible to the disabled, but
> that is changing also.
> My philosophy on life is " Life is road with many
> speed bumps. How you deal
> with those speed bumps determines how well you
> travel through life."
>
>
>
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