Re: Questions for my Neurologist

Deborah Capen (dcapen(AT)ivic.net)
Mon, 31 Mar 1997 19:33:13 -0800

Kara wrote:----------
> I am a 26 year old female who has had 2 attacks of TM in the past 5
> months. .......For the past few days, I've had a hard time breathing. It
feels like I > > can't get enough air in my lungs.
> Yesterday, both of my legs felt like they were being burned and
> scraped. It only lasted about 3 minutes but it was the most nauseating
> feeling I've ever felt. Also, my leg muscles feel like they're shaking
> from the inside-out................... My lower back pain has
progressively gotten worse
> I want to go to my neurologist with a list of good questions but I don't
> know where to begin. >
> Thanks,
> Kara
>
Kara, You have been getting a lot of good suggestions, do you mind my
putting my two cents in?
When I visited my Neurologist, he told me that there will be days that I
feel so badly, that it might seem like I am having another TM attack, but
that is not the case. It is just fatigue and stress. And a couple of days
bedrest (minimum 12 hours) would put me back on track. Are you sure that
isn't just what happened.

Also, the hard time breathing and your leg muscles sound like muscle
spasms. I had exactly the same thing. Although when I had the spasm, it
felt like there was a knife in my back, going all the way through to the
front, and every time I took a breath, the "knife" twisted. That was
relieved by Baclofen and Valium. It was also relieved when the doctor told
me to hold off on the Physical Therapy for a while. It seems the therapist
was giving me wrong exercises, which were causing the spasms, and sharp
lower back pain.

Have you been on the Steroid treatments? I had the burning sensations in
my legs, like my legs were on fire, every night after the steroid
treatments, then every night for about two weeks after I was off the
steroids.

Hope you don't mind my input. I am only as experienced as what I
personally am living through. Since December 30, and each day I am having
to face the fact that I might be this way for a long time.

The most depressing thing right now, is that I have realized that I can no
longer drive my Jeep CJ5 that I personally rebuilt and rewired. I get in,
and my foot can not press the clutch pedal down. If I put all my body
weight on my heel, I can eventually get the clutch pedal down to the floor,
but I don't think that will work on the road going from gear to gear. But
selling the Jeep is admitting defeat, and I am not ready to totally give
up. Right now that is my therapy, sit in the Jeep, press on the clutch
pedal three times, each day.

Hope you have enough questions for your Neurologist now. Let us know.

Debbie