Re: TM or MS?
Aurore Bleck (ABleck(AT)nas.edu)
Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:12:00 -0400
The way it was explained to me is that TM is a catch-all name for any
inflammation of the spinal cord/myelin that can't be given another name.
So anything that isn't encephalitis, meningitis, MS, Guillaum-Barre, car
accident/trauma, etc., is TM. Some of us have mystery onsets while others
had a virus like the flu, a flu shot or other vaccination, childbirth,
etc., immediately preceding onset. This means "TM" describes the
symptom(s) we have in common, the inflammation of the spinal cord/myelin,
and not the causal factor(s), which is the case in most descriptions of
diseases (for example, all rashes involving red bumps are not German
measles--some are chicken pox, other measles, hives--the naming tells the
specific cause of the red bumps). TM is the "everything else" category
based on the symptom, either because the causes with names, like MS, are
eliminated or the cause is not known or is so rare, like viral or
vaccination induced, that there is no specific name and little real
understanding of what happened and why. Inflammation of the spinal
cord/myelin can itself cause injury to the nerves in or near the
inflammation because of swelling and pressure.
TM is different from MS because MS patients have relapses and recurrences
and the brain itself can be involved (although some TM folks on this list
also have recurrences, it doesn't seem to affect many of us). MS, if it
affects the brain, can cause problems with speech, thinking, and all sorts
of brain activities most (TM) people are fond of and thankful to have with
or without physical limitations.
Aurore
ableck(AT)nas.edu
Hi,.....I received a letter from a gal that has TM written on her
medical chart, but her Dr. tells her it's the same as MS. This is
getting confusing to me. Can anyone tell me what the difference is
between MS and TM? I thought it had to do with how many lesions you
have, 1=TM, 2 or more = MS. But, now from what I've been reading you
don't have to have any lesions to have TM.
Also, is TM a disease? This person said her Dr. said it was a break in
the spinal cord, but not a disease. When I asked my Dr. if mine was
caused from an injury, she said no.
Help! someone unconfuse me, please! <G>
Smiles/Jackie