Joe writes:
>> My daughter who is 16 had this disease in Nov. 96 and still has the
effects
>> of it. This is in the left leg and hip area are weak and hip falls when
>> walking. This is ok as better than in the wheel chair as we started out
>>with.
Joe, I was diagnosed in December 1996, admitted to the hospital with total
loss of use of both legs, and bowel\bladder region. Today, eight months
later, I can walk with a cane, (really using it for balance) all sensations
in left leg are altered, and change day to day in how they feel, sometimes
painful, sometimes not. Sometimes totally numb, sometimes just a little
numb. The balance is off when walking on uneven surfaces, don't know what I
would do if ever stopped by a Highway Patrol and made to "walk a straight
line". Was evaluated by Rehab, told I was improving well enough to not go
there. Physical Therapy was stopped the day I was released from the
hospital. My doctor did not recommend it, as he said I could exercise on my
own, at my own pace. Physical therapy caused painful "knives in my back" in
my case, so I didn't mind stopping it anyway.
>> Does all the blood get into the foot area? We have gained feeling in the
leg as time >> went on.
The doctors performed EMG's on my legs and feet, found that circulation was
normal, the only problem is that because of the "blockage" in the spinal
cord, the messages sent from my brain were not being received by the parts of
the body to where they were being sent. Even though sometimes, especially
when walking barefoot, my feet feel as if they are freezing, or I am walking
on ice.
Just keep a positive attitude, don't get frustrated. Sometimes improvement
seems to come daily, other times you have to look for improvement monthly.
Compare what you have today to what you had a month ago. It may seem very
gradual, but you are improving.
Debbie
dcapen(AT)ivic.net