ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON, ABOUT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON I NOTICED A TINGLING IN
MY FINGERS AND THE BOTTOM OF MY RIGHT ARM. IT JUST FELT LIKE MY ARM WAS
GOING TO SLEEP. AFTER ABOUT 30 MIN, THE TINGLING WAS GOING DOWN MY RIGHT
LEG. AT THAT POINT I NEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AFTER THAT I DECIDED TO GO TO
THE DOCTOR. BY THAT TIME THE TINGLING WAS PROCEEDING TO MY LEFT FOOT. I FELT
A LITTLE AWKWARD WALKING. MY DOCTOR TOOK MY PULSE, THE NORMAL ROUTINE, AND
TOLD ME TO GO HOME AND GET PLENTY OF REST.
BY 7 O' CLOCK THE TINGLING WAS TURNING INTO MORE OF A NUMBING FEELING. I WAS
STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH WALKING. THE NEXT MORN AT 6:30 I KNEW I WAS
IN TROUBLE. I CALLED MY PARENTS TO COME GET ME. AFTER BEING FLOWN TO A MAJOR
HOSP, I HAD A MAJOR BODY SPASM WHICH TOOK THE USE OF EVERYTHING EXCEPT MY
ARMS AND NECK. I HAD NO USE OF MY FINGERS. WITHIN 30 HOURS OF THE INITIAL
ONSET I RECIEVED HIGH DOSES OF STEROIDS. MY PARALYSIS PROGRESSED UP TO MY
DIPHRAGM, BUT LUCKLY WASNT PUT ON A RESPIRATOR. I HAD A SPIKED TEMP FOR
ALMOST 2 WEEKS, IN WHICH THE DOCTORS COULDNT ADDRESS.
THE MRI REVEALED A INFLAMATION AT THE C-5 TO C-7 LEVEL. IT TOOK THE DOCTORS
10 DAYS TO DIAGNOSE TM. AFTER 2 MONTHS IN REHAB, I STARTED TO AQUIRE THE
SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF ONE OF MY FINGERS. THE PROGRESSION SLOWLY CONTINUED.
CURRENTLY, I HAVE THE MOST USE OF MY RIGHT HAND, AND FINGERS, ALTHOUGH NOT
GREAT, BUT BETTER THAN MY LEFT HAND. IT IS MUCH WEAKER.
MY SENSATIONS VARY, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD ANY RETURN OF ANY MUSCELES BELOW MY
ARM PITS. I READ WHERE IT IS COMMON FOR TMS TO HAVE PAIN. I HAVE NONE. I
HAVE TO TAKE HIGH DOSES OF MEDS TO COMBAT SPASMS IN MY LEGS AND HANDS. I
HAVENT READ OR HEARD ABOUT OTHER TMS WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY FUNCTION RETURN
WAS SO SMALL COMPARED TO OTHERS, EVENTHOUGH I RECIEVED STEROIDS. THE ONSET
WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS. I GUESS IM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE
WITH A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. ANY SUGGESTIONS, OR COMMENTS?
Ryno
jfarney(AT)nckcn.com