Re: have questions

Deborah Capen (dcapen(AT)ivic.net)
Sat, 4 Oct 1997 15:12:31 -0700

Sharon and Kelly,
There is a very good book at the bookstore, entitled "Multiple Sclerosis Fact
Book", by Richard Lechtenberg, MD. It answers many questions you might have
regarding MS. (The book also describes medications that many of the TM
patients are taking-very good reference book.) Many symptoms of TM and MS are
similar, and in the book, it states that sometimes it takes a few years to
accurately diagnose MS. The book begins by describing how a normal nervous
system and spinal cord functions, and then describes what is happening when
things are going haywire, then the testing procedures that are done to
determine what kind of spinal cord damage is occurring, and how a final
diagnosis is made.

Your Neurologist should be doing all the testing to rule out MS, and I
believe that you would have to have an MRI and Lumbar Puncture as part of the
tests, to have an accurate diagnosis of TM or MS, or any other spinal cord
illness or injury.

I have had TM since December 30,1996, and my doctor told me to allow
approximately two years' time frame for the body to regenerate new myelin
protection on the nerves. Meanwhile, you improve steadily but slowly, or
quickly at points, but six weeks is definitely not a long enough period of
time to judge whether or not you are going to heal.

I remember when I could not stand up, the first day I could barely wiggle one
toe, then the first day I could stand on my own, the first time I could walk
ten feet with a walker. I was overjoyed with the daily improvement. Then I
started to only improve weekly, now I am measuring my improvement month by
month. Sometimes it seems like a very slow healing process, but it is very
important to keep a positive attitude and not get frustrated or discouraged.
If you do get discouraged or depressed over it, you may notice that you are
"getting worse", actually you are not, you are just having a "down day".

So don't get discouraged, do whatever you have to do to keep a positive
attitude to lessen the occurrence of "down days".

Debbie
dcapen(AT)ivic.net