This might be a good one for Frank to respond to, but I'll try to explain how things worked out for me. I was initially paralyzed from the waist down with a lesion at L-5. Over a period of months, with extensive PT, I recovered to the point of walking with a cane. I did NOT receive any kind of steroids. My neuro said my recovery was remarkable as compared to most. He said that the TM caused swelling around the spinal cord, and when the swelling subsided, whatever damage remained to the spinal cord dictated the amount of recovery I would have (and therefore, the amount of disability I would be left with). Does this help at all?? Sue -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 11:31 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: tmic-list@eskimo.com Subject: Re: [TMIC] ot In a message dated 6/10/2007 4:32:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I have multiple levels. One at C4 to T2 the other at T10 to T12. The T10 - T12 leison made me paralyzed from bra line down. I went thru PT/OT and walked with a walker and was "hell on wheels" in a wheel chair. The C4 - T2 made me a quad. With Plasma Exchange (PLEX) and starting at square one with PT/OT after 6 months I walk with a walker but have no strength for the wheelchair. I can walk 25 - 30 feet but need to stop and rest before going on. I have an electric scooter for those times I need to go out and about. The 2nd episode really zapped me of my strength, stamini and durance. I work in burst of 10 - 15 min. before I need to rest which maybe from 20 min to hours or days depending on what I have been doing. Shopping for groceries is usually a day and half R&R. I just can't get my mind around the fact that there are paraplegics who are truly paralyzed and those that can walk. There are quadraplegics who are also the same. It seems as though TM ought to stay the same all of the time...meaning I ought to be able to walk a bit like some of you. I don't know if it is better to be one of the "walking wounded" or not. I don't mean it to sound like I think any of you have it easier than those of us in wheelchairs 24/7. I just don't understand the various ways the same disease can affect us. Is there anyone out there who can explain it better to me? Love you, Jude 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT
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