Rob, so far I've only read one person where the provider said the TM was caused by a lack of B-12. I haven't seen many who have mentioned the Varicella-zoster/Herpes/chicken pox virus. This is interesting because that is the theory I heard from most of the different providers/neurologists I went to even though they all ended up that it was, in reality, something idiopathic (don't know)! We are sure getting the majority of stress and flu-like symptoms prior to the outbreak of the TM, it seems. The one neurologist at I saw at Johns Hopkins did say if we could get the stem cell transplant, it would probably be the one thing that would help us. Other than that he just said reiterated that I had TM. All of this information from everyone is so interesting, isn't it? I sure do appreciate everyone for taking the time to share, I truly do.
Thank you, Cody, for sharing your experience. My TM also came on within 24 hours with total paralysis from the T4 down. When I first was taken to ICU, they immediately put me on IV steroids to 'stop whatever was happening from doing more damage'. The damage was at the front portion of the spinal cord, T4 level, so I am still able to have a very strong upper body, thank God, and have been able to learn to walk pretty well! I still feel like I am full of wet sand from the chest down but I can sure handle that compared to where I started!! Jeanne -------Original Message------- From: Cody Date: 3/27/2008 7:55:18 PM To: TMIC; Robert Pall Subject: Re: [TMIC] UNBELIEVABLE! Rob..........I believe that my TM affliction was related to stress as well. This is why: I had an extremely stressful job as the lead financial analyst for the country of Kazakstan following the Exxon-Mobil merger. All of the properties were heritage Mobil and none of their Kazakstan financial staff came over after the merger which meant I had to start everything from scratch into the heritage Exxon accounting system. On top of that Kazakstan was generating tons of cash which generated tons of complex questions from upper management. Then they gave me a fresh out of school accounting major/football player to train. (Controllers fraternity brother). He couldn t find his butt with both hands. He ended up getting fired for misuse of his corporate credit card. During this time I decided to go on the Scarsdale diet which I had success with before. I was also doing a couple of miles on the treadmill or playing racquetball during lunch at the YMCA. I think the combination of all of this caused my body to degrade to a low and very susceptible level. So I think that when whatever it was that got into my spinal cord virus, bacteria, or etc found a a very vulernable situation. Then my immune sytem attacked and destroyed the myelin. I never had any lesions. All my nuero found from the MRI and spinal tap was an increase in the protein level in my fluid. Needless to say my diagnosis was idiopathic. I am paralized at T-3/4 with absolutely no recovery. Seven years ago this April the 8th. It happened very fast, less than 24 hours and they diagnosed me very fast and put me on the IV prednisone treatment. All to no avail. I was in the Methodist acute care hospital in Houston for a month and in the TIRR therapy hospital for a month I'm not sure if the medical folks that treated me did me no good or if they were successful at limiting my paralysis to T-3/4. At any rate I am thankful that I can still use my arms.............Cody in Austin (No clouds, no wind just sunshine and 80 degrees and tons of little peaches on our two trees.)