----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Amanda Diskey <adis...@yahoo.com>
To: wllo...@tampabay.rr.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 12:33:53 PM
Subject: my transverse myelitis story
Hello, I am Amanda a 30 year old single mother of two awesome kids, and this is
my story about the worst day of my life! I got up that day and helped my
boyfriend clean his daddy's house, we ate lunch when we were finished, and I
went outside for a smoke. While smoking my cigarette I started having chest
pains, and my right arm was hurting so I went back in and laid on the couch.
About an hour later, or maybe more, I decided to go to the ER in case I was
having a heart attack. They took me back immediately, but they could find
nothing wrong with me. After six hours of tests I told them the chest pains
were probably caused by my GERD (acid reflux) because it had happened to me
before, and I wanted to go on home. After I left i noticed one of my knees
buckled every time I took a step, but I didn't think much of it. I went to bed
early cause I just didn't feel good, and I woke up about 11 p.m. because my
back was on fire like it was sunburnt. There was a
rash across my shoulders and down my spine. I was feeling really bad, and I
told my boyfriend I needed to go back to the hospital. When I went to get out
of bed I almost fell in the floor, but he caught me. I could not stand so he
had to carry me to the car along with both kids. So here we go, I have to stop
on the way and started throwing up over and over again. I finally get to my
second hospital of the day only to run tests until 6 a.m. and finally admitted
to a room where they left me lay for 12 more hours without even monitoring me.
When the neurologist finally came at 6 p.m. I was paralyzed from the shoulders
down. He said that 2 more hours I could have died! He transferred me to ICU at
another hospital and I was 3 points away on blood oxygen levels from being put
on life support. It was 2 days before I was diagnosed with TM at C6-T3 and also
T9-T10. I received 5 days of IVIG, and 10 days of solumedrol, and an antiviral.
I stayed in ICU for 8
days, 2 days on the neuro floor, and 6 weeks of inpatient rehab. I still go to
therapy now. I got a partial recovery, my arms returned but not so much my
hands. My trunk and legs remain paralyzed but I can wiggle my toes! It has been
9 months now and who knows what could happen! Maybe they will figure out a cure
one day!!
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