Amanda,
You have been through hell as so many of us have. Keep a good communication
with us - we all care. Janice
----- Original Message -----
From: Amanda Diskey
To: tmic-list@eskimo.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 9:06 PM
Subject: [TMIC] Fw: my transverse myelitis story
----- 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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