Janet,
My heart goes out to your son, yourself and your family.
I wonder why it has taken a whole year to diagnose him.
I don't know if TM is hereditary. However I figure that there is a big
connection with autoimmune conditions in a family. I have TM (I'm 65 this
year) TM since 2003, my sister 3 years younger has MS, diagnosed in 1991, my
sister 7 years younger has Ulcerative Colitis, diagnosed in 1972, my father had
Rheumatoid Arthritis. These are all autoimmune conditions.
My daughter purchased some extra health insurance sor hereself this past year.
She had to declare any conditions in the immediate family, parents, siblings
etc. Since I have TM they would not insure her health against MS. So that
tells me that the insurance people also figure there is a connection.
You have every right to feel all your emotions of sad, hurt and angry. Now
that they have diagnosed him I do hope that the doctors will be able to help
him with medications to relieve some of his pain and fatigue if he is not
already on meds for these issues.
Please keep posting and use us as one of your sounding boards. Perhaps seeing
a professional to help you and your son deal with the psycological effects that
this disability takes on us could help as well.
{{{Hugs}}} to you and your son and family
Heather in Calgary
----- Original Message -----
From: Janet Dunn
To: 'Transverse Myelytis'
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:30 AM
Subject: [TMIC] My Son
Hello all you fellow TM'rs.
It is with such a heavy heart, and with tears rolling down my face that I
write this.
My 15 year old son, who has struggled with his legs for a year now,
undiagnosed, has finally been diagnosed. While it is not life threatening, it
is TM.
I am so sad. I do not know what to think. When I was diagnosed he is the
only child of my four that asked if it was hereditary, and I said no. He
replied "Good, then I won't get it."
Now they strongly think he has it. I am so sad. So hurt - probably angry if
I allow that emotion. I worry about his future. I know he can be productive,
but really - two people in the same family having this beast of a disease?
What are the chances?
The only common denominator, other than the gene pool, is that he was in the
same vehicle accident that I was in 8 years ago. And he was on the same side
of the truck that I was on, in the back seat. Why so long to manifest? I
don't know. He has seen me and my trials, so he knows what is ahead.
Does anyone know if this beastly condition can be hereditary? He is already
talking about not having children in case it is.
I am so sad, so discouraged. I know that he is lucky - he can walk with a
cane - for that I am thankful. He has not gone to school for a year because of
the pain, and the exhaustion. I know that Tracy out there has an eleven year
old daughter with it. I am just wondering if anyone else has two family
members afflicted with this thing?
I simply cannot stop the tears. It is one thing for me, at 47, to face life
with this, but to have my son have it too, at 15 is almost too much.
Thanks for listening.
Janet
