Hi Ruben, Not sure how your upper body is, but I installed hand controls in my car. It was a wonderful feeling to know I can get up and go. Although the go part is still not so great, not too many places to go. I still work so it gets me there and I got a scooter to put in it. Compared to staying home all the time, it is great. Still miss all I used to do, but trying to go forward and find ways to at least feel I have some freedom back.
I woke up two years ago today (just realized today is my two year anniversary) with numb feet, 5 days later up to waist, 5th day Primary care Doctor sent me to neurologist that day. My neurologist is a wonderful man (knowledgeable, friendly, returns calls and emails, sympathetic, funny). He diagnosed TM right there, sent me that day for 3 days of outpatient steroid infusions, then oral for a week, then after another week went into hospital for 5 days of steroids 4 times a day (at this point I could not stand or take a step, bladder and bowels weren't working either). Then rehab for almost 3 weeks. Just kept pushing after that. Now I walk with a cane (not in house) for short distance or scooter for longer. I still grieve for all that I lost, sports, kayaking, woodworking, gardening. Slowly I am working myself back to some of it. I pick a weed now and then, who knew weeding would be so enjoyable. Just purchased a stool with wheels and a footrest so I can try my lathe and some small wood projects (hope it works out). I am a black belt in Aikido, had been practicing for 18 years before TM. Every now and then I go to class and do the movements (not gracefully) and throw people around with a big smile on my face (one of the few moments that I am happy and feel like my old self). I tire quickly, rest, throw etc... For bike riding I got a three wheel bike, don't go very long but I am out there riding a bike which I so enjoyed. Going to a MS support group helped, oh yea, it was finally diagnosed that I had MS which caused the TM. As is this support group, it is nice to speak with people who really know how you feel, the MS support group is in person. My husband reads all these emails so he has a good understanding of what I feel and he knows it's for real since so many others have the same pains. He is a wonderful man on top of that, don't know where I would be without him! He even accepts and deals with the fact that I don't laugh or smile like I used to, I have gone within to try and deal with this pain and loss. I think I am slowly getting back to my smiling face. Keep moving forward, reach out to people, think out of the box as to how to enjoy some of the things you did, look for new things to do. Keep conversation with your doctor to try different concoctions of medicines. Cry when you need to, it is a great reliever. Sorry this is so long. I guess I needed to relieve some of my pent up thoughts. You are all wonderful, brave, kind and sharing people on this site, even though I don't write much, what I read re-enforces my sanity. Stay strong, feel better. Deb Long Island, New York -----Original Message----- From: Towery, Ruben Dale [mailto:rdtow...@southernco.com] Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 6:40 PM To: Jan Hargrove Cc: tmic-list@eskimo.com Subject: Re: [TMIC] Thanks Thanks Jan, I know I still have a long way to go as I am new to this. My body is going through so many things right now. I can only thank God that I was able to get into the hospital and get the solumedral (steroids) within 24 hours of my attack, and also that I am still able to walk even though it is with a cane. I still have the numbness, pain, and the pins/needles in mybuttocks and my upper legs. I do have a question for all of you TMers out there. How has everyone learned hoa to deal with th isolation of being stuck at home all the time and unable to drive? I am a 31 year old husband and father who has always been very active with my family, and I feel like this has really been taken away from me. Besides all the pain, this is the hardest thing that I am dealing with. Thanks to all out there for the support. Sent from my iPod On Jun 4, 2010, at 11:04 AM, "Jan Hargrove" <jmh1...@sbcglobal.net<mailto:jmh1...@sbcglobal.net>> wrote: WOW!! You've really been put through the 'diagnostic' wringer!! I'm glad that you've finally received a diagnosis and the right help. I'm also glad you found this site.......I'm sure there are some folks here who can relate to the varied problems you've had. I know the pain can be debili- tating at times........but as you know, some days are better than others. They say that laughter is the best medicine.....lauch as frequently as possible. My hubby had a collection of Johnny Carson tapes, and when things seemed unbearable he'd bring Johnny out and things would be better........could be that I was thinking about something besides the pain?????? Keep a positive attitude! When you need to 'scream', write to the list, we'll understand and it won't be quite so difficult for your family to see you down. Know that we care, and if you have questions, ask away..someone on here will relate. As with snowflakes, no rwo of us (flakes) has the exact problems, we share some with everyone.......... Welcome to our world!! janh Stillwater, OK ________________________________ From: "Towery, Ruben Dale" <rdtow...@southernco.com<mailto:rdtow...@southernco.com>> To: "tmic-list@eskimo.com<mailto:tmic-list@eskimo.com>" <tmic-list@eskimo.com<mailto:tmic-list@eskimo.com>> Sent: Fri, June 4, 2010 8:28:06 AM Subject: [TMIC] Thanks I just wanted to thank everyone for their responses to my questions. I am so happy that I found this email list. I wanted to elaborate on myself and how TM has affected my life with you guy/gals. As I mentioned before I have been dealing with chronic back pain since about February of 2009. I saw multiple doctors for this and and a bunch of MRI's, other scans, and tons of blood work done and none of them could figure out what was going on. Finally back in November my rheumatologist and my physical medicine doctor decided, very reluctantly I must say, that I had Fibromyalgia. So myself and my wife along with my doctors started treating my symptoms as this. Although going through this process of treatments, nothing was getting better and my upper back was seeming to get worse at times. I just started to learn how to deal with the pain and mental aspects associated with the Fibromyalgia. During all of this time, I went into a deep depression and started having major anxiety and panic attacks and this really started affecting my relationships with my wife and kids, and also started causing major issues at my work to the point where I was almost terminated from my job. Luckily I have a great boss who went to bat for me knowing that I had something medical going on that the doctors had just not been able to determine yet. Then on April 22 of this year, I woke up with numbness, pain, and tinkling in my upper legs and buttocks area. I dismissed this as the Fibro had just moved to a different location. I drove myself to work and after parking my truck in our deck I started walking towards our crosswalk and got to where I could no longer control my legs and basically felt paralyzed. Two gentleman where nice enough to get my truck for me and I was able to drive myself to the emergency room. When I arrive there I was having a full blown panic attack and was scared to death. The doctors there calmed me down and sent me home and dismissed it as being fibro pain. I called my rheumatologist and he told me to see my physical medicine doctor. I got in to see him the next day and after an MRI they saw the inflamation in my spine and it was located on the conus area of my spinal cord. They immediately admitted me into the hospital and started me on steroids and did multiple MRI's, a spinal tap, and tons of blood work. I spent 4 days there before they sent me home under the care of my neurologist. After spending time recovering at home and also seeing a nuerology specialist at UAB, I was seeming to be getting better. I was able to start getting around with the assistance of a cane. After 3 weeks my neurologist decided that it would be appropriate for me to drive again and go back to work. After a week of this, I was starting to get worse. Also during the time I was off work I saw a neuro psychologist to try and determine what was going on with me having the memory loss and other cognitive issues. After his testing it was determines that I am suffering from major anxiety and depression and reccomended I start back seeing my psychatrist and psyxhologist to deal with these issues and to not return to work or drive until these problems get better. My wife, myself and my neurologist decided that staying at home and continue recovery, both pysically mentally. My pysical pain has gotten worse over the last severla weeks, but I have started my therapy with my psychologist and feel like the mental side of things are starting to get a little better. I am starting PT and OT today at home and hope this will help with my balance and strength in my legs, cause this has definitely gotten worse over the last week. I justed wanted to elaborate more on myself since people have asked. Hope this was not to long, but I am having to learn how to be more expressive with my feelings to cope with my problems. I am so glad I found this list and feel blessed that I am now a part of it. I would just like to ask every one to keep me in your prayers as I start this difficult journey to recovery. Thanks again for all of your support. Thank you so much. Ruben Towery Mount Olive, AL (Birmingham, AL) Sent from my iPod
