Hi Rita I'm a little north of you - in Mid Michigan. TM also struck me in the C4-C6 region. The cause is completely unknown - except for the stress I was under while down-sizing a bank branch. I was the type to never show an ounce of stress so I think I fizzled internally. My neuro didn't think it was stress related, however, other than that disagreement I think he is great. The cold weather is hard on me and causes a lot of pain. I'm looking forward to summer - I'm not comfortable unless it is at least 72 degrees. I often sit with my right hand wraped in a heating pad to keep it comfortable. I experience pain in my back, torso and entire left leg and foot. My movement impairments are on my right side.
The last two snow storms missed us by a few miles - it was odd to watch it on the news yet look out the window to clear skies. Patti - Michigan ---- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > My name is Rita. I am in snowy Cleveland, OH. I was diagnosed with TM > Memorial Day weekend 2007 at the C-4/C-5 region, apparently from a virus I > had 3 weeks prior. With some people introducing themselves I thought it was > time I did to. I have read your emails and received a lot of helpful > information. So, hello to all of you, some I feel as if I know, and Thank > You for the help you have given me over the past 10 months. > > My onset of TM seemed sudden. The Friday of Memorial Day weekend I was > cutting a friends hair. I began having a sharp pain in my upper back. > Thought it was just a kink and tried to work it out. I them began to have > numbness in my left arm and them into my right. After dropping my comb a > couple time and when I could barely open and close the scissors I told my > friend something was wrong. Thank goodness I got the last snip in on her > hair. She took me to the hospital and by the that time I was having a hard > time opening my hands and was getting leg weakness. After 2 days in the > hospital and several x-rays and cat scans a neurologist order a MRI. By > Sunday he had diagnosed me with TM, checked my spinal fluids, which were fine > and I was sent home on Monday Memorial Day. Not quite sure what the heck TM > was and feeling week, I thought I would be better by weeks end and out > shopping for flowers for the yard. Needless to say but my yard did not get > any new plants last summer. On Tuesday the kids got picked up for school as > I could not drive. My symptoms began to worsen. I began to feel that sharp > pain in my neck and back. As I tried to reach in a cupboard for a cup my > right arm fell and hit me in the face and the pain worsened. I started to > panic when I tried to call my sister and my fingers couldn't push the > buttons. after numerous tries I got a hold of her. She came and called the > neurologist and he ordered steroids. I was very week. I remained out of > work until mid August. > My symptoms have improved greatly since and I am thankful for that. However, > my body just doesn't feel right. I still do have numbness on the right side > of abdomen, My right arm tricep still isn't doing good and I have a stim > unit here to help it from deteriorating any further. I still get pain in my > neck and back and in October I began experiencing Lhermittes sign, and I do > get so tired still. I get a cold burning feeling in my arms and hands and > they aren't cold to the touch. If something cold touches my fore arms it > feels like it burns. > > Has anyone onset been from a virus? Another thing I experience that my > neurologist thinks is something other than TM is if I am out in and it is > windy or cold and tense up almost as if to shiver, my legs stiffen up and I > have a hard time walking. Has anyone experienced that? > > There, I did it, I am now identified! > > Rita (Snowing BIG TIME in Cleveland) >
