Janice, Looking at me you'd not know anything was wrong, but.........watch me walk a short distance and then have to sit for a short time before I can continue my 'trip'! 13 years next month I was limber athletic 57 year old gal, but today, tho I look "normal" I have wall hugging days, if I get down on floor to find something, etc I can't get back up without something to climb up on.....some change!! but hey, there are many who can't do what I can so I'm just thankful I can do what I do!!! as for the pain, that's a given but it's not something I share, there's no sense in it.......talking about it doesn't help and after awhile I don't think anyone would want to be around me! Those who love me know what days aren't my best and they do what they can to make life easier (even avoiding me so I won't chew their heads off!!) You're fortunate to have the doctors you do...I, too, had excellent drs who were knowledgeable about tm.... some on the list were days, weeks etc before getting their diagnosis.......which were days lost on return road!! Life continues and I'm glad for what I have! janh, Stillwater OK..........P.S. where in MO?
--- On Sun, 3/8/09, Janice <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Deb! This is Janice from Missouri I have had TM for 2 years and am still trying to be able to tell just "before" over doing it, that I have over done it! With me, there is more nerve pain and I fall easily. Very irritating! It just takes time to learn your new body. I don't know if there are any actual stages to recovery. We are all too different and the intensity of what hit us varies too much. I have been told by doctors that the disease is usually divided into thirds - Bottom third is no improvement - Middle third is moderate improvement and some independence - Top third is almost complete or complete recovery. I have also been told that 3-5 people out of a million will contract this disease - pretty rare. Most recovery takes place the first 2 years with some after that. Must be something "special" about us. This sure is a great group to "talk" to and so open and helpful. I know that I want to be a part of this group - I have already been helped and feel I can ask anything. When I was first hospitalized with this, I assumed that it would be short term and that as soon as I recovered from all the other breakdowns my body had, I would be fine. I had no idea and the doctors never told me that this was my new life. I am still showing some improvements, but I can tell I will never quite reach the "top" third. You guys will be hearing from me for
