Journal Volume 2 - April 2007
Article 37
Canada On March 24th 2005 I went to work like every other day, although I felt like I had slept wrong. My neck was feeling a little sore. As the day went on, I started to become weaker, my right arm was feeling numb and I was experiencing some chest pain. Being a 44 year old, slightly overweight and male, I thought, “heart attack.” I drove myself to our local hospital here in High River. By the time I got there, 2-3 minutes later, my legs were starting to feel numb. The emergency room actually started treating me for a heart attack until I was asked to stand for an x-ray. My legs gave out and I was no longer able to stand. By 11am that morning, I was paralyzed from the chest down. I was still experiencing severe chest pain. The emergency staff gave me morphine and shipped me off to a hospital in Calgary, Alberta. Even at that point, I wasn’t feeling too concerned, thanks to the morphine and the fact that people just don’t become paralyzed for no apparent reason. I fully expected to get some medication and be out of the hospital in a couple days. Very shortly, that notion would be crushed. The first two MRIs showed nothing. I then went through a number of tests, doctors, specialists, trainees; but nobody could tell me what was going on. It was three days later and the third MRI that found inflammation on C4 and T1. At this point, I was officially diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. What is Transverse Myelitis!??!! Then came the prednisone; two rounds of it, 1250 mg a day for five days each time. Talk about mess a guy up; that stuff is horrible. I did regain some feeling and motion in my arms and my left leg, but I was unable to stand or even sit up. I certainly could not walk. My bowels and bladder shut down. And I was amazed how much the muscles deteriorated in my right leg in that short time. It still is noticeably smaller then the left. I remember asking the neurologist what were my chances of walking again. The best he could offer was that I would improve from where I was now. But he couldn’t tell me how far I would recover. He couldn’t guarantee that I would walk again. I didn’t take this too well. I went through a whole range of emotions, anger, depression, frustration. Some of this was due to the prednisone. All I wanted to do was hide in my hospital room. I didn’t want to see anybody, talk to anybody, and I didn’t want to live if I couldn’t walk. Thankfully, I have an incredibly strong wife, and as I found out, some very great family and friends. They never gave up on me. They came day after day and sometimes just sat there even when I wouldn’t say a word to them. They were the driving force through my rehabilitation at the start. I spent three months in the hospital in rehab. The first two months were slow. I saw little or no improvement. The end of the second month gave better results. I could walk a bit with a walker. By the end of the third month, I could walk with two canes; not very far, but at least I could walk. This gave me renewed hope and determination. I continued rehab locally in High River, at the pool, the gym, and physical therapy. When I got home, I spent the first three months or so getting around on an electric scooter. My right leg wasn’t good enough to drive. I have improved to the point were I can walk without canes, maybe 10-15 blocks; enough that I can go to the store, shopping, movies, things like that. I walk a little like a drunken sailor. My right leg, as well as my core, is still weak, and I sometimes have trouble with balance. I am able to drive now, although I am a two footed driver. I can’t move my right leg fast enough between the gas and brake. I did have to give up my career as a Heavy Duty Mechanic. I’m just not strong enough and mobile enough to do that anymore. I am currently in a temporary position as a Fleet Supervisor, where I work, but it has not been finalized yet. I seem to be able to handle that job well. It is a good mix between desk work and walking. I do get stiff, if I sit too long. For the most part, I am doing pretty well. I continue to have a loss of sensation from the chest down and it gets worse the lower it gets. My feet are the worst; very little feeling in them. I do feel blessed to have recovered to this point and any gains from here on I consider a bonus. When I came home from the Hospital, I searched locally for some kind of support group with no luck. I was actually surprised to find so little information (around my area anyway) on TM. I did finally find and join the TMA a while ago. After reading Sandy’s article in the last newsletter, I decided to try and get a support group started here in Canada. I am both nervous and excited to get this going, but I look forward to seeing this group start and grow. I believe there is a real need for support groups, for people that go through such life changing illnesses. Although our family and friends are a huge support, there is also great help, comfort and healing from connecting with others that can relate to what we are going through. My name is Dan Kilborn. I am 45 years old and have been married for 18 years to an incredibly strong lady, Connie. I have a great daughter, Kelsey, 15 years old. We live in High River, Alberta, Canada; that’s 30 minutes south of Calgary Alberta, the home of the famous Calgary Stampede. Dan Kilborn |
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