In Their Own Words

Patricia A. Crockett
New Mexico

The fingers on my left hand tingled, went numb; then the hand, then the right fingers, hand, and both arms. I could no longer pass baby shower gifts along to the next person. I was in normal health going to the shower, but in two hours, my arms, hands and fingers were numb. This was September 9, 2001.

Gerry, my husband, walked me to the car, and we drove 200 miles home. An evening emergency call to our family physician service resulted in a call back by the physician on call, who, after hearing the story, believed it was an allergic reaction to Benedryl. He didn't think he had to see me.

The second day I went to the local hospital emergency room. Without a clue about the numbness, the hospital sent me home. I tried that day to call my local physician without success.

On the third day, I did not reach my local physician, but contacted her nurse who said, "if I were you, I would go immediately to Albuquerque. I did, and checked in at the University of New Mexico Medical Center. I took this 200-mile drive on the day the planes crashed into the World Trade Towers. We thought we were experiencing a bit of our own terrorism, as well. Upon arrival, I could not walk from the car to the emergency room. Once in the emergency room, the doctor did a spinal tap and a CAT Scan. The doctors were not sure about what was going on. I was admitted to the neurology wing for more tests.

On the fourth day, the neurologists found inflammation in the C 4 through 7 vertebrae area of the neck and they found an increase of white cells from the spinal tap. There was no impact on the spine, so the inflammation was a mystery. After analysis of a urine sample, I was given antibiotics for a yeast infection.

The fifth day began with a MRI and further bed rest. I walked the hallway, but was very weak. My fingers and hands were weak, but I was able to feed myself.

On the sixth day, there was more bed rest and walking the hallways. I recall my fingers could not work the TV switches on the bed rail.

On the seventh day, I was sent home. I was given a diagnosis that the discs in the C 4 to 7 area were swollen, and in time, I would either get better or worse. That evening at home, I walked from one end of the house to the other, with relative normalcy, but I was weak.

The eighth and ninth days were relatively normal days, doing normal activities, but I remained weak.

On the tenth day, I got up to go to the bathroom at 2:00 AM, and I felt hot and sticky, and a little light headed. I asked Gerry to fix me a cold cloth, and I couldn't hold it in my hands. My legs were very weak, but with assistance from my husband, I walked back to bed. I stayed in bed with numb hands, arms, and legs. When I had to try to get to the bathroom at about 2:00 PM, my legs wouldn't support me and I melted to the floor like a snowman. The paramedics took me to the local hospital, where they didn't have the foggiest idea what to do with me. My local physician said she would arrange ambulance transportation to Albuquerque. I stayed the night at the local hospital.

On the eleventh day, my husband woke me at 7:00 AM. I was dead cold from my chest to my toes. My skin was physically dead cold. He massaged me to try to get warmth in my limbs. My blood pressure had fallen way, way down. It was then that I realized I was totally paralyzed from the neck down. Back to UNMMC where I was put into acute neurology ICU. They did another spinal tap, started a five-day 1000 mg intravenous drip, and monitored my heart pulse, which fell to thirteen one night. I took oxygen when I slept. It was at this time that I was given the diagnosis of Transverse Myelitis. Multiple Sclerosis was ruled out when the brain scan was normal for a lady of 53 years of age.

After the steroids, the doctors decided to do six sessions of plasma exchange. The clear portion of my blood was thrown out and replaced with the "super juice" as they affectionately called it. It was supposed to restart the immune system with all fresh juice, while the tainted portion, which may have been doing the wrong thing, was eliminated. All of this time, I felt, and still feel, hot and cold patches in my arms, legs and throughout the torso. I was quadriplegic for two months, and now, after thirteen months, I can walk. I go to the supermarket. I can raise my arms. I can drive. I am still weak, cautious and deliberate with all movements. And I remain blessed with a hand with fingers resembling a back scratcher or claw.

The key to the doctor's diagnosis was that the left arm and the right leg were the slightly stronger limbs, thus "Transverse," and "Myelitis," spinal cord inflammation.

I take no medicines, though I tried Nortriptylin for relief of the hot and cold sensations. The side-effects of dizzyness, and a general rummy-dummy feeling, made it not worth while for me. Over all, I have been pain free. An occasional sensation of "The Ring" will cause some discomfort, but that pain below the rib cage doesn't last too long. It is not the pain, it is the numbness, weakness, and disfigured fingers that make life a new challenge. And, heck, I'm one of the lucky ones who have had at least an 85% recovery. Thank You, Lord!!! There is even a funny side to the whole thing. When I point to something, people don't know whether to go in the direction of my finger or go in the direction of my arm. One of my very first therapy sessions was to reach out, grasp a potato chip, and get it to my mouth.

Inexplicably, I remained calm throughout all that went on. I was helped through this time of trials by an uplifting attitude, and a fighting spirit that wouldn't give in to the negative side.

At UNMMC, the doctors put pulsing air bag leggings on my legs to help against getting blood clots. I believe these leggings are the reason why my legs improved better than my arms and hands. If only I could have had them on my arms, as well, during that motionless period. Perhaps the forced blood circulation would have saved more of my arm and finger muscle mass. But we didn't know about that at the time.

Thank, G-d, I went to a University Medical Center where the doctors are use to looking in books and searching the Internet for solutions to new and exotic 'syndromes;' five weeks at UNMMC, followed by five weeks at Roswell New Mexico Rehabilitation Center.

UNMMC, doctors and The Transverse Myelitis Association,
THANK YOU!!!

Patricia A. Crockett
pgcrockett[AT SIGN]aol.com