Misdiagnosed Twice

[Steve]

My Story started in 2007 when my son was playing his Senior year of football. My legs began to become week to bend down to take photos was a chore. I thought maybe I was hurt when I fell off a horse back in August.

I have always had back pain and constipation. Also I have a high toloerence for pain. Going to the doctor is not something I have done so this was akward and I kept on thinking I'd be getting better so I put things off as long as I could.

So I began by going to a a chiropractor who gave me an adjustment. My symtoms increased to where I needed help getting back up when I kneeled down. So the next doctor I saw was a orthopediac surgeon. He gave me xrays and an MRI. He told me I had arthritis everywhere.

After weeks of seeing him and going to Physical Therapy he sent me to a spine doctor in his office. He couldn't find anything wrong with me so we continued PT.

Finally by the first of December my Pysical Therapist said you need to get a 2nd opinion because you are continuing to get weeker. It became a struggle to climb stairs to go to work.

So the next step was to visit my family doctor. He sent me to specialist in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The Doctor reviewed my Xrays and MRI and sent me the very next day to a Neurologists. He reviewed my symptoms and told me he thought I had MS or Transvers Mylatis. I felt almost relieved to have a diagnosis so i could begin treatment.

Before I could start treatment I had to have a spinal tap to make sure the diagnosis was correct. We had to wait thru the holidays for the test results. My oldest daughter was visiting from California and didn't want to return untill she knew what was wrong.

As I still grew weeker each day finally the doctor called me at work to tell me I had Transverse Mylitis. This was in the first week of January of 2008. I was so scared I only told the guy who worked beside me. I called my kids and they were devastated. After working a 12 hr. shift that day I fell under my car on the ice on the way home.

I wanted to start treatment right away but getting on the right medicine was tough plus all kinds of choices and high cost for the meds. Finally a month later I began Beterseron shots.