Sands's Page

If you are fortunate to be mobile but have a "dragging foot," here are some things that really work well.  I am 21 months after onset and am walking almost -- but not quite -- normal. My left side was paralyzed. I am walking and hope to get the gait eliminated too -- these things worked GREAT:

1. Physical therapy is the starting point for everyone; there is alot of focus on getting all body parts back.  Here is the absolute best one for strengthening your hip (and hence, your…

I am now mobile and functional. 

Best advice I received:

*            Day 1 – Neurologist said, “Make sure you move that leg, it atrophies quickly.”

Since I was in the hospital and up most of the night on steroids, lifting my leg or moving it back or forth became my nighttime activity.  It was one of the best things I could have done.  I could not move my toes, but kept trying (that came later, the toes eventually moved, too.)

*            Eat high…

Three things that work:

1.  Use a cane. Not what you want to hear, but it saves your hip (you don't need more issues).

I gave up the cane after 3 months but noticed people who came into physical therapy using a cane walked much better than me (I limped).  You don't need to be dipping and sliding in your effort to walk, it will damage your hip.  Use the cane; the gait will correct.

2.  Get a brace for your foot. Not what you want to hear, but it works -- light weight ones…

Did anything unusual happen in the weeks/days before your onset of transverse myelitis?

I am interested in hearing from TM people who have tried to figure out HOW they got tranverse myelitis. We understand that our bodies attacked a sheath covering (myelin) on our spinal cord, which destroyed the brain/body connection.  After MS and other things are ruled out, there are few reasons available as to WHY our bodies destroyed this important covering.

Could you let me know if there…