Ok so last thursday I woke up and couldnt feel my legs. Couldnt move them, lift them, feel them as well as complete loss of bowel function. After a week in the hospital and a full spine MRI, EMG, and many other testing they discharge me (still unable to walk) with a diagnosis of transverse myelitis. On top of that they found a "syrinx" at my T8. They also said that from the chronic pain my brain was telling my body to stop functioning properly because it couldnt take the pain anymore. They also tossed around the idea of conversion disorder until they realized most of my diagnosed problems are congenital.

My spinal stenosis, DDD, 4 disc bulges, and 2 disc tears are all "unchanged" from my MRI in 2010. So....my main symptoms as of now are severe burning in my feet and a sensation of stepping on a bed of nails when any pressure is applied to my feet. Sharp radiating pains shoot down my legs (more on the left side) and up my spine into the back of my head. Also, have numbness and tingling in legs and feet and down the left arm and into my 4th and 5th fingers on the left hand. And of course, the regular back pain that I chronically suffer with every day. The hospital wanted to discharge me to a nursing home, however, being only 24 and having three kids under three years old I had no choice other than to come home.

The long term plan is to treat the myelitis and in a month if things have not "improved or stay the same" they plan on doing a fusion and laminectomy on my lumbar spine. I honestly feel like I want a second opinion as the doctor in charge of my care in the hospital told me I was "too much of a liability because of my age".....

Surgery is a scary option for me but mentally I feel like im breaking down. The pain is unbearable and the humiliation of having to be fully taken care of by my husband (showers, personal care etc), being in a wheelchair, and not being able to take care of my kids is really taking its toll.

Does anyone have any opinions or experience with transverse myelitis or could this just be a "possible" diagnosis because they either dont know whats really wrong or they are afraid to take on the liability??

Any opinions or suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks

hi, i read your post and i was wondering if you still have tm or any stptoms anymore. Why I ask is cause I am 24 years old and was dignosed with it on November 7 2012. I would like to chat with you if you still have it. Hope things are better for you.