I had something similar happen to me in 2010. I have had 9 lumbar and thoracic back surgeries throughout my life and I am very athletic - I am currently 50.

After a workout in 2010 three hours later I lost the use of my bowels and I could barely stand or use my arms because they would shake so violently. After two weeks I first saw my General Practitioner. She didn't listen to me. She said it was simply constipation and to come back if it didn't get better in two weeks. She didn't even respond to the arms and legs and gait problem that started at exactly the same time as the bowel issues.

I lost 40 pounds in three months and although it was obvious to me that something happened while I was exercising I was sent to bowel doctors, bladder doctors, psychologists, had myelograms of lower spinem MRIs, Xrays etc, ended up in the emergency room twice with bowel issues....and no one listened.

One of the emergency room doctors told me that the only time he had ever seen a bowel like mine was when a person sustained a spinal cord injury and this started me thinking or knowing that I was on the right path.

I had every GI test known to man, nerve conduction studies, blood tests, bladder tests etc. Finally three years later when my leg started to curl up toward my body and so did my hands etc....a neurosurgeon asked for a MRI of the neck which I hadn't had since 1993.

My spinal cord was completely flattened in two places and emergency surgery was required. To make matters worse the surgeon died the night before surgery in his sleep (he was 52.)

I was all alone and after a while no one would listen to me - they all thought I was exaggerating things and it got to the point that I could not straighten out my right leg and my hip flexor was contracting so tightly it was cutting into my hip all day long....

I lost vision in one eye and so many other things happened. Finally after I had the spinal compression surgery I can walk, exercise, my bowels work, I can see and so much of all the crazy is gone.......

I know exactly what you are going through as far as so many tests - I even had pelvic floor physical therapy because they thought that could be the problem - my pelvic floor was inverted because it was being pulled so tightly from the spinal cord compression in my neck.

I did have a brain MRI and only had one or two areas of concern but they did not know what they were and so they said it was normal. I can live with that.

Sounds like your doctors are looking at everything and trying to eliminate diagnoses....When all your body is crashing like mine was - it is very hard for any doctor to know what to do if you think about it.

I suggest if possible to get all your medical notes and go to one of those clinics like Mayo or a place where they look at everything - they put the team of doctors together and look at everything and they don't let you leave until they know what the problem is and how to fix it.

I ask everyone to pray for you during this time. There is always light if you look for it.

Kelli

Sorry to hear of your mismanagement. All of your original complaints seemingly point towards central pathology so cervical MRI, among other thoughts, should have been an early no-brainer. Glad to hear you are better!