Transverse Myelitis & how to ask Doctor

[paperdoll]

Hello,

My partner and I have identified all of the symptoms I am having. We think.
My epidural didn't take.  I thought the Doctor who I had the appt with was going to do it and then a resident who acted like he hadn't done it before - the nurse kept correcting him as did the other resident and the Doctor teaching him (my appointment doc).  Could I have protested?  I thought they were jsut prepping me... then the guy did it - it is my spinal cord!

The other night I was vomiting and had extreme middle back pain (kidneys? liver?)
and we think the hydrocodone with acetaminophen may have temporarily poisoned me that day due to not enough water? *Codeine makes my middle back hurt for hours - I can't take codeine cough syrup even.

Transverse Myelitis:
My epidural from last week didn't take and I am surviving with the opiate.

Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of transverse myelitis may develop rapidly over hours to several days or more slowly over one to two weeks. Typical signs and symptoms include:

    * Pain. Pain associated with transverse myelitis often begins suddenly in your neck or back. Sharp, shooting sensations may also radiate down your legs or arms or around your abdomen.
    * Abnormal sensations. Some people with transverse myelitis report sensations of numbness, tingling, coldness or burning below the affected area of the spinal cord. You might notice that you're especially sensitive to the light touch of clothing or to extreme heat or cold.
    * Weakness in your arms or legs. Some people with mild weakness notice that they're stumbling, dragging one foot or that their legs feel heavy as they move. Others may develop severe paralysis.
    * Bladder and bowel problems. These problems include an increased urinary urge, difficulty urinating and constipation.

Other signs and symptoms may include:

    * Muscle spasms, especially in your legs
    * Headache
    * Fever
    * Loss of appetite

Causes
Researchers believe that transverse myelitis often occurs when your body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, resulting in inflammation and injury to the myelin within your spinal cord. Diseases of the central nervous system frequently cause transverse myelitis.

Bad doc experience:
The ortho spinal doc wouldn't stay on issue with me falling on my tailbone a few times from crouching and the recliner breaking and falling backwards a couple of times.  He just laid into me about how I know I have sciatica and how I know I had Sjogren's.  He was a foot away from my face as I laid on the table after his resident interviewed us I didn't like seeing me lying there with my coat my partner put over me because I was freezing - the nurse even mentioned it when she led us in there.  He was like "House" and then shushed me with his had in front of my face - to ask and answer my partner's questions from what I wrote down!.  The doctor himself didn't even check me out.

Classic:
How do I adjust to most Doctors not appreciating out research and not knowing about Sjogren's and just insisting I am tired and need Psychiatry?  I needed an xray my GP sent me to him for...

Thanks for reading!

Cyber hugs,
PaperDoll

[Scottietottie]

Hi Paperdoll 

I've certainly found quite a few doctors who HATE patients that have tried to diagnose themselves. Now I tend to approach them like this:

" Doctor - I really would like your opinion on this. Maybe I shouldn't - but I can't help Googling. It's just too tempting. Of course, not being medical, I never know what to believe and what not to believe so I'd really value your opinion about this article I found. (hand doc printout) What do you think?"

It's a bit of 'crawling' I guess but that approach has got me results sometimes.

Take care - Scottie       (There's more than one way to skin a cat!)