Is It Ever!!!

Nearly two years after our Initial blog... WOW, Life is short.  Very Short...  TWO YEARS!  OMG.

Well we had a bumpy road the last year...  some major setbacks in health, but we are overcoming that.

4 am, April 19, 2013,  I woke up to a severe pain in my right side.  SEVERE-barely describes it.  When I tried to stand a half hour later... my leg gave out under me.  I thought it must be asleep.. no biggie.. I stayed in bed.  By 5 am,... I still had a bit of pain and couldn't sleep so I crawled out to the living room, as my leg was still " asleep" .  Hmmmm... ....   At 7 am,  I decide it was more than asleep, and woke my husband to go to the hospital.  I did this by crawling back to the bedroom, and waking him up.  Of course, this is the ONLY night HE is getting a good night sleep.  
We arrived at the Nanaimo General Hospital by almost 8 am.  I have to say that I have never had better treatment in a hospital before and was amazed.  By 9 am I had seen the doctor.. a few times...  had two IV's in, and was on my way to a CT scan.   By this time, i had no feeling in my left leg, and no function in my right. A bit frightful to say the least.

The next morning at 6 am, when they still could not find out what was wrong. I was sent to Victoria General Hospital, where a team of Neurologists work.  I had had every test that i knew of... and more... MRI's- not one but two...  CT scan, spinal tap, X-rays, blood work, and more.  Victoria General Hospital has a wonderful team of nurses and doctors who made my 6 days there as pleasant as possible.  they started me on a steroid for 5 days.

Then by day three I could move my toes.... ever so slightly... but I moved it. Seemed like a major accomplishment.  I had one Neurologist come in and say that I may never walk again... he was unsure...   I asked for a different neurologist.  That was not an option- and obviously he didn't know ME.  I have too much to do in life... LIFE IS TOO SHORT!!!  And how am I to teach sailing onboard if i can't walk!! How are Darren and I to live out our dream life onboard a boat, if I can't walk? OMG

So , making a long story short...  I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis.- a swelling of the spinal cord.  Why???  Not sure.  Dunno.  It could be a few discs i have that just barely touch the spinal cord... in their opinion NOW, a year later.  but nothing concrete.
All in all, I spent almost a week in the hospital, a few weeks in a wheelchair at home, then moved to elbow crutches for a few months, then walking poles.  Now I use a cane only when in big groups of people, cause people don't bump into me, cause I fall over easily.  my balance is not 100% but its improving every day.

What I DO know... is that I have a wonderful support team...  A wonderful husband who cares and shows his love every day, a sister who drove 1200km to be in the hospital with me, and spend a month with us helping to look after ME.... ME, the one who never needs help from anyone...  Ya...  ( i think I've changed that tune) , and a network of friends who are like family to us. I have two great boys who have grown to wonderful men. And I have a team of doctors who really do love their professions.

So, a year later, I am back to Instruction on the boat... albeit, I have wobbly moments...  I can walk about 2 miles, mind you it takes me half an hour,  and I can cycle on my bike about 5 miles...  I still have no deep muscle feeling in the left leg at all, and only partially in the right, I'm not 100%, and may never be,  but I'm 75% physically improved, and emotionally I'm great.  It was a tough road... but with family and friends that are awesome, I couldn't be better.
I know there are other people out there who have been diagnosed with the same thing i have been... and I hope that I can help to inspire them to improve, and never give up.


Now... to the next course....  cause  LIFE IS SHORT!