Battling Syringomyelia

by Stephanie Meyers
(Crossville, Tn)

At age 26 I was hit from behind by a falling ladder, pins and needles feelings from head to toe in somewhat of a shock state. Taken to the ER the nurse found the numb spot while examining me and said it could be a possible jam. No real medical attention was brought to the numb spot in the middle of my back even tho it was found the night of the injury and complaints was registered to the local company Dr. The workplace refused to treat any area other than where I had been struck. At the time I was thinking to myself the numb spot was probably a jam or something like the ER had mention. Unable to turn my neck from side to side for the first couple of weeks. Also dealing with spasms that would tense my entire back and shoulder area like a rock and caused pains that felt like knifes running from the numb spot in my spine to under my shoulder blades. I also have what I call blackouts. Where I go blind seeing stars and my pulse races dangerously when I would move my shoulders. I soon learned what would cause these episodes and stopped doing those things. For the first year I wasn't allowed by Dr order to stand longer than 30 minutes at a time and for the first 6 months I wasn't allowed to lift over 2 lbs.

As the anniversary of a year came about they put me through a type of physical strengthening I had blackouts during some of those and was even made wear a heart monitor due to the dangerously high beats per minute. Each time this happened she would have me sit. At one point she told me there was a possibility of going into cardiac arrest. I am unsure if that's accurate as I've seen no real doctor for this. Six years has gone by. In October of 2010 I had a MRI done, my Dad paid for it. They found a 3mm by 3cm Syrinx in my middle back. I have no insurance and haven't worked since I had to quit that job. I fear to do anything afraid from what knowledge I've received from the internet that I could paralyze myself since I do have most of the symptoms. I've lost so much strength in my arms and just holding them in front of me causes sever pain.

I am not a strong willed person, I loose hope very easily. Depression over this has been devastating. I went from being full active working a full time job and running a small family farm (loosing everything I knew and loved because I could no longer care for it) to a lump afraid to move or live due to possibly going paralyzed. After severe pain I also have trembling episodes where my whole arms shake if I try to use them. I'm not sure what telling my story will do. I guess there is a small part of me that still hopes there is something that could be done before its too late.