Home Community Member Stories Laurie

Laurie's Story

richieashburn@webtv.net

Hi! I am writing today to share my story. In August of 1985 I fell out of a hunter's tree stand and fell 15 feet and broke my back with damage to my spinal chord. I was 22 years old then and little did I know how that day would change my life forever.

I was paralyzed from the waist down and I was told I would never walk again. Well with a strong will and lots of determination. I did walk again. I failed to mention that I also broke my right ankle that day. Slowly I got most of my feeling back ,but I was still left with partial paralysis from the waist down. A condition that is called Paraparesis-which to this day I have never met anyone or heard of anyone with this condition. I never got the feeling or movement back in my ankles and feet. With the help of Moffo braces I was able to walk again. 

The next 9 years were pretty much uneventful. I had minor problems here and there but nothing to major. I even got to the point where I could almost run. Then in 1994 I developed a foot ulcer that would not heal. I had had them before but they always healed. To make a very long story short it took 3 years of bed rest for this ulcer to heal. To this day, no one knows why it took so long for it to heal.  During those three years of bed rest I gained a lot of weight. But something else was going on at the time. I felt myself becoming weaker and my muscles would become very sore for no apparent reason.
I chalked it up to the bed rest. Well when the ulcer healed and I was back on my feet. The muscle soreness didn't go away. It seemed the more I did the more I would suffer.

I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Something a doctor had mentioned to me about 5 years prior to the foot ulcers. I didn't give it much thought at the time for 2 reasons. #1 No one else ever heard of this condition.#2 The flare ups were not that bad back then.  Well I have tried just about every medication there is for Fibro. and nothing seems to help. It works for a short period of time and then it stops.

My main problem is where do I find a doctor who knows how to treat Paraparesis and Fibro.? It just seems that I can't find a doctor who understands or for that matter people who understand. I have been called lazy, depressed, uncooperative and many others. I have lived by myself for the last 17 years and I always was proud of the fact that I was independent. But each day I see my health getting worse. I can't do the things I use to enjoy doing. I now have to use a wheelchair because the foot ulcers were starting to return. I can walk some but I usually end up falling if I try to walk
too much. 

You see the things that most people can do to relieve the symptoms of Fibro. I can't do because of my spinal chord injury and vice versa. But I have yet to find a doctor who understands this.  Most days it takes all my strength just to get myself out of bed.  Since being diagnosed with Fibro. I have problems with controlling my bladder. I also developed a problem with my left eye which no doctor has been able to figure out what exactly the problem is with my eye and what is causing it. 

I also have severe arthritis in my right ankle (the one I broke) I have never written anything like his before so excuse me if it is written poorly. It feels good to have just gotten a lot of these feelings out. 

Well at this time I can't really think of more to say. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts my e-mail address is: richieashburn@webtv.net Feel free to contact me. Thank you all for listening,
Sincerely,

-Laurie