paralysis

[disasterzone]

I am an active duty member in the United States Navy. I had an incident a little over two weeks ago. After doing my daily 1 hour run, about 8 miles...I bent down to take my shoes off and face planted. When i tried to stand again i figured out that there was no feeling or movement below my waist. I was immediately taken to the Emergency Room. Where the doctors told me that my paralysis was do to stress?????? Neurology came in three hours later and told me that i had a tumor in my brain, but they said they did not think that the tumor had caused my paralysis! Two weeks later the Navy discharged me honorably from the Navy with 50% disability, pretty crapy how i am treated after being a search and rescue swimmer for over 6 years huh?? I wanted to know what your opinion would be on my situation? Seeing as it is now a month later and i'm still paralyzed from the waist down, and still in a wheelchair, and still no one seems to care!!!

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
It is really sad that you have had to suffer due to a bad incident. You have not mentioned the diagnostic tests that you have undergone to find out the cause. Your doctors have not given you a specific diagnosis. It could not be a brain tumour causing the sudden paralysis. It could be a fracture of the spine. Please go for MRI of brain, spine, pelvic region and legs extending upto the feet. You may require a full body scan also. Please consult a neurologist to discuss the cause and treatment options. Physiotherapy may be helpful in such symptoms. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!      

[Marsh2001]

Dear DZ.  

Thank you for dedicating your life to our country.  People like you, certainly deserve and have earneed the best that our great country has to offer.

You indicated that the neurologist diagnosed a brain tumor.  The following information will help to guide your future decisions.

1) What type of brain tumor do you have?
   Is it treatabl3e ie. via surgery, radiation or chemotherapy or is it slow growing and no treatment is needed?

2)Have you had a follow-up visit with a neurologist or neurosurgeon since your  discharge from hospital?  You must get follow-uo care. It is more difficult to wage war when you are already injured and when one has endured the emotional and physical blows that you have sustained..  You need someone to act as your advocate.

2A)  Contact your area Veterans Association and write a letter to your Congressman.  Your Congressman's office will actually assist you in getting medical records and getting treatment.  The letter does not have to be a formal one.  You can call your Congressman;s office before you write the letter to find out who, in his or her office, will be handling your case.

3) If the 1st MRI is not showing the cause of your paralysisI, you need a second MRI of your brain and scans (x=rays and MRi's _of your spine?

4) My knowledge is limiteed however, in general paralysis below the waist usually indicates a problem with the lumbar (lower back) spine.

On the other hand, perhaps the stress of jogging, while you have a brain tumor, was too much for your body.  Do you think that this is what the docs meant when they said that your paralysis is stress related.  Let's hope that this is the case and that perhaps after your body recovers from whatever trauma or stress it has endured, your mobility will return.

I wish you all the best!

PS.  You may, at the present, be in a disaster zone however you certainlyu are not a disaster zone.  A Navy search and rescue diver.  Wow!  You are among an elite few!

[ggreg]

Good grief.  You need a new and complete workup done of not only your brain because of the tumor, but also your whole spine.  I'm thinking if you were standing when you took your shoes off and hit a hard floor, it's possible your spine was fractured.  I mean, I'm sure the Navy docs did a very good job with the scans they did of your body, but still...  The reason they said stress is because you had just finished a good workout, and perhaps you were low on electrolytes and were dehydrated, and they meant physical stress is what made you pass out.  You need to be proactive and seek out a doc maybe at the VA to evaluate you, get a new MRI, and they should then tell you how come you're paralyzed, what improvement to expect, should you be in physical therapy, so on and so forth.  Let us know how things go, I am sorry you're in such terrible shape, with no idea as to what is going on!  But if worse comes to terrible, I can tell you I saw a young man dressed in camo at the pharmacy in an amazing wheelchair, then saw him outside get on a lift to his own van, and just before he rolled himself inside, he sat out on the ramp and just took in the scenery and smoked a cigarette, as though life was his.