Australian Story

[Steve]

This is my story of my spinal AVM. I am a 35 year old plumber and live in Canberra Australia.Around December 2003 I started experencing numbness in my feet. I visited my doctor and it was put down to gout which I also suffer from.A couple of months later my legs were feeling hot and also having slight loss of balance.Thats when the tests started X rays,CT scans,lubar pucture, MRI's. MRI showed a discoloration on spinal cord which was diagnosed as a tumor. This all took around 6 months to get to this diagnosis which was incorrect.By this time I was walking very slowly with the use of crutchs. my bladder and bowll were affected urgency and frequency and bad constipation.
I was scedulled to have surgery in September 2004.The day of my surgery I had a tempreture and they would not operate.They keept me in the hospital and arranged another MRI. This showed more than the previous scan and thought I should have a angeogram.The results of this they finally had the correct diagnosis and operated 2 days later.
Had rehab for three months after doctors couldn't tell me If felling or fuction would come back and so far it hasn't.I am currently confined to a wheelchair.hope I havn't bored you to death. Life goes on I am driving again and doing computer courses hope to find a different career as plumbing is no longer an option.