- Transverse myelitis
- Interviews
Kevin Weilacher's interview
How did all start?
May 14th 2008 at 1am.
Woke from a dead sleep...
I was out of town visiting my mom because my wife and I were celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.
Do you already have a diagnosis? How long did it take you to get it?
I had a diagnosis within the second day of my hospital stay.
I had an excellent neurologist.
What has been the most useful thing for you so far?
Most useful thing in my recovery was physical therapy.
I spent nearly a year and half in PT but it got me from being wheelchair bound to being able to walk somewhat, with a cane.
What have been your biggest difficulties?
The mental aspect is a bitch to get over....
I've continually beat myself up over the years because I am no longer able to work or do alot of the things around the house that I used to be able to do.
How has your social and family environment reacted? Have your social or family relationships changed?
My wife has been amazing.....
She has accepted things as they come.....although she's obviously not happy with them, she understands and accepts them.
She is a member of my Facebook support page and it's helped her to see alot of the posts from other TMr's and caregivers.
What things have you stopped doing?
Stopped going out for most social events. It is a real pain having to get prepared to go and then once we get there I have to make sure I know where the bathrooms are and I also have to take a supply of catheters with me.
We do go out for things that are of shorter duration but all day events are pretty much out of the question because of the fatigue I face.
If what we are doing will involve alot of walking I have to take my wheelchair since I cannot walk for a long distance.
I can no longer work a normal job nor can I do the common household chores like cutting grass or shoveling snow.
What do you think about the future?
Future is a day by day basis.
I make the best out of each day and I've also learned not to take anything at all for granted.
What would you like to do if you didn’t have your condition?
I would still be working a good job and taking care of all of the chores a husband should normally be expected to do.
My wife and I would also be enjoying some wonderful vacations to nice places..
Finally, what advice would you give to a person in a similar situation?
Try not to let it get you down and find a hobby that you truly enjoy doing....or look around for a hobby that you'd like to try.
Find something that you otherwise would have never pursued and give it a go.
In my case I taught myself how to do some woodcarving.
