Running for Transverse Myelitis

Some of you may already be acquainted with my fundraising campaign for SRNA through my races. I have a goal set for $500 and I was so grateful for the complete strangers who donated after my last blog.

A quick background on my condition. I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis on April 5^th of this year, which is the day I returned home to Canada from a volunteer trip in Africa. My symptoms started on March 25^th and I suffered partial paralysis waist down by the time I got to the emergency room here in Canada. The disease resulted in a 14mm lesion on T9 of my spinal cord.

At first I was terrified not knowing what was causing my immobility while I laid in the hospital bed waiting on test results in hope that something would show up, little did I know my diagnosis would just lead to another fear; a fear of what is going to happen to me now ?

My parents flew up from Nova Scotia to help me out as I had a difficult time with the simplest of tasks. In my small 600sq ft. condo something as simple as getting up from the couch to the bathroom took all my energy. I couldn’t cook, I couldn’t clean, I couldn’t care for my animals; I was very much dependent. While I sat on the couch or laid in my bed wondering if I would ever be able to feel my body properly again the burden of finances hit me, how would I survive if I couldn’t work and I certainly couldn’t work in my current physical condition… Without getting into too much detail the government didn’t go out of their way to help me out and I ended up asking for permission from my doctor to return to work early; which is what I did. I would get up and go to work and suffer through the pain only to go home and limp to my couch or bed with tears in my eyes from the pain and usually end up in bed hungry because after a day of work getting up to get something to eat was impossible. After roughly two weeks of this I ended back in the hospital, but this time the right side of my body was effected. The fear once again set in … Will I ever recover? Do I have a new lesion? Why is the right side of my body now feeling worse than my left? Tingling went into my face, jaw, tongue. Was the disease moving upwards? Would I suffer worse paralysis all because I wanted to work and live my life? I became very frustrated and upset. I felt defeated. I was put on a very high dose of steroids again, 1250mg of Prednisone every other day for 3 treatments. To put it in perspective that is 25 pills at one time! Needless to say that high dose of steroids really did a number on me. I couldn’t even get out of bed, so now how was I going to live my life like this?

When I was first diagnosed I swore to myself that I would not let the disease destroy who I am. I still wanted to do what I loved. I wanted to do my job and do it well. I wanted to go to the mountains and hike. I wanted to kayak. I wanted to run. I wanted to be me! I continued to push on, I went to work everyday. I sent my parents home, as I wanted my independence back. I set out on this journey to help raise awareness of this rare life-long disease and to fundraise for SRNA at the same time. I am running for the individuals with TM who are unable to run. My goal is $500 to run in the 6km obstacle course this August. I began training several weeks ago. At first I simply walked 4km and I almost didn’t make it home. I was in so much pain that by the time I managed to get back to my condo I couldn’t physically stand in the shower to wash up. I was in crippling pain for roughly 5 hours before the symptoms started to gradually die down. I didn’t care, I wasn’t giving up. I ran just .5km, then 1km, then I’d run 1km and walk a km… I am happy to say that June 21^st I did my first 5km event and I couldn’t be happier. I ran in ‘The Graffiti Run’ here in Edmonton. It wasn’t timed but I finished in roughly 40minutes, and considering I was partially paralyzed less than 3 months ago I think that is something to be proud of. I will continue to train and improve in hopes of doing well in Mud Hero this summer.

I have been through a lot in my life these past three years and I can say that being hit with TM has been the most I have had to ever overcome. Sometimes I feel alone and then I get the most caring and motivational messages from other people struck with this disease. I am grateful to my fellow “TMer’s”.

Even though my legs are working better now the symptoms of TM still haunt me. When I do my runs I get MS hugs around my legs, my body over heats on a regular basis, my skin is suffering from eczema … The list just goes on. I get by everyday knowing that at least I have my ability to walk, which is a lot more than most people with this debilitating disease.

If you are able and willing to give, please consider pledging me for my runs. All proceeds go to the Transverse Myelitis Association. You will see the link below my blog.

“Everything is impossible until somebody does it.” Bruce Wayne

~ Melissa Coulbourne