Myelopathy and I will walk again...Written by Julie Taylor
A story of hope...Inspirational video - I will walk again... Myelopathy is any condition (disease) of the spinal cord. More commonly known is multiple sclerosis (MS) which is similar although not the same. Here the myelin sheath around the nerve fibres - the coating insulating the wires - breaks down. Myopathy means simply 'a condition of the muscles'. Guillain-Barre sydrome is an auto-immune condition where the wheelscoloredbody attacks it's own spinal cord and nervous system.) This video was made by a young woman I am proud to call my friend. She has a myelopathy with an unknown etiology (doctors also suspected a myopathy and Guillain-Barre syndrome at various times).
Her story is unique - and yet at the same time, for me, it sounds remarkably like dozens of similar stories that I know of. In fact it's very similar to my own - including the age at which this fight started. I use the word 'fight' because, like me, Alicia has had to push, cajole and advocate for herself at every 'step' of her journey. Literally...For Alicia, the story began when she was 24. She had been completely healthy and was at the peak of physical wellness. She had just been on a fabulous holiday in Cuba and had returned to a cold Canadian February. Within weeks it was obvious that she had much more than flu... Her legs would give out under her on the way to her classes. Eventually she was diagnosed with myelopathy. She was also confined to a wheelchair, her mobility severely reduced because of poor function in her arms, which was getting worse as time wore on. As a final straw, she was told that would not walk again.
Back to our story... Luckily a brilliant,neurologist decided to trust Alicia when she said that she would walk again. The doctor saw to it that Alicia had the support she needed from rehabilitation, specifically spinal cord rehab. At the same time, Alicia arranged to carry on with her studies from her hospital bed and graduated within a year of her classmates. Five years later Alicia is still fighting. She finished her degree and maintains a full-time job, at which she excels. Life is tenuous but good although 'flare-ups' seem to occur now and again. However, with determination and support she is able to keep her decent life.
Julie
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