Good morning everyone!
If you can, please help this person named David. Thanks.
I am sending this plea to you for my son, David, because he is incapable
of asking himself. I thank you for reading this and pray that someone out
there has seen an illness like
David's or may have some ideas you can share with us. This is my son's
story.
My name is David and I am 31 years old. At the beginning of 1998, I was a
happy, energetic young man with a wife and son, a good job and had never been
seriously ill in my life. At the beginning of the summer of '98, I began to
feel very tired all the time. It was really all I could do to drag myself to
work and when I got home, all I wanted to do
was lie on the couch. I developed insomnia. I began to lose interest in
my job or most of anything else. I began having respiratory problems and
panic attacks. I became very claustrophobic and developed a fear of water.
My eyes began bothering me and were red and watered all the time. I began to
experience blurred vision. I became
disoriented at times and was unable to differentiate between reality and
non-reality. I began forgetting how to do things on my job that I had been
doing very well. I became easily agitated and irritable. The only thing I
could think of to describe how I was feeling was to say "I just feel weird."
My primary care physician seemed to think I was
suffering from depression and sent me to a psychiatrist in Wichita Fall,
Texas who started me on a series of
antidepressants. I did not feel I was depressed, as I had nothing to be
depressed about. My speech started to slur and it was attributed to a side
effect of the medication and the medication was changed. When I began
stumbling and
losing my ability to walk, it became apparent that I was suffering a
physical and not a mental problem. I was referred to the Zale-Lipshy
Hospital in Dallas, Texas where I spent a week while they ran various tests.
I was tentatively diagnosed with Stiffman Syndrome and was
started on large doses of Valium. It did not work and that diagnosis was
determined incorrect. At this point, I was still
able to walk some by using a cane but gradually my condition worsened and
I was unable to stay awake. I spent many days sleeping as much as 20 hours
out of 24.
The question came up concerning Chronic Tetanus as I was showing many or
these symptoms and I had suffered a severe hand injury which required surgery
and placing a wire in my hand. I also had a plaster cast over the open wound
for several weeks. I was treated with penicillin injections and a tetanus
booster and probably showed more
improvement in that period of time than at any other during my illness. I
drove my car for the first time since I became ill
and was feeling much better, but it did not last. I was referred to a
physician in Wichita Falls who specializes in rare diseases and I was
diagnosed with Central nervous System Lupus and was started on large doses of
Prednisone. The sleeping continued. The speech was so slurred at this point
that it was almost impossible for anyone to understand what I was saying. I
was now in a wheelchair and had begun to be incontinent of urine at night. I
was admitted to the North Texas Regional Health Care Center in Wichita Falls,
Texas in June of 1999 where I stayed a month. More tests were taken and
other consultants called in. They disagreed on the Lupus diagnosis and
decided I had an autoimmune disorder from unknown etiology. They had ruled
out the obvious diseases and were basically down to "I just don't know." I
was given plasma pheresis and was ordered IV/IG monthly, which I am still
receiving.
They also did a brain biopsy in the hospital, which showed nothing except
some atrophy which was unusual for someone my age. The most current theory
seems to be that I had suffered a virus at some time and only time would tell
if I regained any of my normal functions. At the beginning of my illness, I
weighed about 190 pounds, which is pretty hefty for someone who is 5'8" tall.
I now weigh 126 pounds.
My current situation is:
I am slowly deteriorating.
I am unable to stay awake.
I cannot hold my eyes open when I am awake.
I remember people I knew years ago but couldn't tell you
what I ate for breakfast.
I cannot talk above a whisper and then you would not be able to understand
me.
I cannot walk.
I no longer have a wife as she left and took my son.
I cannot tell you when I need to go to the bathroom.
I NEED YOUR HELP. If you know anyone who has had a
similar illness or have any ideas, please email to
savingdavid@yahoo.com,
swtstcy22@yahoo.com, or
lucille@chipshot.net
Thank you, David >>
If you can, please help this person named David. Thanks.
I am sending this plea to you for my son, David, because he is incapable
of asking himself. I thank you for reading this and pray that someone out
there has seen an illness like
David's or may have some ideas you can share with us. This is my son's
story.
My name is David and I am 31 years old. At the beginning of 1998, I was a
happy, energetic young man with a wife and son, a good job and had never been
seriously ill in my life. At the beginning of the summer of '98, I began to
feel very tired all the time. It was really all I could do to drag myself to
work and when I got home, all I wanted to do
was lie on the couch. I developed insomnia. I began to lose interest in
my job or most of anything else. I began having respiratory problems and
panic attacks. I became very claustrophobic and developed a fear of water.
My eyes began bothering me and were red and watered all the time. I began to
experience blurred vision. I became
disoriented at times and was unable to differentiate between reality and
non-reality. I began forgetting how to do things on my job that I had been
doing very well. I became easily agitated and irritable. The only thing I
could think of to describe how I was feeling was to say "I just feel weird."
My primary care physician seemed to think I was
suffering from depression and sent me to a psychiatrist in Wichita Fall,
Texas who started me on a series of
antidepressants. I did not feel I was depressed, as I had nothing to be
depressed about. My speech started to slur and it was attributed to a side
effect of the medication and the medication was changed. When I began
stumbling and
losing my ability to walk, it became apparent that I was suffering a
physical and not a mental problem. I was referred to the Zale-Lipshy
Hospital in Dallas, Texas where I spent a week while they ran various tests.
I was tentatively diagnosed with Stiffman Syndrome and was
started on large doses of Valium. It did not work and that diagnosis was
determined incorrect. At this point, I was still
able to walk some by using a cane but gradually my condition worsened and
I was unable to stay awake. I spent many days sleeping as much as 20 hours
out of 24.
The question came up concerning Chronic Tetanus as I was showing many or
these symptoms and I had suffered a severe hand injury which required surgery
and placing a wire in my hand. I also had a plaster cast over the open wound
for several weeks. I was treated with penicillin injections and a tetanus
booster and probably showed more
improvement in that period of time than at any other during my illness. I
drove my car for the first time since I became ill
and was feeling much better, but it did not last. I was referred to a
physician in Wichita Falls who specializes in rare diseases and I was
diagnosed with Central nervous System Lupus and was started on large doses of
Prednisone. The sleeping continued. The speech was so slurred at this point
that it was almost impossible for anyone to understand what I was saying. I
was now in a wheelchair and had begun to be incontinent of urine at night. I
was admitted to the North Texas Regional Health Care Center in Wichita Falls,
Texas in June of 1999 where I stayed a month. More tests were taken and
other consultants called in. They disagreed on the Lupus diagnosis and
decided I had an autoimmune disorder from unknown etiology. They had ruled
out the obvious diseases and were basically down to "I just don't know." I
was given plasma pheresis and was ordered IV/IG monthly, which I am still
receiving.
They also did a brain biopsy in the hospital, which showed nothing except
some atrophy which was unusual for someone my age. The most current theory
seems to be that I had suffered a virus at some time and only time would tell
if I regained any of my normal functions. At the beginning of my illness, I
weighed about 190 pounds, which is pretty hefty for someone who is 5'8" tall.
I now weigh 126 pounds.
My current situation is:
I am slowly deteriorating.
I am unable to stay awake.
I cannot hold my eyes open when I am awake.
I remember people I knew years ago but couldn't tell you
what I ate for breakfast.
I cannot talk above a whisper and then you would not be able to understand
me.
I cannot walk.
I no longer have a wife as she left and took my son.
I cannot tell you when I need to go to the bathroom.
I NEED YOUR HELP. If you know anyone who has had a
similar illness or have any ideas, please email to
savingdavid@yahoo.com,
swtstcy22@yahoo.com, or
lucille@chipshot.net
Thank you, David >>
