Lori Collins

Hi  all my amazing friends and family.  I thought creating this site would be a better way to keep everyone informed.  Well it seems like my life has changed overnight.  I have been diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis; you are happy to look it up in your spare time 😊 But in short Transverse Myelitis (TM) is a disorder caused by damage to the spinal cord.  There is no cure.  My story is below:

Last Thursday night, 9/14/17, around 8:30 pm I was finishing up helping Chase pack for his Southern California football/Disneyland trip.  Around that time, my left leg started going completely numb.  As most of you know, I struggle with back problems so I thought my back was just acting up from that and the fact I was bending over so much packing-so I went and laid on a heat pack. By 9:00 pm, the numbness radiated across my groin area down my right leg and feet.   

I'm still convinced it's my back so I ignored it but a little worried so I sent Guy a text at 9:30 pm (he was over the hill working)! saying "something weird is going on with my lower body." He responded and said he would be home shortly.  He came home said we should go to ER but being stubborn I said "I just think my nerves need to calm down in my back."  So both of us laid there until about 2:00am awake when the numbness radiated down my right arm/hand, across my chest  and down my left arm/hand.  Well now it's time to go to the ER as I am now scared.

Into the ER and after a long night - 5 MRIs, 4 spinal taps, blood work & so many doctors.  A neurosurgeon who ruled out that this had anything to do with my back. 

They admitted me and sometime Friday I received the diagnosis of Trasverse Myelitis. Ok WTH is that ?  

There is no cure and the outcome of whether I will get any feeling back in my legs, groin, butt, feet, arms, chest or hands are unknown. Only time will tell if my spinal cord decides to heal itself.

My hands are in the least pain and my calf & feet are excruciating and I cannot walk on my own without assistance. 

I have no idea how long I will be in the hospital - they are still waiting for a ton of blood work to try and figure out the cause of what attacked my central nervous system.  It's usually some sort of virus or bacterial infection that went haywire.  Hoping answers unfold this week. 

It's a roller coaster of emotions and unknown feelings of how my life will look in the future - will I be able to walk on my own, exercise, run, wakesurf, etc - but I truly believe "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."  I am not dying and I will prevail!

I want to thank EVERYONE for the outpouring of support, love, meals  for my family (feel so much better being here knowing they are being taken care of), messages, gifts - goes on and on and my heart is grateful for all of you ❤️  

I created this site because Facebook and trying to keep up with text messages is hard to give the whole story.  I know you are all concerned as I would be if I had a loved one in the hospital. 

So I am now the woman with TM (Transverse Myelitis) but I won't let that define ME!

❤️