Patients' Stories

Erin's Story

First, of all I would like to take this opportunity to say that I'm very thankful to have found this support group.

Hi, My name is Erin (female), I am 19 years of age, and my story starts way back in Feb. of 99. I was a passenger in a car when someone else who was careless and not paying attention, pulled out in front of us and caused us to swerve and hit a tree going 55 mph. Seeing as how at the time I was 18 and immortal (yeah right) I was not wearing a seat belt. We hit the tree dead on. That was the day that changed my life forever.

I knew right after that there was definitely something wrong with my back, I just didn't know how bad it really was, it turned out that I had completely shattered my 4th lumbar, and my spinal cord was bent 85%. And I dislocated my left ankle. All the doctors said that I would never be able walk again. Thankfully and amazingly I can walk. When I finally was able to get out of bed I had to use a walker.

It took only about a week before I started getting a really sharp pain in my lower right side of my bottom. And it hurt bad, the nurses and doctor just thought it was some aches and pains, nothing to worry about. After about 3 or 4 months of having this pain get much worse and having it spread from my lower back into my legs, we called my doctor and told them something wasn't right. After getting a bunch of MRI's, Cat Scan's, X-ray's etc. he concluded it was Arachnoiditis. He explained that there was nothing he could do to help it other than to get Pain Management.

I have lost almost all of my friends, because they have better lives and don't like having to do things differently, or having to walk with someone who limps slowly in the middle of the mall. So I'm usually going out with my parents and sister and brother, which I have to say, before the accident was UN-heard-of. Now I love being with them, I have learned that family is the most important thing to me, and they have become not only my friends but my best friends.

There was one good thing that came out of this whole thing. Before the accident I was a senior in High School, and I wasn't doing to well, I was going to have to repeat it the next year. After the accident I got my head on straight, I graduated and wound up on the Honor Role.

So here I am a year and a half later, talking to you, who also unfortunately has this terrible disease as well. I'm glad that I have found this group, to be able to talk and know that you know what I mean, and understand how bad it can get sometimes.

So that's most of my story, I'm sorry if it was long and all. Thank you for being there... ----Erin