Hours after giving birth, a young mother found that she suffered from paralysis that would last for five long years to recover and regain mobility. The mother thought having an epidural was not worth the risk because of the known side effects but after being in labor for 48 hours changed her mind. Three hours later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl but it was not until the mother was at home and taking a bath that the paralysis happened. Her body went into spasms and her legs collapsed.
Doctors diagnosed the neurological disorder transverse myelitis, or TM, the effects of which can be similar to having multiple sclerosis.
According to the Transverse Myelitis Society, aggravation to the spinal cord, such as an epidural, can activate it.
Initially, she was told by an on call general practitioner that the problem was probably due to a trapped nerve, which was common after pregnancy. But as her condition worsened, she was urged to return to the ER. The numbness in both legs had spread to her arms and was going to her waist and chest. The next morning she was given an MRI scan and diagnosed with TM before being put on a drip and given steroids. With no cure for the condition, she was discharged two weeks later, confined to a wheelchair.
In her old life she loved swimming, aerobics, and cycling. Her new life didn't even allow her to change, bath or put her baby to bed. She progressed to crutches for two months and walking sticks for the next two years. Her daughter actually learned to walk before she did.
She decided that determination was her best weapon. After gaining weight due to enforced inactivity, she insisted on struggling through some form of exercise every day by starting with just ten minutes a day and gaining up to two hours, mainly of stretching exercises. The big turning point came two years ago when she walked without sticks for the first time. Since then it has been slow but steady progress.
Now she walks her 5-year-old daughter to school, and runs her own weight loss group. She now also had a 2-year-old son, Ethan, born without an epidural.
Has an epidural or doctor / hospital mistake caused you or a loved one to have paralysis? It's more common than you think. Do you qualify for a medical malpractice lawsuit? Contact Anapol Schwartz, a PA Medical Malpractice law firm with over 30 lawyers, many with specialties in their field.
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