Hello all,

As you might guess, I am new to the community. I was actually directed here by my physical therapist. Well I'll move right along with my problem.

I'm not sure if anyone has heard anything like this before, but I really have tried every forum I could think of for other diseases such as parkinson's and ms, but I don't have either of those diseases so I was kindly asked to move along. Well my story begins a little over two years ago. I was about to turn 19, and foolish as most teenagers are. I had been doing drugs since I was about 16, but I decided to quit all that and grow up, so I joined the Army. This worked very well, and I actually went cold turkey off of heavy drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Well, about eight months later I returned to New Orleans on leave, keep in mind this was after Katrina, only to find the home I grew up in completely destroyed (I am from the 9th ward). I cannot blame anyone or anything for what happened next, and to be completely honest the events are extremely hazy to me. However, the next night, Christmas Eve, I somehow managed to overdose on heroin. I married very young, having just turned 18, to a young lady who also had a drug problem. She actually injected me with the heroin that night, but as I previously stated, I probably did not resist. Since I had been clean for drugs for the better part of a year, I overdosed. Her recount of the night had changed several times through the year immediately following my overdose, but the basic idea I have gotten from it is she panicked and flushed all of the heroin and the syringe down the toilet before calling 911. She also attempted to pour milk down my throat in an effort to counter-act the heroin, but since I was passed out it only went into my lungs and I got pneumonia as well. There was a 15-20 minute time gap before paramedics even arrived at her home and I was shot twice with adrenaline. I remember nothing from Christmas Eve until roughly the fifth of January because I was so heavily drugged. However, my parents have told me that while in the ICU I shook violently, so much so that the doctors administered 60 ml an hour IV ativan. I was also told that I died, or came near death, more than once in the ICU. Afterwards, I could not feed myself, walk, stand, or even hold a cigarette. Fast-forwarding, I was sent to the VA hospital in Palo Alto, CA, where, after roughly three months of intense physical therapy, I was able to walk with a single point cane just fine, feed myself, and basically do almost everything I could before. I thought I was on the road to a rapid recovery and I was very excited. Then a rapid turn of events occurred - I actually was confined to a wheelchair again because I was falling five to six times a day trying to walk. While in the hospital, both Oschner in New Orleans, and in the VA in Palo Alto, I had several MRI's, CT scans, two EEG's, and an EKG. All of these came out normal, showing no brain damage whatsoever. When I was put back into a wheelchair again, immediately I had another MRI but that showed nothing abnormal yet again. I had another MRI some months after, and still nothing was abnormal (by this time I had gotten back to physical therapy and was put on a cocktail of different pills, ranging from muscle relaxers to benzos to barbituates, and was able to walk again independantly). Now, fast-forwarding again to about 7 months ago, I found I was unable to move around as well and went back to using my cane. Then more and more spasms in my left arm began to occur, and all down the left side of my body. Eventually, today, I am terrified to be around large amounts of people, I am unable to walk independantly (I usually hold onto my Grandmother's hand in addition to the cane), I still am unable to write well (although that has vastly improved), my left side has increased spasms, and I feel terrified of almost everything.

I have not suffered from a stroke, a heart attack, or seizure. However I did suffer from severe panic attacks. My neurologist is baffled by my condition, as are the other neurologists I have seen in the last two years.

So I ask, please, if anyone can shed any light on my condition, or have even heard of anything similar I ask please to help me find out what is wrong with me. I am a 21 yr old, who only wants to go back to school and live a normal life. I thank all of you in advance.

sincerely,
Mikhail

Welcome Mikhail,

Hopefully someone will find the answers you seek.

Take care,

vst

welcome i just found this board too

Welcome to the forum, Mikhail. I hope the doctors can figure out what's wrong. Are you seeing a therapist or counselor for the panic attacks and fears? Some therapists will recommend other kinds of tests and doctors to check out. Mine, for example, told me to get my thyroid tested, since trouble there can cause symptoms I had.

Good luck and take care.

Hodge

Welcome Mikhail

hello everyone! thankyou for such a warm welcome! i actually am seeing a therapist, just not very often. i wanted to try hypnotherapy, and see if i had any luck with that as i have read some success stories thanks to hypnotherapy. most therapists seem to want to avoid me as they are not exactly sure what the problem is. i try to remember when all of the symptoms started, but unfortunately cannot remember anything from that night or the following week or so. i suppose thats why the therapists become frustrated . Hodge, thankyou very much for your suggestion on the thyroid test, none of the therapists/doctors i have seen even mentioned that, i'll be sure to ask about it my next session. unfortunately, the military is not too fond of me any longer after this incident so they don't like to give me authorizations to see new doctors/therapists/counselors. but once again thankyou all for your warm welcome, i feel i will have success chatting with y'all. have a great day!

Mikhail

I am intrigued as to why a therapist referred you here Mikhail? Are you saying that you do have PTSD, or that your therapist believes you have PTSD?

I think you should consult the book and Dr.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Dr Amen

he does MOVING brain scans...meaning....while the BRAIN is engaged, he can tell where there are deficiencies.

I think he will be your ticket.

Mikhail, Welcome to the forum!

Hope

You really need to see a therapist.....that will start you on your path to healing.

Geneva