Since being diagnosed with SM my doctors, family, friends and I have been trying to figure out what exactly might have caused my syrinx (cyst). I had a car accident about 10 years ago where I was rear ended, however, no symptoms ensued. I was a very clumsy child and still am as an adult. I’m not sure if the clumsiness caused, or was caused by my SM. So far, we have had not a clue where this has come from and the term for this is “idiopathic.”
Apparently, having idiopathic SM is quite uncommon. Although I have been unable to locate a percentage of those of us who have SM are idiopathic every research study shows that there is a very small percentage of us out there. There are only between 200,000 and 250,000 people in the United States with Syringomyelia. They say that there are 8 out of every 100,000 people who have SM. If I have done my math right the capitol of my state has 600,000 people and that means that there are 48 people with SM there. In my hometown there are only 5,000 people, so statistically I shouldn’t have it, right?
I learned something new about my diagnosis today that might have played a role in my SM symptoms. Apparently my vitamin B12 deficiency could have been either a cause in the actual diagnosis, or even just aided in the prompt progression. Now, more than ever, I am going to have to keep up with my weekly B12 shots. I pray that will help my back pain to dissipate and my life to regain some sense of normalcy.
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