Autoimmune Myelopathy Treatment in India

Anjali Iyer, a 42-year-old software architect...

Anjali Iyer, a 42-year-old software architect and mother of two, had always been active. Over the past 18 months, she experienced a slow, insidious decline. It began with clumsiness, dropping her coffee mug, stumbling on stairs. Then came the numbness in her feet, creeping up her legs like a cold tide. She dismissed it as stress or a pinched nerve from long hours at her desk. But when she struggled to walk her daughter to school without her legs buckling, fear set in. Her primary doctor referred her to a neurologist. After months of tests ruling out MS and other conditions, a spinal MRI and specific antibody testing confirmed a diagnosis of Autoimmune Myelopathy, with inflammation compressing her spinal cord. The spine surgeon, Dr. Mehta, explained that while high-dose steroids had stalled the progression, they hadn't reversed her deficits. To prevent permanent disability, he recommended a laminectomy to decompress the spinal cord, followed by continued immunotherapy. The surgery itself was a blur of anxiety. Waking up, her first thought was to wiggle her toes, a wave of relief washed over her when she could. Recovery was a marathon, not a sprint. Intensive physiotherapy was grueling, relearning the simple act of walking. A year later, Anjali walks with a slight limp but unaided. She can play in the garden with her children and has returned to work part-time. Emotionally, she journeyed from a place of profound fear, terrified she would become a burden to her family, to one of resilient gratitude. She mourns her former physical self but has found a fierce appreciation for every small victory and the support system that carried her through.