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Posted 8/5/2007 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi!   I'm 46, and when I visited my neuo a few days ago, he said he was suppecting MS.  Well where do i start.  Seven years ago i started having problems with control over muscles in my neck.  Did not have a MRI done, because insurance would not approve.  It took about 3 months to get a diagnosis.  My neuo said it was cervical dystonia.  Since then i have had to endure the pain of botox injections in my neck muscles every three months.  This also affects muscles in my shoulder, and my right arm.  about a year ago i started noticing problems with my short term memory.  I could not remember anything no longer than a minute or two, unless i wrote it down right then.  This has only gotten worse.  Then about three months ago i started having headaches every day, which is very unsual for me, and not as much energy.  In the mean time i have also experienced tingling, and numbness in my hands, and feet.  And in the past few weeks i have experienced times where my eyesight becomes blurry, as if i have a film over my eye.  I didn't really think any thing about it at first, thought it was just something common, untill my memory loss was becoming worse, and too many headaches.  I thought it was from just getting older.  But my neuo showed me my MRI, and it showed three lesions on the cerebullum of my brain.  He said 60% of MS patients it effects their eye nerve, so he ordered some kind of vision test where they hook these probes to your head, you look at a screen that changes from black to white, and it tells how long it takes the signal to get back and forth.  He also ordered blood test for B12, Folate, and Thyroid.  And wants me to see a specialists about my memory loss.  I guess he wants to rule out every thing else.  But in the mean time i am scared out of my mind.  But if any one can help me with any information pertaning to my symtoms, i would be grateful.  Thanks 

Post Edited (dbjb) : 8/5/2007 2:23:06 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/5/2007 9:37 PM (GMT 0)

Hey dbjb,

I am sorry you are having such a rough time right now.  Hang in there.  It sounds like your doctor is ordering all the right tests.  You may want to ask about a lumbar puncture.  They look at your cerebral spinal fluid for something called oligoclonal banding.  It is present in seventy to ninety perecent of MS patients.  If you have specific questions about MS then we can help you out.  Other than that though no one is going to tell you whether or not you have MS.  That is for your doctor to say.  You certainly do have some serious and disturbing symptoms and I can certainly understand your fear.  But there are many diseases that mimic MS and it is good that you doctor is being so thorough.  It is a scary thing to face the possible diagnosis of MS but it is not the end of the world.  We are here for you and you may ask as many questions as you like and vent all you like too.  Welcome to the forum.  There are many very supportive and wonderful folk here.  Good luck and keep us posted. 

Love and prayers,

Posted 8/5/2007 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for your help. My doctor has mentioned a spinal tap, but wanted to put me through this VER test first. You never want to hear anything like MS mentioned, i would rather it not been mentioned to me. Just do the test and don't tell me anything untill you get the results back. I keep telling myself it is not MS. I need all the prayers i can get right now. Thank you for your support.
Posted 8/5/2007 10:36 PM (GMT 0)

Dear dbjb,

You have my prayers for as long as you need them.  Try not to think about it too much until you know that you have to.  That is a good plan.  Then if it turns out to be MS, we are here and will support you all we can.  There are many here just like you that are in "limbo" as we call it. And then there are others here with a diagnosis.  We have lots of experience and knowledge in our members.  I was very scared when I was diagnosed and got lots of support from others here.  Again, keep us posted and good luck.

Love and prayers,

Posted 8/6/2007 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hi dbjb,

Welcome to the board. Its nice to meet you.I agree with you when you say you are scared of the unknown. To live everyday with an uncertain future is difficult and scarey. If it is MS there are alot of medications out there to stop the progression and to manage your symptoms. You just have to hang in there. Be positive.You are in my thoughts and Prayers. Come to chat tomorrow night. I am sure you will enjoy and you will be able to ask any ? you like.

Take care,

Lynn

Posted 8/6/2007 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi dbjb,

 

    Welcome to the forum.  You sound like you are in good hands with your doc and its wonderful that he is looking into other things.  MS can be hard to diagnose sometimes because there are a lot of different things that share similar symptoms.  And to boot, theres not one single test for it but several, a few of which, the MRI and VEP you've already had done.  The lumbar puncture is another one, but they usually save that one for last as it's not always necessary. 

 

    The nerve problem of the eye your doctor is talking about is called optic neuritis if didn't already know the term and wanted more information on it.  The VEP you had done should show if you have it.

 

    Please hang in there, share your frustrations and feelings here if you like.  We have a great group of supportive people here who will listen and help you through things.  Let us know what your tests show.  There are a lot of resources here to look through, check those out and there is a link to a ms mimic website in the resources thread at the top of the MS forum thread list.  The National MS Society website has some good information as well and you can find that at http://www.nmss.org

 

 

Kimber

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