My Journey
I think my road to the discovery of my MS was long and arduous. I started trying to look for answers any place I could for answers. Needless to say, there were countless websites at my fingertips. One of the first places I stumbled on was called Patients Like Me. It is a community of people who suffer from a multitude of disease. Among them was what I was looking for in my search. They have a community for MS, ALS, Parkinson's, and others. You wouldn't believe the support you will receive, you just have to reach out.
Anyway, when you join you fill out a profile and I did mine in pretty short order. After awhile, I decided to expound on my original bio. I am going to post it below. Keep in mind it is a little outdated, but it still gives the details.
"I am a wife and mother of 4. I have been with my husband for over 13 years. I have 3 boys ages 18, 8, and 5. I also have a 16 year old daughter, who lives with her father. I was diagnosed with MS on 2/09/08 and I am dealing with it fairly well, I guess. I have been having symptoms for many years and just never knew what was wrong. I came across this website and thought it might be helpful. I look forward to meeting new people and gaining some support. The journey to my dx in upsetting, but too long to put in my bio. Well, I guess I try and fill in the details now. I have had symptoms further back than I can remember. It's really hard telling when it started because neither myself nor doctors were listening. I have told my husband and doctors that "I'm much to young, to feel this old", from Garth Brooks song. I just figured I was a hypochondriac and blew off about everything. I've passed out in the shower a few time over the last couple of year, had numbness that I could chalk up to something else, I'm bipolar, and more things that I can name. Well everything came to a head on February 7th of this year.
My 17 year old is a varsity basketball player (a pretty awesome one at that) and he had an away game on February 7th. Before the game I helped my 7 year old with his homework and noticed my right arm was numb. I had been leaning on it, so it was no big deal. Well, on the way to the game, I touched my right cheek and it was numb. I thought that was very odd, so I touched my leg, arm, neck, and so on. They were all numb on the right side. They could have split me down the middle. I called my husband and had him call him mom, who is a nurse, and see what the problem might be. She said pinched nerver or maybe a stroke. I told my hubby I would check it out after the game. After the game I was feeling worse and called my little sister, also a nurse, and she sternly told me to go to the ER. I knew something was wrong, so I didn't argue. Well, everything was going fine, but I was feeling worse. I was having trouble walking and talking and I was getting very scared. I was alone in the ER because I was 20 miles from home. The dr. did a CT scan and bloodwork. He was nice until the results came back. The CT was neg, but he found Xanax (prescribed) in my system. Even though they were normal levels, he decided that was the cause of my problem. He asked me if I needed him to call rehab and I just stared at him. He told me to go home and sleep it off and see my dr in the morning if I still felt bad. Then the male nurse came in and told me I could leave. I stood up to get my jacket and when I turned around my right leg stayed in place and my left leg wrapped around it. It crumpled to the floor in slow motion. The nursae looked at me and said, "Do I just need to call rehab for you?" I could believe my ears. I told him no, I just needed to leave. I sat in my truck in disbelief. Half way home I could no longer press my accelerator, so I drove with my left leg. The next day, I went to the dr and he put me in the hospital because he didn't know what was wrong with me. The next day, February 9th, I met my neurologist for what I though would be nothing, but a one time meeting. He ordered an MRI and changed my life forever.
I am currently working with my doctor to get him to prescribe LDN. He has been receptive and I am optimistic.
I am in my 6th quarter of college courses to obtain my accounting degree. It has been a struggle since my attack, but I am determined to do this.
I'm sorry this is so long, but I couldn't help it. Please excuse mistakes, my eyes are coming and going today. "
I have been off LDN since last March because I had showed progression in my MRI. I wasn't happy, but I went along with the Dr. I have been taking the Copaxone injections since then. I am now thinking about stopping them because I'm just tired of it.
Anyway, this gives you an idea on how a diagnosis can come out of the blue. I will do my best to get more information on this page, but this is a start.