I write this blog for family and friends to know how I am really doing instead of the easy 'I'm fine' answer. I also write this blog to raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis and to help anyone who might be confused or lost or feel alone out there. You aren't alone.
Here is a good resource if you think you or someone you know might have MS and aren't really sure. The best way to be sure is testing. There are two specific tests they can do, one checks for lesions on your brain as well as in your spinal column and the other is a lumbar puncture. I forget what it checks for (I'm sure you could find that somewhere online) but you can't really argue with that one. Doctors can make excuses for lesions but if your ____ number is high then that is commitment right there. A word to the wise - if you have the lumbar puncture drink a TON of red bull. I mean a LOT. Chug the stuff. Otherwise you will be in the worst pain in your life and have to go back to the hospital for a procedure called a blood patch. Not painful itself, just more needles and annoying. It is instant relief though. I was diagnosed in 2008 by first going to an eye appointment because of eye pain. He knew it was optic neuritis and thought I should be checked for MS. I then went to my primary care doctor and he ordered the tests. The week of Christmas he stayed late on a Friday to listen to the recorded results of my MRI before they were typed up and sent to his office. He called me at 6:30 Friday evening with the news. That is a week I will never really forget. I was on copaxone shots for a while after my diagnosis. Those hurt so much and left so many whelps it got harder and harder to give myself the shots because the previous shot locations weren't really 'healed' Then they came out with a pill. That was lovely. I jumped at the chance to try that. I took that until the day I found out I was pregnant with our second child. I also breastfed because 'they' say it will help keep symptoms at bay. In this case 'they' were actually right. Other than fatigue and intolerance to heat I was not on any medication for 2 1/2 years after my son was born and I never relapsed. Once I stopped nursing that all changed. This year the relapse is hitting hard. Pretty much all the 'typical symptoms' of MS are hitting like a ton of bricks.
I don't always write about the symptoms I have because it is hard to explain. For example, you know how if you put your hand palm to palm with someone else's hand and you use your other hand to rub up and down on the index fingers. It feels funny right? Remember doing that when you were a kid? (Did I explain that well?) that is how my right leg feels. I don't know technical terms. I am losing my leg. I don't know for how long. I might wake up tomorrow and it will be back, but right now I don't feel hot or cold, it constantly tingles, my knee buckles often because I can't really tell when my foot is on the ground, I lose balance and catch myself on the wall/furniture/JP, it just HURTS. My legs have been hurting a lot at night. both of them. I usually fall asleep early to get away from it. I don't know that any medication would help. Sleeping helps because by morning it isn't so bad. But this right leg thing started Thursday. It was chilly out but the metal bench under that side of my butt/leg felt warm like the sun had been on it. Then the next morning I realized the toilet seat felt warm on that side. (It was tingling during those times but something pretty much always tingles.) It has steadily gotten worse. I'm hoping it will be better tomorrow. I'm a little worried because it being my right leg it might change how I drive. I'm not sure yet. Thankfully JP is off work until Tuesday so I have a bit of time to heal maybe. If it wants to do that. Who knows. Until then I will just do my best not to fully fall down. :)
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