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    Hi! New member!

    HI! I'm Cami. New here & newly diagnosed....sort of..I haad MRI done 15 months ago, but then became very ill & spent 4 months in thr hospital, beginning of '13. Ihave all kinds of symptoms..depression,extreme tremors, muscles spasms, memory loss/fog, tingling/pain, falls, bladder/bowel...& I'm sure others that I think r from my fibro, dm, asthma...yada yada...lol

    About me, 51, twin boy's 19, engaged 2 amazing Canadian man! Live in tiny upstate NY town, Savona, Near Corning, Buffalo. My son & his fiancé live with me full time, so that I'm not alone all the time. My fiancé is a trucker, & has arranged his loads so that he is never more then 6hrs from the house. I have beem in & out of hospital 8x since April.

    I have so many questions, & would appreciate any advice ya'll could give me about what to do to be prepared for 1st visit with neuro. What meds ya'll are on. What works well for you! Any suggestion u may have to Make life easier.

    I am big on vitamins& supplements...& I'm willing to try whatever. I have been reading posts all am! Sound like very knowledgeable & friendly people here. My biggest issue ri ght now is trying to convince my sons that yes this is what I have, but that there are txt available. ?& I can live a long healthy life with this. I lost my husband, boys dad when they were 5.5. Very hard to accept this diagnosis of mom. I look forward too hearing from you all! Gentle hug's & I hope ya"r staying warm! Cami

    ** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

    #2
    weight loss

    Another huge thing happening to me is since April I have lost over 100lb's. Not that I am complaining...but it is scary after many yr's of trying to lose weight, & now it is just falling off me! It certainly has made my life easier as far as walking and all. I frequently am on steroids for bronchitis/pneumonia, I never knew that was a treatment, and may have been helping me all along. Problem with steroids, I get roid rage BAD! It also raises my blood sugars considerably. Since losing the weight my bg's are usually in the 120 range, but go as high as 600 with prednisone.

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      #3
      Hi Cami,

      Welcome to MS World, but sorry for the reason you decided to join us. Wow - you've had a tough year. Losing that much weight so quickly speaks volumes about how ill you were. I hope you are finally feeling better! It sounds like you have your fair share of health challenges, too. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your husband, but it sounds like you've found a wonderful man!

      I hope your first neuro appt. goes well. I would suggest keeping a brief journal of your symptoms (w/ dates) and putting your questions in written form (most important first, in case there is not time for them all) so you can take this info to your appointment. Your time will be limited with your doctor and, believe me, it goes by fast!

      It can be hard for our loved one to accept a diagnosis like MS. There is a book called "MS for Dummies" that many people recommend. There are now several Disease Modifying Therapies (aka DMT's) available, but there is no cure (yet!). They will reduce the amount of disease activity you have, and hopefully, delay it's progression. Most people with MS live full, productive lives! Good news is several therapies are now available, with more on the horizon! Now there is even research being done to repair damaged myelin. That's something that wasn't even feasible not too long ago.

      As far as medications, I am on two symptom management drugs (baclofen - for spasticity, & Gabapentin - for sensory symptoms) and one of the DMT's. Your doctor will make recommendations for you regarding any symptom management drugs, along with certain DMT's. I would suggest doing your homework on the different DMT's before you decide (there is a medication forum here, where you can learn from other's questions & experiences. You can also learn about them from the National MS Society: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...nts/index.aspx.) A particular DMT is not carved in stone, and, depending on your response, you can always switch to another one later.

      Not everyone chooses to take a DMT, although it is recommended. MS is a very individualized disease. What works for me may/ may not work for you. I hope you will find a wealth of knowledge here and meet some pretty amazing, supportive people along the way!

      Best wishes ,
      Kimba

      “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ― Max Planck

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