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Symptoms/Flares vs. Regular Illnesses and Aches and Pains

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    Symptoms/Flares vs. Regular Illnesses and Aches and Pains

    Morning all, newly diagnosed as of February so suppose this thread could go there as well. Have been doing okay so far, am tolerating Tec well, though am of course still grieving a bit / trying to get to acceptance.

    The question I'd really love to get some advice and feedback from you all on is if and how you learned to differentiate between symptoms and flares of this disease versus normal illnesses and the aches and pains of getting older. So far the thing I've been struggling with the most is the feeling that every little twinge in my body is somehow disease related.

    Last week it was some congestion in my face which was probably sinus related. This week I have a weird feeling in my hip/knee that probably stems from all the exercise following my diagnosis. I was always a little bit of a hypochondriac so it doesn't surprise me that this has been the most challenging part of the diagnosis.

    I'm sure time will give me some perspective on this and teach me to differentiate, but I thought I would reach out to you all for any advice you might have. Thanks in advance and best to everyone.

    ** 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
    Hi and welcome!
    If you tended to have anxiety about somatic issues before MS I can only imagine how stressful it is now. It really should settle a bit.

    Initially for me there was the overwhelming concern that every twinge was MS related and somehow signaling the start of my physical demise. Thankfully that level of hypervigilence wore off after a few years and now I swear there will likely come a time when I croak from a heart attack thinking the signs were MS so no sense seeking treatment. Actually dying quickly from something like a heart attack would be a dream come true.

    Hang in there.
    He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
    Anonymous

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      #3
      nynick,

      I have not worried much, but that is just MY personality. And conversely to you, I tend to ignore many things that I SHOULDN'T, which can also be bad, because I wait, I end up getting to the point where I am in need of strong meds to fight any infections. HONESTLY though, I have periods where I do "latch on" to a suspect symptom and wont let it go without researching it "to death".

      You may end up swinging back and forth on this pendulumm, but try and find a place on it, where you do not stress yourself out.
      Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

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        #4
        Thanks Jules and fishead. Think you're absolutely right about the taking time/finding a place on the pendulum. It's only been three months so hopefully I'll get there.

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          #5
          It took about one year for me to understand how all the little twitches and strange feelings fit into the disease and just plain aging. Most odd sensations last for just a few hours. Some of the fatigue and weak legs can take a day to recover from.
          So, the excessive worry/concern will probably improve for you also once you get a handle on everything. Wish you luck on this bumpy journey.

          Paula

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