@ Rest Area 51 Paging ALL MS Newbies NewYears 2012

[gomer]

Welcome to Rest Area 51...Holiday Edition a special haven our your New MS family for newbies Dx'd w/MS in recent days or years and newbies at heart.

Happy
........New
.............Year!

Pull into a nice cozy shady parking spot Pitch a tent or just lay out a blanket and enjoy the crisp cool fresh air .
Help yourself to fresh Cider and donuts. The fire is roaring in the open pit ready for hot dogs, marshmallows and smore's Feel free to share your ideas, experiences and support to your fellow newbies. Relax, you are among friends, friends that understand. We have a virtual soap box, feel free to vent anytime.

Being a newbie can be as scary and lonely as being in limbo, Remember we are you family away from family. The BIG question answered means many more new questions and decisions.

PLEASE.... Take a break from the MSuper hwy and let us know how YOU, a member of our MS newbies family is doing.


Have a QUESTION? Please don't be shy........
The only dumb stupid question........is the one NOT asked.

?How was your Year? ........
...Good I hope, Any Dr. apts tests etc?

? What does the new Year have in store for you?
....Any Dr. appts. tests etc.

Gomer

Well 2011 ended rather badly for me with the TN throughout the entire holiday season from thanksgiving through Christmas in horrible pain, finding out I'm allergic to morphine, which really sucks knowing I don't have a "big gun" to handle this if it gets really bad again.

But on the bright side, I saw my neuro this week and he outlined a titration schedule for my gabapentin and told me I could get as aggressive as I need to keep the pain controlled and just to keep him in the loop. Also he was very pleased with the way I'm recovering from my exacerbation in September when I saw him last. My rhomberg and hyperreflexia are both back to normal, and he said he was happy to see someone remit so nicely, and while he wouldn't be pinned down to a prognosis, he would say that he was concerned about me becoming progressive when we talked on the phone, but he thinks I'm doing way better than he normally sees in women my age.

I also finished out the year with a very very long mri because my Dr ordered some special views of the brainstem and I also had my first thoracic. It took them three sticks to get the dye in and busted a vein in the process, so today I look like a junkie with all these needle marks.

But on the whole, I'm starting out the new year kinda giggly and hopeful.

[journeyman]

Another bump in the road

Since May I have been been sx free except a little weakness in the legs. I think I had a flair about a month ago but over Wthe past week I have had pain in the right side of my brain. Both eyes have had pressure. My half blind eye has almost grayed out. The weakness is slowly increasing.

Ok Doc Gomer I need and opinion.
Dave

[seeuinct]

new year nothing new yet

Since this was the year I was diagnosed I am not sure 2011 was all that great.... but it could have been worse and I am thankful for all the blessings I have had this year.
I'm still doing well with no new sx except a pain in my on one side of my neck and shoulder. Don't know if a I slept wrong or what but it is kinda weird that it is only on one side. The other side feels totally normal. Nothing I can't deal with. So I set up the appointment with the nurse for next Friday afternoon. Shot #1! I am excited/freaked about starting...worrying about the posts I have read that don't paint a pretty picture.
We'll see how it goes....until next Friday...take care everyone.

[gomer]

"Since May I have been been sx free except "

Then you go on to numerous symptoms, none of which are negligible.......


-1- "a little weakness in the legs". A common MS issue, can last days, weeks or months.

-2- "I think I had a flair about a month ago" Did you ask your neuro about it?

-3- "but over Wthe past week I have had pain in the right side of my brain." Only ONE side?


-4- "Both eyes have had pressure. My half blind eye has almost grayed out". Dave, you NEED to see an eye doc about this ASAP and quite fooling around!

-5- "The weakness is slowly increasing".
Dave, you NEED to see an eye doc about this ASAP and quite fooling around!

That'sDoc Gomer's OPINION

[journeyman]

Thanks and Oh yeah - I forgot...

Relatives keep asking what is going on with my COG. Wife and dau thinks there has been a sharp decline.

I get my MRI and Neur appt. in June. The first I can get in. Thanks for being my doc. You have always been a good source of advice. It is not good to be your own doc.
Dave

[journeyman]

Cog. Prob. Clarifications

1. I have been sx free since May.

2. A month ago neg. sx started slowly.

3. Pain in brain was in one side of head top and back.

4. Pain is pain not "knitting needle type."

5. Shock like pain in right leg and then spread to left. Falling more and using cane again.

6. Its hard to be clear lately.

7. I am more of a mess lately.

If I want to see somebody it would be the RN Pract. who always dismisses me on the phone.

Thanks for you for your help.
Dave

[valeriem2220]

Hello everyone!
I have been feeling ok lately.
Funny how suddenly I can go from feeling good last year to now the best my days seem to get are OK.
I had a rough Christmas weekend. Worked all week the week before making candies, cookies, candles and just getting everything ready for Christmas Eve at my parents house to Christmas Day for my children at my house.

Christmas Eve I started getting muscle spasms in my arms and my sides, tremors in my hands and just felt extremely run down and fatigued. I hid it from my family and no one but my ex-husband even knew I was feeling bad. I didn't want to worry my mother and just wanted the night to go well for her.
Christmas Day it all continued but I made it through the gift opening, making breakfast and lunch and just visiting with my children. I was in bed by 7pm and couldn't move.

I shared with my niece on Monday how I was feeling, which was just plain icky, and she then told my mother. I am 41 years old but my mother called me immediately and proceeded to lecture me about "overdoing" it and that everything I did was just too much and so on and so forth. I'm not ready to give up MY traditions with my family yet and will continue to do them until I absolutely CANNOT.
I have had muscle twitches this entire week in my legs. I felt as if I were vibrating all day and all night last night. I have had the feeling like "my bones are shaking" but the vibration thing is all new to me. It felt like every muscle in my body was vibrating. It was an odd sensation for me for sure.
Then yesterday my entire right side of my body went numb. Usually it is my left side, so it being the right side was new for me also.
I woke this morning and the feeling is back, the vibration seems to be gone for now and I think I can maybe get something in my house accomplished today.

I can honestly say I am glad the holidays are over....

[BeneathTheLies]

I hurt so bad. It feels like I was hit by a couple trucks and then for good measure a tractor. I'm thinking it's a combination of overdoing it the past two weekends and maybe something more. I usually recover in a day or two when I overdo it. I just couldn't get myself together last week. I might as well have been brain dead. Now I'm sitting here trying desperately to find the motivation just to work on the laundry. Ugh!!! When will this ever stop??? I hate MS.

I hope everyone had a good holiday and that this coming year will be decent. Personally, I'm just glad 2011 is finally over. Best of luck my fellow MSers. You've all done a wonderful job at keeping me sane.

[Rainey]

Hi All
I felt better before my dx in Oct 10. I was having weird symptoms and went to my pcp and she did a heart monitor, etc. We are thinking that the gabapentin is causing my symptoms so I am being "withdrawn" from it. Am actually feeling better, not dizzy and dry!
I wish everyone a happy 2012!

[journeyman]

One more sx

I sat down on the couch this afternoon. The next thing I knew it was three hours later. I had no clue where I was. I thought I was waking up from surgery. I was numb from head down the right side. I stumbled and kept trying to orient my self. I was out of it for an hour. I tried to talk to my sister and couldn't speak and when I could I couldn't speak coherently.
Guess I need to see somebody. Really scaired.
Dave

[gomer]

Good luck Jman.......

Hope you get things straightened out soon..........

Gomer

[gomer]

Gomer here........

My turn to verbalize..........

In the morning I have to go for a ultra-sound of my kidneys. 35 miles+ each way and no working heater (it went out on the trip back). [its freezing up here]

Then I have a renal clinic follow-up in late Feb, down the same hall & waiting room, on the same day as my MS clinic apt. The renal issue came up when my MS doc tried to put me in for Ampyria (sic) the walking drug and my kidney function labs were down too low. Kinda wish it would not be so long between the testing and seeing the kidney doc. They will probably blame the kidney decline on my diabetes, but ya never know??

Gomer

[Kraheera]

Well I go back to Idaho tomorrow. Excited, but sad. I needed this vacation a lot more than I let myself believe. I know we all tend to be hard on ourselves but damn it was just.. wow.

On a good note, I have an hour long massage today. I also started journaling again yesterday. My handwriting has gotten horrid with the constant pain and tingling, but I intend to handwrite as long as I can. Makes me feel better. Also, let's me vent without worrying about what other people think.

Had a great time out here. New years with my fam has always been fun. This yr was no exception.

[BigA]

Gomer,

have you seen this kind of heater? It might take the chill off.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt...8-001b2166c62d