May be a rather long read ...
My name is Cecilia. I'm a 36 year old single mother of two wonderful sons ages 16 and 12. For approximately 10 years I have had medical issues that still boggle every doctor I see. It all started with fatigue. Not your everyday run of the mill fatigue ... a fatigue so hard to describe, but debilitating. Test after test, scan after scan ... nothing was to be found. Everything always came back normal. Doc always summed it up to being a full time working, single Mom with two small boys. Until one day, it was said I had a vitamin D deficiency. Doc prescribed high powered vitamin D regimen for about a week, then a daily supplement from that point on. It was like night and day. For the first time in a really long time I felt energized again. A few months later, fatigue again. Only this time the fatigue came with a very weird form of chest pain. My heart didn't hurt, I was able to breath, but I felt like something was wrapped around my chest just under my breasts. This was chalked up to anxiety attacks. For years, I would fit my life around this "wrap" around my chest. I would wake up an hour earlier in the morning just so I could still make it to work on time while I dealt with fatigue and this "wrap". The next symptom that came along were tremors. My right hand would shake out of control for no apparent reason. This was summed up to carpal tunnel. Next came the pain. Joint pain, muscle pain, felt like I had the flu all the time. This time, Doc said it was depression and I was put on an antidepressant along with an anti anxiety medication. Neither of these medications really made me feel better. The pain became worse, the fatigue kept me out of work more than I was at work, and the tremors in my hand were embarrassing.
As I said, I have dealt with these main symptoms for over 10 years. But I kept going. As I was going to work one day, kids in tow, hands full, I walk up a small flight of concrete stairs in front of the apartment I lived in. Something didn't feel right, as if I couldn't feel the bottom's of my feet. I go to take the first step up the stairs, put my weight on my right leg and BAM. Out of no where my leg gives out on me. It was as if nothing on my body registered I was falling. I didn't catch myself. Just bam ... down. I wasn't knocked out, but I couldn't move. I could feel everything. I was hurt. But no reaction. Since then I have fell several times, but thankfully nothing serious has happened. My right arm gives out on me out of no where. No warning. Just gone. Working one second, no feeling the next.
Present day. I have tingling in my hands and feet as if something is cutting circulation off, but nothing is cutting off circulation. Tremors are worse. I lose feeling in the bottoms of my feet only. It's a very strange feeling! The tops of my feet have feeling, but it's as if there is an invisible line around my foot that just doesn't feel. Not an everyday occurrence though. I can't sit, stand or lie down in one position for any length of time or I will become so stiff I can't move. One afternoon, on a very bad day for me ... I lost vision in my right eye. My son took me to the ER ... Doc there had no idea what would be causing it but called an optical specialist to have me seen in office the next morning. Outcome was Optical Neuritis. Eye specialist put me on Prednisone 40mgs daily and sent me for an MRI with and without contrast. Those test came back normal, but still no sight back. She said it could take awhile for the sight to come back, but wanted to do a CT scan with and without contrast just in case. I kept asking what Optical Neuritis was and she never really gave me an answer other than to say it was the swelling of the optic nerve. When I asked why is when she told me it was usually a precursor to MS. MRI showed no lesions. CT scan didn't show anything either, however, there was still significant swelling of the optic nerve. Finally, after about 8 weeks, my eye sight came back. Because there were no lesions were found, I thought I was in the clear for MS, so I didn't think of it anymore.
Last week I saw my Family Doc who told me that I could still have MS without brain lesions. He got me into see a Neurologist rather quickly. In fact I go in a couple of days. I'm trying to stay optimistic! However, I'm still very nervous at the same time.
I know this is long ... and I do apologize! I have not told family members or friends of any of this. The only people that know are myself and the Docs I've seen thus far. My children know something is wrong, but do not know for sure. My concern is ... what questions do I ask the Neuro? I'm terrible with asking questions and even more terrible with remembering information given to me. Should I involve a family member to come with me to this appointment? Or will the first appointment be just a general assessment? I really do not know what to expect.
Once again, I do so apologize for rambling on so. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this far! Any help, advice, suggestions, or positive affirmations would be greatly appreciated.
My name is Cecilia. I'm a 36 year old single mother of two wonderful sons ages 16 and 12. For approximately 10 years I have had medical issues that still boggle every doctor I see. It all started with fatigue. Not your everyday run of the mill fatigue ... a fatigue so hard to describe, but debilitating. Test after test, scan after scan ... nothing was to be found. Everything always came back normal. Doc always summed it up to being a full time working, single Mom with two small boys. Until one day, it was said I had a vitamin D deficiency. Doc prescribed high powered vitamin D regimen for about a week, then a daily supplement from that point on. It was like night and day. For the first time in a really long time I felt energized again. A few months later, fatigue again. Only this time the fatigue came with a very weird form of chest pain. My heart didn't hurt, I was able to breath, but I felt like something was wrapped around my chest just under my breasts. This was chalked up to anxiety attacks. For years, I would fit my life around this "wrap" around my chest. I would wake up an hour earlier in the morning just so I could still make it to work on time while I dealt with fatigue and this "wrap". The next symptom that came along were tremors. My right hand would shake out of control for no apparent reason. This was summed up to carpal tunnel. Next came the pain. Joint pain, muscle pain, felt like I had the flu all the time. This time, Doc said it was depression and I was put on an antidepressant along with an anti anxiety medication. Neither of these medications really made me feel better. The pain became worse, the fatigue kept me out of work more than I was at work, and the tremors in my hand were embarrassing.
As I said, I have dealt with these main symptoms for over 10 years. But I kept going. As I was going to work one day, kids in tow, hands full, I walk up a small flight of concrete stairs in front of the apartment I lived in. Something didn't feel right, as if I couldn't feel the bottom's of my feet. I go to take the first step up the stairs, put my weight on my right leg and BAM. Out of no where my leg gives out on me. It was as if nothing on my body registered I was falling. I didn't catch myself. Just bam ... down. I wasn't knocked out, but I couldn't move. I could feel everything. I was hurt. But no reaction. Since then I have fell several times, but thankfully nothing serious has happened. My right arm gives out on me out of no where. No warning. Just gone. Working one second, no feeling the next.
Present day. I have tingling in my hands and feet as if something is cutting circulation off, but nothing is cutting off circulation. Tremors are worse. I lose feeling in the bottoms of my feet only. It's a very strange feeling! The tops of my feet have feeling, but it's as if there is an invisible line around my foot that just doesn't feel. Not an everyday occurrence though. I can't sit, stand or lie down in one position for any length of time or I will become so stiff I can't move. One afternoon, on a very bad day for me ... I lost vision in my right eye. My son took me to the ER ... Doc there had no idea what would be causing it but called an optical specialist to have me seen in office the next morning. Outcome was Optical Neuritis. Eye specialist put me on Prednisone 40mgs daily and sent me for an MRI with and without contrast. Those test came back normal, but still no sight back. She said it could take awhile for the sight to come back, but wanted to do a CT scan with and without contrast just in case. I kept asking what Optical Neuritis was and she never really gave me an answer other than to say it was the swelling of the optic nerve. When I asked why is when she told me it was usually a precursor to MS. MRI showed no lesions. CT scan didn't show anything either, however, there was still significant swelling of the optic nerve. Finally, after about 8 weeks, my eye sight came back. Because there were no lesions were found, I thought I was in the clear for MS, so I didn't think of it anymore.
Last week I saw my Family Doc who told me that I could still have MS without brain lesions. He got me into see a Neurologist rather quickly. In fact I go in a couple of days. I'm trying to stay optimistic! However, I'm still very nervous at the same time.
I know this is long ... and I do apologize! I have not told family members or friends of any of this. The only people that know are myself and the Docs I've seen thus far. My children know something is wrong, but do not know for sure. My concern is ... what questions do I ask the Neuro? I'm terrible with asking questions and even more terrible with remembering information given to me. Should I involve a family member to come with me to this appointment? Or will the first appointment be just a general assessment? I really do not know what to expect.
Once again, I do so apologize for rambling on so. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this far! Any help, advice, suggestions, or positive affirmations would be greatly appreciated.
I am so sorry.
Good luck to you!
I am also super glad they gave you something for the pain you are experiencing!
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