I've been relatively healthy all of my life. (I just turned 56.) Nothing more serious than needing a total knee replacement, which I got in mid-December. Five weeks before the surgery, my left arm and hand went completely numb. I went to urgent care after a few days and they ran an EKG and a brain MRI to look for signs of stroke or heart attack. Both the EKG and brain scan were normal. I figured "oh, it's just a pinched nerve." The numbness resolved over the next couple of weeks, except for my left thumb, which constantly tingled and felt "asleep." I ignored it because the surgery was coming up quickly.
I was doing tough physical therapy exercises after the knee replacement (at the clinic and at home), and about two weeks in I started feeling weird electric currents run up and down my thighs once in a while. I figured "oh, it's just due to the PT." (As you can tell, I discounted these symptoms, because it didn't occur to me that I might have a disease.)
Within days my entire lower body was numb and/or pins and needles and my left hand was pins and needles, non-stop. I saw a neurologist on Jan. 8, and since then I've had 2 brain MRIs, 6 spine MRIs, a spinal tap, IV steroid infusions, and plasmapheresis. (I was hospitalized for five days when the infusions did nothing - and my blood pressure was incredibly low.) Nothing has helped. Next Wednesday I have two more spine MRIs (cervical and thoracic), to see how the lesions are doing. (I have one in each area.)
I sometimes feel like I am going mad from these sensations. They are absolutely awful. I try to describe them to people, saying it's like when your foot's asleep, but pretend it's your entire lower body and arm, and it NEVER STOPS.
My neurologist has ruled out viral and bacterial infections and tumors, but will not diagnose MS. She is considering the November and January issues as one event, and now I am simply waiting to see what happens. (I'm getting a second opinion on March 5, btw.)
How do you keep from going crazy? I cry at the drop of a hat these days and I sometimes feel hopeless, or feel like screaming.
I was doing tough physical therapy exercises after the knee replacement (at the clinic and at home), and about two weeks in I started feeling weird electric currents run up and down my thighs once in a while. I figured "oh, it's just due to the PT." (As you can tell, I discounted these symptoms, because it didn't occur to me that I might have a disease.)
Within days my entire lower body was numb and/or pins and needles and my left hand was pins and needles, non-stop. I saw a neurologist on Jan. 8, and since then I've had 2 brain MRIs, 6 spine MRIs, a spinal tap, IV steroid infusions, and plasmapheresis. (I was hospitalized for five days when the infusions did nothing - and my blood pressure was incredibly low.) Nothing has helped. Next Wednesday I have two more spine MRIs (cervical and thoracic), to see how the lesions are doing. (I have one in each area.)
I sometimes feel like I am going mad from these sensations. They are absolutely awful. I try to describe them to people, saying it's like when your foot's asleep, but pretend it's your entire lower body and arm, and it NEVER STOPS.
My neurologist has ruled out viral and bacterial infections and tumors, but will not diagnose MS. She is considering the November and January issues as one event, and now I am simply waiting to see what happens. (I'm getting a second opinion on March 5, btw.)
How do you keep from going crazy? I cry at the drop of a hat these days and I sometimes feel hopeless, or feel like screaming.
Comment