Hi all,
I am a 53 year old mother of two, married for 36 years and just beginning the journey to diagnose whether or not I have MS.
7 years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I have always been very proud to say I was able to continue working and was very good at my job (5 years at a hospital call center and 2 as a Medical Office Assistant).
About a year ago my migraines began to come at a much faster frequency and I began to experience debilitating headaches/migraines that would start at the base of my head instead of on the side where all my migraines have always been. This always began and ended with bad neck pain and stiffness. My company only allows 4 call-ins a year without reprisal and I was close to reaching this for the first time ever, so I applied for, and received, intermittent fmla with my supervisor's help.
This past May I went in to my eye doctor and told her my vision was inconsistent and sometimes blurry. During this exam we could not get my vision corrected to 20/20 and I realized I was seeing a slight double image.
Fast forward to September: by now I had gone through double cataract surgery, double vitrectomy
surgery (floater removal) and had been to ER twice for concerns of heart attack (banded pressure around my chest and arms) that were diagnosed as panic attacks. My vision is now worse than ever.
I could no longer write for long periods of time, my vision was still blurring in and out, I could no longer drive at night and I was having anxiety attacks over all these new problems so after a very emotional discussion with my husband I ended up leaving my job and filing for disability.
Since all this I have began to have a greater degree of vibration like feelings (fibro always caused my legs to do this and now my whole body is doing it), my vision sometimes has a reddish double image, and sometimes I see slight hallucinations.
My hands, feet and scalp sometimes burn badly and my feet has felt like light bee stings, my muscles are often weak or heavy feeling as well as often feel stiff and tight. Suddenly the slightly painful electric shock from my head to my toes that I sometimes get woken up with at night have an ominous new meaning (could they be Lhermitte's Sign?)
At my disability exam I was unable to walk on my heels or heel to toe and I discovered from my regular neurologist yearly report that he has me listed as having gait disturbances for 4 out of my 7 years of seeing him. I have only had one MRI that was done 7 years ago and it was clear.
Earlier this week the right side of my face was both numb and burning feeling all day long. I have also had trouble swallowing on occasion and sometimes forget a common word when talking.
I have been talking to another neurologist and am having a new MRI done in the next few weeks, but needless to say, I am very concerned and fearful of what it is going to show. Obviously Fibro and MS have many similarities but these new symptoms seem to belong to the MS side of things.
I wanted to join a group that could help me through the upcoming testing and whatever outcomes it may show and my search led me here.
Thank you for allowing me to join your group!
I am a 53 year old mother of two, married for 36 years and just beginning the journey to diagnose whether or not I have MS.
7 years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I have always been very proud to say I was able to continue working and was very good at my job (5 years at a hospital call center and 2 as a Medical Office Assistant).
About a year ago my migraines began to come at a much faster frequency and I began to experience debilitating headaches/migraines that would start at the base of my head instead of on the side where all my migraines have always been. This always began and ended with bad neck pain and stiffness. My company only allows 4 call-ins a year without reprisal and I was close to reaching this for the first time ever, so I applied for, and received, intermittent fmla with my supervisor's help.
This past May I went in to my eye doctor and told her my vision was inconsistent and sometimes blurry. During this exam we could not get my vision corrected to 20/20 and I realized I was seeing a slight double image.
Fast forward to September: by now I had gone through double cataract surgery, double vitrectomy
surgery (floater removal) and had been to ER twice for concerns of heart attack (banded pressure around my chest and arms) that were diagnosed as panic attacks. My vision is now worse than ever.
I could no longer write for long periods of time, my vision was still blurring in and out, I could no longer drive at night and I was having anxiety attacks over all these new problems so after a very emotional discussion with my husband I ended up leaving my job and filing for disability.
Since all this I have began to have a greater degree of vibration like feelings (fibro always caused my legs to do this and now my whole body is doing it), my vision sometimes has a reddish double image, and sometimes I see slight hallucinations.
My hands, feet and scalp sometimes burn badly and my feet has felt like light bee stings, my muscles are often weak or heavy feeling as well as often feel stiff and tight. Suddenly the slightly painful electric shock from my head to my toes that I sometimes get woken up with at night have an ominous new meaning (could they be Lhermitte's Sign?)
At my disability exam I was unable to walk on my heels or heel to toe and I discovered from my regular neurologist yearly report that he has me listed as having gait disturbances for 4 out of my 7 years of seeing him. I have only had one MRI that was done 7 years ago and it was clear.
Earlier this week the right side of my face was both numb and burning feeling all day long. I have also had trouble swallowing on occasion and sometimes forget a common word when talking.
I have been talking to another neurologist and am having a new MRI done in the next few weeks, but needless to say, I am very concerned and fearful of what it is going to show. Obviously Fibro and MS have many similarities but these new symptoms seem to belong to the MS side of things.
I wanted to join a group that could help me through the upcoming testing and whatever outcomes it may show and my search led me here.
Thank you for allowing me to join your group!
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