non-specific white matter.....

[babyatlas]

i recently read the book "still alice" about a woman in her 50s who has early on-set alzheimers.  the book scared the daylights out of me as i experience several of her early symptoms.  i notice sometimes when i talk i cannot come up with the right word, i have a hard time following conversations, i used to type almost perfectly and now i am constantly making mistakes, i bump into things more often, feel like i am losing my balance and truly, i just don't feel right in my skin.  i feel slow, sluggish, etc.
i went to my doctor and she ordered an MRI.  she called yesterday and said "overall things look good but there are several small areas of non-specific white matter".  she is suppose to call today with the name of a neurologist to see.  she said these white spots could be signs of MS, early alzheimers or quite possibly absolutely nothing.
i couldn't sleep at all last night - just dreaming up dreadful scenarios. i am scared!  i am only 38, i have two small beautiful girls (ages 2 and 4).  i don't want them to have to live through me descending into madness and physical disability.
any thoughts or words are appreciated.
sigh.

[Lulu54]

Let me add my welcome to that of the others here.  This is a great community and we will be more than happpy to help you wait out the next three weeks, three months or three years as you look for answers.

It is great that you have a neuro appt so soon - try not to dwell on anything now.  You need to hear what the expert has to say first.

be well,
Lulu

[babyatlas]

bio
thanks again for your sound advice.  i am going to go home and hopefully sleep like a baby tonight and will continue to work hard to keep my thoughts on the positive side.
r

[biowham]

Well, I've got an appt with a neurologist to whom I was referred in May. My appt, earliest I could get, is in September.

It is quite typical to have to wait several weeks for a specialist appt, and you don't need to worry about something rapidly advancing or worsening in these three weeks. The MRI obviously has shown that you do NOT have anything acute, like a tumor or stroke, that requires urgent attention, thank goodness.

Bio

[babyatlas]

okay - so i made an appointment with a neurologist; however, it is not for 3 weeks.  is that pretty typical.  i mean is it OK to wait or will something get worse that should be treated sooner?  can you tell that i over-analyze every single thing that comes my way?

[PastorDan]

You ain't seen nuthin' yet.  This is a fabulous group of people, yet we're fortunate to have you google onto us.  We're all learning here, and the more minds and information shared, the better chance we each have that something of value will soak in.

[babyatlas]

ess & bio
thank you!  you have managed to pull an enormous weight off of me.  i know that there are several things that could be going on but just knowing that, most likely, early onset AD is not one of them has actually put a smile on my face (no history of this in my family).  knowing that if it is anything it is likely treatable or manageable has given me a fresh perspective and hopefully a better ability to wait for further tests/diagnosis.
i now have the name of the neurologist and am working to schedule an appointment.  

i just joined this board today and am thankful for all of your words.  you are a lovely group of people who i am fortunate to have "googled" upon.
r

[PastorDan]

Yeah, what they said.

Peace.

[essdipity]

Hi again. All the symptoms you mention can happen with MS, but also with other disorders. Some of our members here have complaints like yours, which often have been analyzed by means of a comprehenisve neuro-psych test. Certain meds can be very effective, as can memory aid techniques.

It will help you while the medical processes play out to make lots of lists, and to just take your time with word recall. Sometimes the worry over this makes it much worse than it needs to be.

ess

[biowham]

It is highly unlikely that you have onset of AD this early unless you've got it in your family. Do you have any first-degree or second-degree relatives with AD with early onset? If not, that's a very very remote possibility, I promise, and white spots on the brain don't have anything to do with that, anyway. You'd be looking at subtle atrophy (brain shrinking), which would be early in the disease as it is. So...get that idea out of your head.

Right now, all you've got are some cognitive symptoms and a slightly abnormal MRI (and a GP with a BIG, uninformed mouth). Your symptoms *could* fit with MS but only after a real neurological exam and ruling out of many other non-deadly and treatable possibilities. You may simply have a thyroid problem, which blood tests will identify. Your symptoms fit with that, but they also fit with a large number of other diagnosable, treatable conditions that also happen to be a better fit with your age, sex, and parturition (childbearing) status.

To answer you question, yes...memory and speech problems can very easily and often are a part of MS, but as I said, they are also part of many other treatable maladies. You need to see the neuro and be sure that there is a full blood workup to rule in or out the potential diagnoses, MS and otherwise.

Until then...try not to imagine AD as a possibility. It just seems extraordinarily unlikely at this time.

Bio

[babyatlas]

ess - thank you!  i agree - alzheimers is WAY WORSE.   not to take anything away from those who have or are dealing with symptoms of MS - please understand - but just that losing your mind is absolutely frigtening.  not knowing your children or scaring them because of what you say or do without it really being "you".

can memory/speech/thinking problems be a symptom of MS?

i have a brain that loves to overthink, analyze, play out unrealistic scenarios, etc.  i am working hard to find peace in the process and think positive and enjoy the everyday.  

again, i appreciate all of your words and thoughts.  r

[essdipity]

Welcome to the MS forum.

Doctors can be so maddening! Many will say absolutely nothing, and must think they're clams. Others seem to get in way over their heads very fast. Your GP seems to be one of this latter type.

A well-trained neurologist is the only one who should be speculating on whether or not you have MS. There is no point in scaring you with various possibilities which probably are completely inaccurate. This goes double if you are a nervous or apprehensive kind of person, which your GP should know if she is treating you in general.

You need a complete neurological exam and lots of other testing before anything even halfway likely should be discussed. That's way down the road from now, for better or worse.

Frankly I think Alzheimers is much worse than MS, because it takes away who you are. MS does not. MS is not a death sentence by any means. Please gather your medical records, MRI films, etc., and see a good specialist right away. In the meantime we have lots of good info in our Health Pages, accessible at the top of the screen.

Try to relax. The chances are enormous that you will not descend into madness, or even disability that hinders your raising of your dear little girls. I know it's hard, but do your best to understand that life has enough unpleasant realities without speculating on situations that are extremely remote, but that interfere with your enjoyment here and now.

Please stay with us.

ess

[babyatlas]

thank you for the thoughts and prayers, kind words, etc.  i need them.  i will try to relax, try not to think the worst....but i fear my mind is my own worst enemy!  thanks again - i'll work hard to be patient.

[roncart]

first I want to say hello and then I want to tell you to try to calm down and not think the worst. Yes there are diseases out there that are very scary but there are others that can be controlled. You are not doing yourself any favors by jumping to conclusions. You need to talk with a neurologist because there are alot of things that could have caused that white matter and it is going to take more testing to get the whole story. in the meantime take a deep breath and relax and enjoy those little ones that you have. good luck.roncart

[PastorDan]

I am 52.  When my mother was my age, she was confined to a nursing home, unable to communicate, to control her bladder and bowels, to walk safely, to remember her kids' names or Dad's, and sometimes her own.  She grew progressively worse, never better, losing one faculty after another, month by month, year by year.  She died a few weeks before what would have been her 58th birthday.  I count myself fortunate that God has allowed me to make it this far with no obvious indicators of that horrible disease.  In fact, none of my siblings are showing it, either.  My youngest surviving sibling was only 19 when we lost Mom, now almost 27 years ago.  The oldest is now 55+.

Now, looking at the possibility that I may have several signs of MS, I honestly don't think I can say that one disease is more fearsome than another.  Neither of them is cancer, a word that always strikes fear into us, though it has many varied forms, too.  Still, either is something that none of us would choose.

I will tell you this: when Mom was 38, she had absolutely no signs of the disease that would later take her from us.  When she began having symptoms, the word "Alzheimer's" was unfamiliar to all but a few Americans; we found one paragraph in an encyclopedia after multiple trips to the library.  Much has been learned in the interim, offering much hope, and if I were a betting man, I'd suggest you might be more a candidate for MS than Alzheimer's.  (Remember, though, I'm not a doctor,  I don't even play one on TV!)

I will pray that your medical professionals quickly find answers, and that the answers they find lead them to clear solutions.