The story so far...

[jensequitur]

I haven't posted my particular story yet, so here it is...

I'm not sure where this begins, but things started to get hinky after my brown recluse spider bite in January.  It took me six months to heal up from that, and when the hole finally healed over, I started having vertigo, every day at 3:30 pm.  I was working out regularly and thought it was just a blood pressure issue - after working out, I felt fine.  I'd get these terrible foot cramps, and some odd patches of numbness on my face.  I thought that was just a pinched nerve or something.

Then over Christmas, I began having the weirdest cognitive problems.  I wouldn't be able to track conversations, and when I spoke, I would lose track of what I was saying - totally disassociating myself.  I also started having weird buzzy-headed filled ear sensations, tingling, numbness, and a bunch of other stuff.  Whenever I walked anywhere, I was off by fifteen degrees!  Kept running into doorframes.  Light hurt my eyes, and made me feel dizzy and weird.  Finally I went to the doctor in January, for my numb face.  She gave me some steroids, saying it might be some inflammation causing pressure on the trigeminal nerve, and sent me to the MRI clinic.

Well, I felt a little better on the steroids.  Then I ran out, and I experienced the weirdest few days I have ever had - I felt like I was drunk and couldn't get sober, like I had taken some weird drugs but wasn't coming down!  My head buzzed all the time, I couldn't think straight, I couldn't get anything done, I kept dropping things.  I had these weird sleepy feelings in my arm and leg.  I was having a real problem communicating verbally - nothing came out the way I meant it.  I called the doctor back up in a panic and got three more weeks of predisone.  I stopped feeling quite so drunk, but my vertigo was still pretty bad, and I couldn't talk straight.

The MRI came back with... drum roll...

White matter involvement around the right frontal horn, periventricular punctate lesions, and a lesion in the right cerebellum.  Possible MS.

Of course, I had already obsessively googled all my symptoms, and MS was the disease that kept popping up.  So off I went to the neurologist, who ordered a lumbar puncture.  With five o-bands and a infratentorial lesion, I was a prime candidate for MS.  He diagnosed me with MS, and that was that.

I feel lucky that I got a diagnosis.  I've heard a lot of horror stories about people who had to fight for years to get a diagnosis.  I only had to wait three months.  The neuro got me on a DMD right away, which is another point in his favor.

I'm in remission right now, which is wonderful.  Last year was kinda up and down - I think I had another mini-flare in August or September, which left me with a gimpy right leg and arm.  Arm has come back (except now it's spastic!) and the leg has come back too, but it's atrophied just a little.  I have a bit of cog fog and short term memory loss, and a little bit of vertigo.  And some spasticity, this morning!  Whee...  Once I get the early morning STREEEEETTTCH out of the way, it usually stops.

Compared to last year, I feel great!  Appreciate the moment, I always say.

I've heard Quix talk about the importance of going to an MS specialist, and I think that's my next step.  My neurologist hasn't addressed my concerns about cognitive impairment or physical therapy, and I think I'm going to need a bit of PT and a neuro-psych exam.

[jensequitur]

Ess, my nickname comes from my ability to insert totally random comments into a normal conversation!  My friends started calling these 'Jensequiturs' so it stuck.  I figure if you ever get a nickname in life, keep it.

HBananas, it's hard to say whether the Copaxone is helping.  After six months of the stuff, I seem to be in remission and functioning more or less normally, but after all, I have the relapsing-remitting kind of MS.  Maybe I would be in remission anyway if I didn't have the Copaxone.

Thanks for the welcome, guys!  

[hbananas]

Sorry-missed the part where you said you were on DMD.

[essdipity]

Absolutely go to an MS specialist. You've put up with far too much, including far too many symptoms. It's good you're on a DMD, and I hope that's why you're feeling well right now. But you need someone who will manage everything, including referrals to other medical resources as necessary.

You're a great addition to the forum, so hope to see a lot more of you here.

ess

PS   All my sequiturs are definitely of the NON variety!

[hbananas]

Since you officially have MS, are you taking disease modifying drugs?  If so, are they helping?

[Rena705]

Strange how it all started with a spider bite eh?  Did you tell the neuro about the spider bite?

You, like myself are very fortunate in that it didn't take a lot of fooling around to get a diagnosis and not a lot of waiting.  I am so happy for you for this but also sorry that you have MS.  It is great that you are on the DMD's right away...I am still fighting for this...we don't know why I have to but I am still fighting.

I agree that an MS Specialist is imperative for you to get the care you require.  Please stay around though and let us know how you are making out ok?  We are all interested and we are here for support should you need it!

Lots of Hugs,

Rena