clueless

[somuchpain_69]

Ok lets go back to the beginging back in July of 2003 Just before my 34th birthday, I had eight Mini strokes went to the doctor they told me it was because of stress and that I was working too hard and did not let my body relax enough.  I was working 3 Jobs at the time, I believed the doctors so I quit one job since they were all part time I stuck with the two that were less stressfull. As time went on I had a few more what they call Mini brain strokes 2 in 2005 and adn 3 in 2007 From 2005 to 2007 I was not working at all I was just a plain ol' house wife, Not stressful right!  The big one happend January 18th 2009 while driving to work I don't remember anything although right before it happened It started to go dark I saw stars. then woke up in Hospital they told me I had abnormalites to my brain from a CT scan they did and I was not conisous.  I went through a series of test including a lumbar puncter I have had 2 MRIs done so far. I have problems concentrating, speech, seizers, zoning out, my skin is very tender on the right side of the body, I get moving lights in my eyes it goes for about 20-30 min and then I have a major migrain.  Before the Big stroke in 2009 I was a size 6 and now with all the meds I take I am a size 16. I use a walker, and some times fore/arm crutches,  The 1st Neurologist I saw cost me a fortune and he had no result on what has happened to me. My 2nd Neurologist. Still has no idea what is wrong with me I just saw her today and she said that I have white matter diease and when I look that up on line it does not say what it is maybe I am not looking in the right places but I need to know so I have to have another MRI done with in the next 10 weeks I hate MRI's because I can not stand small spaces so I am going to a OPEN MRI still do not like going in to a machine and being tied down to table, wish there was and easier way to do things. I have to have help taking a shower can not lean head back to wash hair, I fall all the time, I get dizzy, room spins, I am affraid to Drive my car, I have not worked since my accident, I am now on SSD.  I am alone in all of this and have no idea what is ahead of me in life I am now a 41 year old female. I would like to know what happens to you if you have white matter diease is there a cure? what are the side effects? Are there meds for this?
my list of things that I have
1.  Thyroid diease         Diagnosed 1999
2.  Nero Chronic Dermitious     Diagnosed 2003
3.  Tize Syndrome                   Diagnosed  1979
4.  P.T.S.D                            Diagnosed  2006
5.  Depression                          Diagnosed  1986
6.  Fibromyalgia                        Diagnosed  2010
7.  White Matter Diease            Diagnosed    2010
Can someone help???????
I was in 3 Major car Accidendts  1990-1991-2006 All with Major Head injuries Called TBI

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Hi, Thank you for your question. There can be many possibilities in your case that involve the brain white matter, either exclusively or in combination with grey matter changes. These include metabolism errors, exogenous toxins released by virus, autoimmune disease, leukodystrophy, demyelination, and radiation effects. Spasticity, muscle weakness, paralysis, hyper-reflexia and movement disorder may be the clinical features associated with white matter disease that need to be evaluated thoroughly. However, it is sad to say that there is no permanent cure but conservative treatment & physiotherapy exercises that would help you to regain your normal function and stopping the further progression of the disease. Please consult a neurologist in this regards. Hope this helps.

[ggreg]

White matter disease is abnormality of the fatty tissue that covers and protects the nerves in the brain that send out signals to the spinal cord and the rest of the body.  It can be caused by several things, including a cardiovascular problem.  Since you've been having all these little strokes, which have to do with abnormalities of the blood vessels in the brain, then the demylenation of your brain nerves might be caused by that.  And I also think your three car accidents with traumatic brain injury just may have set up your brain to have all these problems.  

Now, the docs need to do several things, if they haven't already, and that's to check your blood sugars to rule out diabetes, and also determine if you have any heart disease or blood vessel abnormalities from specifically plaque or high blood pressure, and they should rule out multiple sclerosis.  However, I think the most important thing your docs should do is at least obtain any CT scan or MRI done when you had your car wrecks, the last one in 2006 would be enough, especially any that were taken a couple weeks after in followup.  They can compare those pictures of your brain to the ones that have just been taken, and see if there's any correlation between your brain injury and these mini strokes.  That's about all I know to tell you, I hope it helps you and your docs get to the bottom of this.  And by the way, I hate those MRIs also, be sure to ask them to sedate you for the scan.