This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

I'm searching, and hoping by telling my story someone here can help ease my concerns or share there own.

About 5 years ago, my aunt finally had a confirmed diagnosis of MS. Which came as a relief to her since she had been experiencing symptoms since my age. I admire her strength to follow through with each test and push forward through it all, as I admire anyone in similar situations. It takes a lot of patience energy and strength to pull through....Something I'm all too scared I do not have.

Prior to my Aunt's diagnosis, (9years ago) I had been in martial arts for 4 years, a competitor even. I started having problems in my knees, went to the doctors who shrugged it off and told me to stay off it a while. This was much like a burning aching sensation, eventually it developed into a constant pain intensified in the cold or damp air. People found it very difficult to believe how much pain I was constantly dealing with since the doctors had no real explanation despite the tests they did.

So I pushed forward, thinking I must have a lower pain threshold is all.
4 years ago I had my first born son, a real pleasure and highly active healthy boy. It was that pregnancy that presented my second symptom, Pain in my hips legs and lower back, in ways I can't describe. Some days I couldn't get out of bed and still can't. My whole right leg from my hip down to my toes will sometimes seize or lock up.

Since then I have been experiencing increasingly more worrisome symptoms, hot spots that feel like someones burning my hands or head with a hot coin, urination, I know when I need to, but while I am, I can't feel a thing and it's lead to a few embarrassing accidents. Thankfully gone unnoticed in public. And the worse of them migraines right behind my eye that leave me feeling use less to the world as I hide in a dark room with my eyes shut.

I've had several times where my body has given up and I've been rushed to the hospital via ambulance, most cases sent home suggesting dehydration or exhaustion. The most recent experience however, they insisted on an LP.... I recall my Aunt's journey and retracted, fearing the road ahead. I froze, just couldn't bring myself to do it. Couldn't find the strength, not to mention I would be alone for the whole time they tested me, as my partner was out of town.

I'm nervous, really nervous, I have no idea why or whats preventing me from pursuing the symptoms and finding an answer, but it feels like a debilitating fear.

I know I'm at the beginning of a long journey, destination unknown.
I guess my question to this forum, is, how did your journey go? Was the LP as bad as I seem to fear? I took an epidural for the birth of my son, is it similar? Were any of you fearful to take this first step in searching for more answers? Or am I just a wimp after all.

Thank you for reading...
Soledra

The spinal is really not bad at all. The MRI is a non evasive test. To be honest nothing is as bad as not knowing. I would think living not knowing and getting ER care is the worst.
We have all lived that way in the beginning. Mine was not by choice, so by all means I would say if you now have that choice... choose NOT too.
Schedule it so your partner can be there if at all possible.