Diagnosed this Tuesday
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 11:56 am
Hi Everyone,
My name is Kathleen and I am 28 years old. I live in the Chicago, IL area and I was just diagnosed with MS this Tuesday and about three weeks earlier I was diagnosed with RA.
My story really starts with the RA. I went to see the rheumatologist because my right shoulder and forearm had a numbing sensation. I had many blood tests and he sent me for a MRI of my neck. They noticed three lesions. The doctor then prompted me to get a MRI with contrast of my brain and that's when they found several lesions in my brain. All while that was going on, the test results came back from the blood work and I tested positive for RA. I spent another few weeks going to the neurologist for a spinal tap, blood work, and an eye exam. I tested positive for MS in all those tests.
The worst part of this is, my RA is very painful and I cannot get treatment for it until I have the treatment for the MS figured out. My neurologist is checking to see if they have any openings in a MS clinical trial they are currently conducting in Chicago. This trial consists of only two injections a year with all follow up and other testing being covered by the hospital.
Has anyone on this forum been involved with a clinical trial? What kind of medications are you taking? I am afraid of the possible side effects of all these medications.
Thanks in advance for the help,
Kathleen
My name is Kathleen and I am 28 years old. I live in the Chicago, IL area and I was just diagnosed with MS this Tuesday and about three weeks earlier I was diagnosed with RA.
My story really starts with the RA. I went to see the rheumatologist because my right shoulder and forearm had a numbing sensation. I had many blood tests and he sent me for a MRI of my neck. They noticed three lesions. The doctor then prompted me to get a MRI with contrast of my brain and that's when they found several lesions in my brain. All while that was going on, the test results came back from the blood work and I tested positive for RA. I spent another few weeks going to the neurologist for a spinal tap, blood work, and an eye exam. I tested positive for MS in all those tests.
The worst part of this is, my RA is very painful and I cannot get treatment for it until I have the treatment for the MS figured out. My neurologist is checking to see if they have any openings in a MS clinical trial they are currently conducting in Chicago. This trial consists of only two injections a year with all follow up and other testing being covered by the hospital.
Has anyone on this forum been involved with a clinical trial? What kind of medications are you taking? I am afraid of the possible side effects of all these medications.
Thanks in advance for the help,
Kathleen