Should I bother seeing a doctor?
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:03 am
I'm not sure where to put this,
Briefly, a way too long introduction. I was dx 20 years ago this month, at age 19 (trouble since I was at 16 if not earlier.) Anyway, at first I relapsed every summer, at 20 had one big one that left me moving back in with my parents, left side trouble. Those were pre-internet pre-any treatment days but I had a aunt-in-law that had a cousin-in-law that had ms and she got word to me to avoid saturated fats and to take evening oil of primrose.
So I did. I cut out red meat, dairy, fried foods and took a high gla supplement. I improved. And was, essentially, fine. I had a child at 28 and another at 30. In about 2005 I had an MRI for the point of getting a diagnosis of benign ms. Turned out my brain was riddled with plaques and lesions and the doctor was pretty surprised about how my inside and outside were so opposite. Over the next decade I slowly got out of eating healthy food (too busy taking care of little kids) and by last year I was in the habit of eating big macs.
In the meantime, over the past 3-4 years I have been feeling worse and worse. Usual stuff. Over the past year my ability to walk without resting is limited and my legs turn to cement (my poor dog.) Fatigue has gotten worse and worse. A bought of double vision. Ringing in my ears. Foggy brain. Now my legs are in spasm.
As I've largely dealt with this disease by burying my head in the sand it took me a while to clue in that the leg spasms were probably from ms. Slowly waking up after so many years, I got myself to a massage therapist. And I got myself some over the counter muscle relaxants.
I went back to an extreme version of my previous diet. (Can I say, I'm really glad there was no internet when I was diagnosed, I would have been way more freaked out.) I have had almost no saturated fat since last week, nor red meat, dairy, gluten and very few peas/legumes. I have started a gla supplement. Wow, I haven't had this much energy in months and months and it's only been a week (Not to say I'm not fatigued, the bar was low.)
Finally, my question, is there a point to going to the doctor? (I should mention, I've moved back and forth between Canada and the UK and in the UK have never sought treatment for this and am currently in the UK.) I don't think I'm bad enough to warrant the meds. My neuro in Canada never seemed so enthusiastic about the meds so I hear his voice telling me they aren't worthwhile for me. So is there a point to going to a doctor if I'm not going on the meds? I don't feel the need for someone to record my symptoms just for the sake of it. Do they have any other point?
Briefly, a way too long introduction. I was dx 20 years ago this month, at age 19 (trouble since I was at 16 if not earlier.) Anyway, at first I relapsed every summer, at 20 had one big one that left me moving back in with my parents, left side trouble. Those were pre-internet pre-any treatment days but I had a aunt-in-law that had a cousin-in-law that had ms and she got word to me to avoid saturated fats and to take evening oil of primrose.
So I did. I cut out red meat, dairy, fried foods and took a high gla supplement. I improved. And was, essentially, fine. I had a child at 28 and another at 30. In about 2005 I had an MRI for the point of getting a diagnosis of benign ms. Turned out my brain was riddled with plaques and lesions and the doctor was pretty surprised about how my inside and outside were so opposite. Over the next decade I slowly got out of eating healthy food (too busy taking care of little kids) and by last year I was in the habit of eating big macs.
In the meantime, over the past 3-4 years I have been feeling worse and worse. Usual stuff. Over the past year my ability to walk without resting is limited and my legs turn to cement (my poor dog.) Fatigue has gotten worse and worse. A bought of double vision. Ringing in my ears. Foggy brain. Now my legs are in spasm.
As I've largely dealt with this disease by burying my head in the sand it took me a while to clue in that the leg spasms were probably from ms. Slowly waking up after so many years, I got myself to a massage therapist. And I got myself some over the counter muscle relaxants.
I went back to an extreme version of my previous diet. (Can I say, I'm really glad there was no internet when I was diagnosed, I would have been way more freaked out.) I have had almost no saturated fat since last week, nor red meat, dairy, gluten and very few peas/legumes. I have started a gla supplement. Wow, I haven't had this much energy in months and months and it's only been a week (Not to say I'm not fatigued, the bar was low.)
Finally, my question, is there a point to going to the doctor? (I should mention, I've moved back and forth between Canada and the UK and in the UK have never sought treatment for this and am currently in the UK.) I don't think I'm bad enough to warrant the meds. My neuro in Canada never seemed so enthusiastic about the meds so I hear his voice telling me they aren't worthwhile for me. So is there a point to going to a doctor if I'm not going on the meds? I don't feel the need for someone to record my symptoms just for the sake of it. Do they have any other point?
