Newly Diagnosed...
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 5:46 pm
Hello all.
So yea....since I'm on here we can all safely assume I've been diagnosed with MS. Yep...you're right! The one thing that hasnt changed with my diagnosis is my sense of humor (which can be dark & dry at times).
Anywho....so I woke up one morning in March with a horrible headache (similar to migraine - altho i've never had one)
I also had limited vision in my left eye. Kinda like someone had put a flashlight up to my eye and was holding it there. I've had optical migraine's before but never with a headache. This was on a Friday and I figured the weather change and some stress had caused this. Needless to say my eye didnt get better over the weekend.
So I called my eye dr on Monday and they got me right in. Told them it was like a flashlight to the eye or that someone had put vaseline over my eye. The dr did an exam and everything looked alright but she felt there was still something going on. Bless her heart for not just going with the usual 'eh, i dont know but it'll fix itself i guess' answer. She sent me for an MRI. So several days of waiting and back to the eye dr I go. Oh and the blurriness...that was optical neuritis.
Imagine my reaction when the dr says 'there are 3 active lesions on your frontal lobe'! I must have looked like I was going to pass out as she went to get me something to drink. Of course all I could think of was cancer....oh great....brain cancer....i'm going to die! Dr comes back and tells me that radiologists reading is probable MS but the dr wants me to go to neurologist down the road. OK. Been to him before so its all good. Back in 2010 I went to him as my left hand was basically cold, numb, tingly, etc. Did electrical tests, carpal tunnel tests....all came back good.
So I got back to this Dr and he reviews the MRI and tells me that they are going to set me up with a round of IV Steroids! OH GOODIE!!!!
Now for anyone who knows me I'm kinda spastic and have been accused of short attention span! (SQUIRREL...OH SHINY)
Let me tell ya...the IV steriods worked! But 3 days of me hyped up on them is not something anyone around me wants me to do again! I was bouncing off the walls, couldnt sleep and basically was at full speed for 4 days! And I wanted to eat everything in site!
Anywho....back to my story...so after the IV treatments and such the neurologist decides that I really need to have the spinal tap done. OH GOODIE AGAIN! So the actual procedure wasnt all that bad but the 7 days of my head feeling like it was going to explode was something I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy.
So after that back to neurologist I go...yep...diagnosis confirmed...MS. Great....so good thing about this disease is it has pretty much taken most of my emotions out of the picture. I dont get overly happy, I dont get overly sad, I dont get overly upset, etc.
Neurologist then tells me he's sending me to a specialist at IU in Indianapolis. Ok...I can handle this.
So I finally get in to see the specialist....who I will tell anyone who will listen...is a great great great doctor! He took the time to explain the entire disease to myself and my mom. He told us about all the drugs out there and which ones he would recommend for himself.
So long story short....i'm on my second week of Tecfidera. No real side effects. And as long as it keeps the replapses at bay I dont care.
Well I have babbled enuf on here but that is basically my short trip to where I am now in the MS world.
This seems like a nice place to be able to find out information and connect with others who are living with MS.
So yea....since I'm on here we can all safely assume I've been diagnosed with MS. Yep...you're right! The one thing that hasnt changed with my diagnosis is my sense of humor (which can be dark & dry at times).
Anywho....so I woke up one morning in March with a horrible headache (similar to migraine - altho i've never had one)
I also had limited vision in my left eye. Kinda like someone had put a flashlight up to my eye and was holding it there. I've had optical migraine's before but never with a headache. This was on a Friday and I figured the weather change and some stress had caused this. Needless to say my eye didnt get better over the weekend.
So I called my eye dr on Monday and they got me right in. Told them it was like a flashlight to the eye or that someone had put vaseline over my eye. The dr did an exam and everything looked alright but she felt there was still something going on. Bless her heart for not just going with the usual 'eh, i dont know but it'll fix itself i guess' answer. She sent me for an MRI. So several days of waiting and back to the eye dr I go. Oh and the blurriness...that was optical neuritis.
Imagine my reaction when the dr says 'there are 3 active lesions on your frontal lobe'! I must have looked like I was going to pass out as she went to get me something to drink. Of course all I could think of was cancer....oh great....brain cancer....i'm going to die! Dr comes back and tells me that radiologists reading is probable MS but the dr wants me to go to neurologist down the road. OK. Been to him before so its all good. Back in 2010 I went to him as my left hand was basically cold, numb, tingly, etc. Did electrical tests, carpal tunnel tests....all came back good.
So I got back to this Dr and he reviews the MRI and tells me that they are going to set me up with a round of IV Steroids! OH GOODIE!!!!
Now for anyone who knows me I'm kinda spastic and have been accused of short attention span! (SQUIRREL...OH SHINY)
Let me tell ya...the IV steriods worked! But 3 days of me hyped up on them is not something anyone around me wants me to do again! I was bouncing off the walls, couldnt sleep and basically was at full speed for 4 days! And I wanted to eat everything in site!
Anywho....back to my story...so after the IV treatments and such the neurologist decides that I really need to have the spinal tap done. OH GOODIE AGAIN! So the actual procedure wasnt all that bad but the 7 days of my head feeling like it was going to explode was something I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy.
So after that back to neurologist I go...yep...diagnosis confirmed...MS. Great....so good thing about this disease is it has pretty much taken most of my emotions out of the picture. I dont get overly happy, I dont get overly sad, I dont get overly upset, etc.
Neurologist then tells me he's sending me to a specialist at IU in Indianapolis. Ok...I can handle this.
So I finally get in to see the specialist....who I will tell anyone who will listen...is a great great great doctor! He took the time to explain the entire disease to myself and my mom. He told us about all the drugs out there and which ones he would recommend for himself.
So long story short....i'm on my second week of Tecfidera. No real side effects. And as long as it keeps the replapses at bay I dont care.
Well I have babbled enuf on here but that is basically my short trip to where I am now in the MS world.
This seems like a nice place to be able to find out information and connect with others who are living with MS.
