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Fresh Meat !

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:35 am
by nserafini
Hi all,

My name's Nick. I'm 27. I like long walks on the beach, i'm not much of a talker but I'm a good .... Oh wait, wrong forum !

Anywho, I'l post my story. So, having 2 kids and a wife, andf being 6'4" and 300 lbs, and a chain smoker , I figured it was time for a change. Started going to the gym. All was well for 3 months, then one day ( Sept '06 ) I got a blinding headache and pain in my right arm. So, I'm thinking heart attack or stroke, Head to ER, and i'm just fine. Doctor put me on an EKG, all is kosher and ok. Have a stress test ( of course I have stress with 2 kids ! )but that's good too.

Tell the doc I have some trouble using my hands at times, feels like they are puffy, my legs and hands get pins and needles, but it's weird, it travels from one hand or leg to another.

Doc sends me to a neuro. Get a c-cpine and all is good. Says it's not a big deal, gives me nortriptoline and says see ya in 2 months. 2 weeks into the nortryp I start to see pink elephants and feel like a zombie at work. He takes me off it. But I still have the weird sensations. Doc says " maybe MS " .. And that's it. I start to read all about MS and surf the web like a fiend. Getting nervous. Getting Scared.

So I go and get an eye exam, low and behold, I need glasses... GREAT ! Next neuro does the EEG ? ( where you are a pin cushion with a car battery attached ) and both the upper and lower tests are great.

Head MRI next, that's clean too. But I still get these pains. And it's weird. Some days I feel ok ( like just a little tried, no biggie ). Other days my hands or feet hurt ( i like to call it the burning hand, as it feels inflamed and puffy ) and weak muscles. Other days it's the foot. And I always love when I seem to misjudge the ground and my back foot slips up. Or I whack my blackberry into the door jam.

So, I've made an appt with an MS specialist in the NJ area for mid next month.

All this so far means no MS, right? Well, we all know better. I know it's not my mind playing tricks on me, and my neuro is a good guy, but he thinks it's all stress related. So we'll see.

But I have to tell you, i've been reading this site for a while, and have learned 2 things. Not to be scared of MS. While it's bad, I'll always be able to find the silver lining, and alot of the messages on here showed me that. I can, and no matter what , lead a happy, full , and productive life, even if the body doesn't agree.

And that for the past 10 yrs I've given away too much of my time to work than my family. While both my wife and kids kill me on a daily basis, I sould appreciate them more, and we should do that road trip to Mt. Rushmore I always wanted.

Sorry for the long rant, but to be honest, family hasn't been all that willing to listen to me blabber about maybe MS ( for good reason, I understand ) but this is the first time I've been able to " speak " it out loud.....

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:11 am
by viper498
Hilarious! Love the sense of humor! Welcome to what I would call the best resource on the net ( and then some ) for anyone wanting to learn about MS. This site is great, and has so much to offer. So again, Welcome!!!

Best Regards,
Brock

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:57 am
by Loobie
Welcome Nick!,

I hope all you have is stress, but that banging your Blackberry really rings home with me. I am walking into door jambs all the time since for some reason I have started to "turn too early". I don't know what's creating that (probably depth perception with me, or maybe lack of balance). If I found out, I'll tell you and we'll both know! Seriously, welcome and you've found a good resource if you need it.

Lew Chapman aka Loobie
Dayton, Ohio

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:48 am
by nserafini
So,

Went to the MS specialist in Teaneck on Friday. Was in and out within an hour. They did the basic tests with the hands, walking and some visual stuff. I went thru my whole history, and was told that ... I don't have MS ! That's great, right ?

So why does my hand ( and now right arm ) feel really weak and burn ...

I'm beginning to think it's all really in my head, but my body doesn't want to agree with that.

More than anything else, not knowing what the machine is doing is driving me insane ( and I fix things for a living, so it's killing me !!! )

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:01 am
by Muu
Hi there newbie.
I had my first symptom when i was 20 (optic neuritis) no one mentioned ms and it was not treated. Next symptom 8 years later. MS suspected but discounted. Finally dx with SPMS 10 years after that. During the 18 year period from my first symptom the affect on my life was v mild so as not to affect me in any significant way. I had 2 wonderful children something i may have chosen not to do if i'd known i had ms. When i was finally dx i had 18 years history to look back on where my ms did not follow me around like a black cloud and armed with that I felt stronger and more equipped to deal with it.
You may or may not have ms. Your drs say you dont. Neuros wont make a dx of ms especially if tests give no grounds for it. Wait to see how things pan out. Nothing else may happen, your current symptoms may subside. It really could be stress. If your symtoms dont subside you can always go back to your dr. There are therapies for the early stages of ms if it turns out thats what you have. In the meantime remember the lesson and try to enjoy every single day.
Muu

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:53 am
by nserafini
I've kinda decided that every day is going to be an adventure. I mean one day it's the arm, next it's the leg and the eye, or the jaw ( and so on ) .... But, i'll just take it one day at a time ( i'm a smidge too young for any schenider jokes on that one ! )

What gets me is I'm for sure not getting better ( though some days are easier than others ), and it makes my day to day exciting and annoying, but i'll deal with it.

I feel horrible, like I keep waiting for someone to say I have MS. But I have to admit, the 2 neuro's I've seen don't seem to really take an interest. And that's even more fustrating -

I called in to work dead yesterday, and took the day off to spend with the wife and kids .... Anyone want a wife and two kids ?

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:49 am
by REDHAIRANDTEMPER
welcome to ther group..man i am so lagging behind on saying hi to people on here..lol...trying to play catch up with work and stuff so here i am late in welcoming you to the group..i know the feeling you have about wondering if its all in your head..i have had no feeling in my right side now for over three yrs..now that i wrote three yrs down i feel depressed..its been three yrs and i feel like we havnet gotton anywhere with this stuff for me...lol...thats it i am just a crazy person....well okay welcome to the group on that great note in my message...lol...and on the subject of taking a wife and kids...no thanks i have a ex husband i wouldnt mind giving away if anyone wants him...lol....

chris