New diagnosis at 22.

[bertomonster]

Hey everyone! This is actually my first post here. It was recommended to me to possibly try one of these forums online to try and connect with people like me. Young folks who now have something else in life to worry about besides the usual crap like looking for jobs coming out of school and stashing away some cash to finally move out of our parents' house! We have one more major responsibility on top of everything else. So anyway...here's my story. I'm pretty fresh out of WyoTech, an automotive based trade school. Striving to become an automotive technician. I finished school last September. I was diagnosed two months after I finished my program and received my diploma. The last few months, needless to say, have been simply atrocious. In and out of the hospital for procedures, check-ups, and what seems like nonstop blood work. My first month out of school I managed to snag a job in my field of work/ study. Later that month was when I had my first relapse, however I didn't know that's what it was. I went to see my doctor the next day. He quickly made some calls and got me to see a neurologist the next day. Next thing I know I'm being held over night getting poked and prodded all over the place. I was given my initial diagnosis my first night in the hospital. I was released the next day, feeling...lost. The day after that I go to my work to pick up one of my paychecks. Little did I know it was my last. I was fired from my job the day after being released from the damn hospital! With MS! And since then I've just been kind of on an up and down roller coaster. I'm still trying to grasp all that's happening and what has happened. I still feel too new at all this. I wasn't ready.

[jimmylegs]

sorry to hear about all the crap you're dealing with :S
welcome to the forum - I'm not one of the under 25 members, but regardless of age you've found a supportive community here

[Youarethecure]

I am under 25 for 3 more days!! lol

Focus on doing everything you can to fight back like exercising, diet, medication, yoga, stretching, etc etc. Over half the battle is being positive and strong. There is two ways to handle this, fighting back and being strong by not letting it affect you and your life. Or people can give up and sit around feeling bad for themselves. I have gotten to a point that fighting back and doing everything possible makes me feel so good and incredible... Especially seeing how its so early for us we will only bathe in the benefits of being healthy and fit for many many years to come.

Once you have it under control look into starting your career in life. Don't ever live in fear of your future because you don't what will happen and when. Plus we are so young and the cure will be out there one day. Do not ever change your plans in life unless it truly makes you... and that's if it ever does.

Best of luck,

Chris

[bertomonster]

Thanks guys. I'm doing all I can for myself. I still go to the gym, I lift weights, I go running, I hike, I mountain bike, I still work on cars, I try to eat right. I had recently gotten to the point where I'm using MS as my excuse to achieve greatness. I want to accomplish all I can, be able to look back at it all, and have people, as well as myself think, "Wow. AND he has MS!" I'm currently undergoing Extavia treatments. Doctors tell me I appear to have a mild form of the Disease. Luckily i'm still able to be active and explore life and the world. Therefore, as long as I am physically able to, I will.

[Youarethecure]

Incredible attitude my friend, keep it up.
It is an excuse to be that much greater in life, and seeing how its so early for us we will only reap in the benefits of exercising, eating, and everything else for many years.
I am the same way, when I tell people they are absolutely dumbfounded. They think there's no way I have ms and that makes me feel awesome.

[bertomonster]

Those are my feelings exactly. When I was newly diagnosed, I went back to see my personal doctor. He was the one that referred my to get CAT scans and all that jazz. I had a check up appointment with him and as he looked over all my recent paperwork with my test results he shouted out, and I quote, "Holy SHIT! MS!?" He was just as shocked as I was when I had found out. Nowadays whenever I mention to someone that I have MS I get the same reaction they give you, they're simply left speechless. So yeah, I'll also take that as a good thing.

[Youarethecure]

Take everything that happens from this and turn it into a good thing.

Humor is also a huge part of this. So far I find my self laughing when I have the balance issues or my lovely short term memory issues. It helps a lot to smile and laugh at the little things.

[jimmylegs]

berto - may I recommend a nutrient status check? your level of physical activity could be draining your nutrient status to a symptomatic level. ms patients on average have a known set of nutrient issues. a lot of the same nutrients can be depleted via exertion. especially if the diet is not quite up to pace. probably in your best interests to check some levels out.

previous inquiries with potential links to athletic nutrient depletion:

jan 2014: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p220615

could you post or private message the levels (with specific test type, units of measurement, and range) of b12, vit d, and magnesium? it's KEY that ms patients have LOW TO MID NORMAL results for essential nutrients. 'normal' is not good enough.

dec 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p218944

sounds to me like you may want to consider athletic nutrient depletion. the pain, shaking, and panic are all consistent with magnesium deficit. magnesium is easily lost via sweating and physical exertion/stress

aug 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p214058

I can help advise on tests and how to evaluate results if you're interested in leaning about and/or pursuing a nutrition science approach. worst case scenario, you rule out depletion as a factor. but at a minimum I would think you should be able to expect some gains from addressing any suboptimal nutrient levels.

jul 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p213263

hi and welcome you could get a serum magnesium test to [help] rule out athletic nutrient depletion as a source of your spasms. it's a major blind spot in conventional health care. your serum levels need to be high high normal to avoid deficiency. research has established that deficiency occurs inside the normal range

jul 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p212824

I have helped others deal with athletic nutrient depletion... the docs aren't trained to see the electrolyte problems associated with athletic nutrient depletion. I used to have SERIOUS cognitive deficits and muscular issues as well. once I started looking into it, I had multiple nutrient depletion issues. i fixed them and got better.

may 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/friends-a ... ml#p209562

hi goss my antennae fired when you mentioned ballet. I would have a serious look at athletic nutrient depletion. ...

mar 2013: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/introduct ... ml#p206052

i have often passed on research to members here regarding athlete nutrient depletion. a while back i gave the same info to a thin active person with amenohrrea, then counselled her through getting all the related bloodwork done, and starting a corrective nutrient-dense diet plus therapeutic supplement regimen. her nutrient levels got higher, and she got better

jul 2012: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p195665

I was exercising, P90x or insanity workouts, for the last few years. Not religiously but I've done the whole 90 days maybe missing two days. Then I took a break. Got sick, with shingles, that that was about 2 1/2 years ago.

ahhhh!!!! re p90x - did you do the supplement part of the program, or just the exercise??? i just recently helped a personal friend out of the hole she'd dug for herself via athletic nutrient depletion :S

aug 2010: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p131651

magnesium is drained by stress and by working out. it is needed in order for muscles to relax

[bertomonster]

Youarethecure: I definitely find myself laughing at my goldfish-like memory, but at times it does frustrate the hell out of me and my friends and family haha.

Hey jimmylegs, so my doctor had me run a bunch of blood tests and I had gotten the results back, but I have no idea what those numbers mean or what the tests were that my doctor ran. It was a bunch of medical BS according to me so even I'm pretty sure I didn't even understand what my nutrient levels meant as I read over my results.

On another note, do you have any idea maybe what kind of diet would you recommend for my kind of lifestyle? I had previously been on a higher protein/ lower carb type of diet due to high intensity weight training and cardio.

[jimmylegs]

hey berto do you still have a copy of those lab results? would be really useful in terms of deciding a way forward. can you give me a little more detail on your diet (previous and current) and specific symptoms? there are probably several things you can take action on, but a little more info would be helpful.

[bertomonster]

Jimmylegs: So I have test results going all the way back to October 24 of last year for all kinds of different counts. Back then is about the time where I had what would be I guess my first relapse.

And as far as how my diet was, I would try to have 3 meals a day. For breakfast, 1 protein component and 1 carb component. Lunch, 1 protein, 1 carb, 1 veggie. Dinner, 1 protein, 1 veggie. I would also try to have a healthy snack in between each meal so I would eat about 5 times a day. As of lately, I have really just been eating what I have available. It hasn't been complete crap, but not as clean as I was before.

As far as symptoms, I don't feel I have had any besides my first one which was when my left arm and left quad went numb at about the same time. I'm so inexperienced with MS that I don't think I'd even know all the symptoms haha. The only thing I can really feel is some suffering with short term memory loss.

[jimmylegs]

ah good records, I like it. specifically, can you see any serum nutrient test results in there? vitamin B12, vitamin D3? even just electrolytes? (sodium calcium potassium etc?)

sounds like you are used to a decent routine food wise. I'm curious about specific food choices - to start, can you tell me a little more about lunches? what kinds of things did you have in the rotation for the carb, protein and veg components? what kinds of options did you generally have around for healthy snacks?

[bertomonster]

So I just got word from my neurologist's office that my vitamin D levels were a little low and also my red blood cell count was slightly lower than normal as well. I'm going to get on some OTC vitamin D supplements and I have to talk to my private doctor about whether or not he wants to put me on iron supplements.

[jimmylegs]

ok watch your magnesium status if you're starting vit d3, and watch your zinc status if you're going to start iron. if you do have those results on file those would be valuable pieces of info going forward. both zinc and mag can be normal on paper, but deficient in actual fact. adding d3 to a suboptimal mag situation can cause trouble. same thing with adding iron to a low zinc situation. the more you know, the better off you'll be treatment-wise!

[bertomonster]

Would you recommend for me to take a good quality multivitamin as well on top of all that also to keep my zinc and mag numbers up? I'm taking one right now, but idk how good of a product it is.