Could I have MS

[mercyone]

I don't know when it all started, not really, being hot bothers me and I can't tolerate working or walking in the sun or temps over 70 degrees....and off and on - my skin feels as if it is burning, mostly on my arms, and then pins and needles, and I have arm weakness, can't even lift a pencil, and now leg stiffness and entire body stiffness that is so bad it hurts to move. So all this is making life miserable. I train search and rescue dogs and now can't go out on searches and I don't even feel like walking my dogs.

I am so tired and feel anxious and miserable. And I have pain that shoots down my legs, most of the time the odd symptoms go away but now the body stiffness and aching all over just stays around and doesn't stop until I take pain meds and even the meds the doctor gave me don't work (Tramadol) so I take Tylenol too (yes it is okay as I checked) and then the stiffness stops and I feel better for at least a few hours but it all returns in the morning and even after sleeping all night I get up and still feel tired and it just starts all over again..

[mercyone]

Going in tomorrow morning for a Lyme Disease test at the County Health Center - I know it isn't the best test but it is a place to start .........CA. doesn't have that many cases, reported cases only 102 last year but, of course, this could be an old infection as I have lived in many states and also did a lot of wilderness hiking and camping - so that just ups the odds and 50% of the people never knew they had been biten - I suppose the wound site doesn't hurt. I sort of think it isn't Lyme but at least it needs to be ruled out.

Mercy

[spastic]

You hang in there Sweetie, we will always, always be here for you.  No matter what.  Day or night.  

Love

Ada

[mercyone]

I love Great Pyrenese and also have one - a female "Sky" that is now about 8 months old and 80 lbs and the sweetest dog. I like your dog's name "Rune" - sounds magical.

Well the Tramadol didn't work very well on it's own but with the Fioricet, it does better with the two. In fact I don't know why the doctor prescribed Tramadol in the first place, because by itself, it just didn't do too much. I guess he didn't realize the degree of pain I was in.

The coonhound, to be exact is a Treeing Walker Coonhound, and now about 90 lbs, and he is the best natured dog that follows me around and cuddles next to me at night. He is very well trained and has gre atest nose for tracking  - I can always tell when someone has been prowling around that doesn't belong, because Moses will sniff them out.

I will keep everyone updated in nine days after I know more....thank you so much for caring. I wish I could help others here but sadly I don't know much about what is going on with me and have no advice to give but it is wonderful reading everyone's experiences here and gives me much hope too......if I don't overcome this, at least I'll be able to cope. So thank you all for being so kind and so inspirtational!

Mercy

[spastic]

I didn't have much luck with Tramadol, I take Lortab 5 for the really, really bad pain and it seems to help it out a lot.  I hope you get answers soon Sweetie, living in LimboLand is for sure h.e.l.l.  

I have never met a coonhound but would definately love to.  Most people around here have the little fellows and the farmers seem to have the border collies and pyrenese.  My dog, Rune would love to go back to herding, but for now seems content on herding the cats.  And having staring contests with me :)  My boys definately make me feel better.  

Keep up your journal, some doctors really look into them.

Love,

Ada

[mercyone]

Aren't dogs amazing? So wonderful that yours are so in tune with you. They are great company too - always happy to see you and I think they have healing energy so when you cuddle them they make you feel better too.

I think I can train my dogs to help me get out of bed too - to pull me up so I don't have to put the stress on my joints. And for sure to bring in their bags of 55 lbs dog food.

Well this weekend I noticed my temp spiking at night and I had the chills, but only a small amount. My temp runs low - 94.6 to 97 at the most and at night I was at 99 but it went back down after a few minutes. So I don't know if the temp is significant enough to be concerned about.

The pain meds don't work that great so I am tempted to take more but I try not to - as the side effects are very bothersome - but if I take both of them 2 hours apart that seems to work better. It is Tramadol and Fioricet for now and I just assume after the Doctor gets the results back then things will change - I guess I will be lucky to get a diagnosis as it is not comforting to read how people struggle until they know what is going on with them.

It is just so odd to think that two months ago I was running with my dogs in the forest hot on a scent and now I'm lucky to get from the couch to the kitchen sink and if it weren't for the pain meds, I totally would not be able to function. But I'm trying to be positive and think of how I can adjust my life and that helps - especially using my dogs to help me out. One of my dogs sniffed out cancer on my big coonhound - she wasn't trained for it, she just wouldn't leave the mole alone and sure enough - it was stage 2.

Mercy

[spastic]

I think it is a great idea to train your dogs to help you.  Even get the phone, bring you a can of pop.  I have a aussie shepherd who knows before I do when I am going to have a bad spell, he'll come and stand right beside me until it passes and if I fall down my collie will come and nudge me up.  He's a big boy with a big strong nose.  They have rescued me a number of times!

Were you running a temp this weekend?  What painkiller are you on?  Glad to see your back, Sweetie.

Love,

Ada

[mercyone]

Back agin from the weekend - I don't know what the x-rays reveal because I only had one doctor's appointment and the next one is in 8 days and then I should know more - results from the tons of bloodwork and the many many x-rays the doctor ordered.

I started a journal of the temps. and meds and pain etc. - sort of depressing to read it. I am having chills but I think that is a by product of the pain meds.This weekend went moderately well - I learned a big lesson - take the pain pills, less pain, do not take them and suffer.

Hope everyone here had a good weekend. I've decided to keep my dogs until I can't take care of them anylonger, and fortunately some are very well trained and will obey on voice commad - I thought even of training one larger dog to pull a cart so he can bring the groceries in the house......and even pick up things - I guess where there is a will there's a way to make the most of things.

Mercy

[mercyone]

Thank you for your kind support -  I feel so much better - like I can manage this. Time to go for the weekend - good thoughts and love to all.

Mercy

[Freespirit24]

Oh my that is so sad you are going through all this, and i agree with the others and what they have suggested. Great idea to keep a journal that will help to identify if there is a pattern and what symptoms you are having when. Also note what the weather was like and if you were exercising etc.  

I hope you begin to get some answers soon.

Big hugs

Sarah

[spastic]

Have you heard of the IGeneX lab out in California? I heard they have had the most accurate test for Lyme.  The Elisa test is not all the time accurate but it is good to be checked for lyme.  Do you know if they seen any degenerative changes in your x-rays?

Love,

Ada

[mercyone]

My blood pressure is good, not high, except when I am in extreme pain, then the upper reading is high but not the lower.

I will check the Vit. D. and Pot. too - also need a lymne disease test as my last two searches were for lost greyhounds in the wilds - but I didn't see a tic on me, not at all.

Mercy

[spastic]

Sweetie, definately start a journal, and see if they have checked your vitamin d and potassium levels?  Sometimes being deficient in one of them can cause stiffness, muscle spasms etc.  I would definately see about getting a muscle relaxer to see if it helps with the stiffness.  I hope you get answers soon.  Waiting for results is a horrible feeling.  How is your blood pressure btw?

Love,

Ada

[mercyone]

I felt like crying when I read on your profile about how it all started - it is so sad and difficult.

My rash isn't pink at least I don't think it is. I too have heavy legs, very heavy, and also the pain that runs down them and in my hips - so much pain that I can hardly stand it so I just take more meds to dull it and I am so tired that I can barely function and sometimes at work I take a nap. I live alone with my dogs and that is better sometimes and worse too, as there is no one else to help me.....I own a lot of dogs and at one point it was difficult to feed them so I bought a cart and put their dog food bowls on the cart and wheeled the cart around. But then I feel better and go on searches with my coonhound and things seem back to normal except lately, the past two months, my stiffness is becoming so difficult.

The heat intolerance I don't understand. I can't work in the garden anytime past 9 am or even walk the dogs in the heat and I keep the house really cool at around 60 degrees when I can. I put fans in the windows to bring in the cold night air but soon even that won't work.

I do trip often in the garden and have sprained my ankle several times and twisted my foot so I try to be very careful and wear hiking boots that support my ankles - that helps. I don't fall down and can't imagine how difficult it must be to fall down at work. I need to keep a journal. I will start one this weekend.

More later,

Mercy

[spastic]

There is nothing wrong with wanting answers and don't give up in the quest for them.  Start taking your temp, every hour or when the heat feeling is bad.  This one is a hard one to dx.  The Dr's need all the help they can get!  I have pictures of the Stills rash on my profile here.  But they all are unique to the person.

Its not silly to worry about animals, they do need us.  I love my dogs as much as my "human" family.  Have a good weekend Sweetie, I hope you get some relief.

Love,

Ada

[mercyone]

I looked up Stills Disease and you might be right - as I do have a rash but didn't think much about it but it is not pink in color that I can tell and I thought I was allergic to bath soap or something....and I do feel hot during the day but as far as I know, I don't have a fever or haven't had one.......

My family and friends are very weary of me as I keep trying to find out what is wrong ...but as I read this forum it is not very comforting that doctors seem to be puzzled over what people have....like MS or Lupus etc.......I suppose it is not that easy to ge a diagnosis......

Yes, I will e-mail you - next week as I don't have a computer at home so I have to "sneak" time on breaks here at work. In the meantime, I just worry over being able to care of my animals as they need me.....seems silly I suppose....but I worry over them the very most.
Mercy

[mercyone]

Oh thank you for being so kind in answering - and I didn't know you can have arthritis without swelling. I kept thinking it was MS because of the heat sensitivity and the burning sensations on my arms etc......my brother has ra and takes injections....but I have always been relatively healthy so I never gave it much thought. I go back to the doctor in two weeks and will ask him for the muscle relaxers. I will look up Stills Disease too as I don't know what that is.

And I will post an update too when I know more. I am at work now and need to earn my keep but thank you so much for your insight as I was thinking it couldn't be RA......

Mercy

[spastic]

How wonderful to have another dog lover in our group.  And I have to commend you on the job you do with them, it is fabulous!  I use to do animal rescue before my disease kicked in, I miss it terribly but have my two faithful companions who are always here for me.  I feel for you, Sweetie.  I know that feeling all too well, wanting life to get back to normal.

I will have to say though, you can have arthritis without swelling.  Its not typical but it can happen.  Have you looked up rheumatoid arthritis?  My condition is called Still's disease, its kind of like RA but it is much harder to dx because most tests come back negative.  I find with arthritis that there seems to be remission like periods where I feel pretty good but they only last a few days.

Have they put you on any muscle relaxers?  I would suggest getting something like that for bedtime and maybe the stiffness won't be so bad in the morning.  Honey, I hope you get answers soon and you can private msg me anytime, ok?

Your Friend,

Ada

[mercyone]

Oh thank you for the nice reply. Tests are being done now like lots and lots of bloodwork and lots of x-rays, and I do believe the doctor was thinking it might be arthritis but my joints aren't swollen. I do remember though that a couple of years ago I couldn't get out of bed and had to crawl to the door to let my dogs out - but everything just seemed to get better and I thought it was a fluke happening - but that stiffness lasted almost two months and then went away.

I get headaches too and pain behind one eyesand all my muscles seem to tighten....I guess I just want to feel better to take care of my animals and do use my trained dogs and I'm afraid that life will never be back to normal.

Mercy

[spastic]

Hello and Welcome!!!  I am so sorry you are feeling miserable.  Have you had any testing done like bloodwork, MRI's, etc?  There are a lot of different diseases that mimic MS and they run a ton of tests.  Please take a look at our health pages, they are a wealth of information.

I have a very rare arthritis and I have terrible morning stiffness.  Sometimes it takes up to an hour to get out of bed.  You have a lot of the same symptoms I have so I would definately get in to your dr and see about getting some tests done and definately some referrals to specialty Dr's.

Again Welcome to our Cyber Family

Many Hugs,

Ada