Welcome to the MS Forum. You have already received some great advice. As you can tell, you are now among instant friends, that truly mean it when they say they will be with you every step of the way. That is why the MS Forum is one of the best on the Internet today.
I hope that you will feel free to "talk" to others on the Forum, possibly answering some of their posts and concerns.
You are now among true, blue friends. Welcome again,
Heather
Hey Rena,
Big suprise I know...but since we live in the states, it's pretty much Canadian support all around. :) If it came down to it, he would probably stand beside Calagary, but when they are not side by side, he just supports his good old Alberta! :)
Such an incredible thing to connect with those thousands of miles away for a common purpose....love, encouragement and support. Thanks again!
Liz
Hi Shelley,
I am glad to here that I am not alone...but not glad to hear you are struggling. My numbness has somewhat stopped, but the past week I have experienced extreme fatigue and weakness in my legs and shakey arms. It feels like I have done squats all day - jello legs, and my shakiness is like a low blood sugar feeling...But I have been eating well, so that isn't it. I too am frustrated. I have four little girls to care for, the youngest being 8 months. I am nervous sometimes to carry her around because of the weakness. Summer is here and my girls are ready to get going, but my energy level wants me to nap all day. Very frustrating. I had a nerve test done, checking for any pinched nerves, along with some blood work that was looking for "think blood". Not really sure what that is, expect my neoro said it can give you "stroke" like symptoms...but I don't think that would explain my weakness. So we are headed down the same road you took with a load of tests. Not really ready for the expence, but I am ready for some answers. I will pray that your days are filled with restored energy and steadiness. Thanks for being a support to me and I hope that through all this, I too can be a support to you.
Have a great day today,
Liz
Hi and welcome. I just read your post and was suprised when I read you had symptoms just like I have been having. My symptoms started similar to what you explained, all on the left side, face, arm and leg. I, too, have been to the ER, 3 trips thus far. And too, they found nothing. I have since been to a nuerologist and had many tests. Still no solid evidence of MS, but they have ruled out everything else. I have the numbness and tingling on a daily basis now, and it's worse at times than others. I have a follow up with my nuero in a couple of months, but fear I can't wait. Hope you find the answers and if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. I'm 34 and mother of 3. This has really stopped me in my steps, so to speak. I've had good days and bad days. This summer has been mostly bad. Not sure if it's the heat or not. I've been to gastrologist, nuerologist, opthamologist, cardiologist....and so far, we've ruled out a lot of things, with no clear answers for anything. I do have hypothyroid issues and started med's for that 6 wks ago and just had my TSH levels checked again and they are normal now. So, it's not my thyroid.
Anyway, hope you're doing good. Just wanted to say Hey and Welcome. And let you know I've had the exact symptoms as you. I've had extreme fatigue and dizzy spells also.
Lots of hugs,
Shelley
Your hubby must be a wonderful and intelligent person if he is from Calgary and is a huge Oilers Fan!!! I am from the rival Edmonton and of course I am an Oilers Fan and I have to say that I am shocked that someone from Calgary loves the Oilers! Personally I think it is a wonderful change!
Liz...you are more than welcome for the information and should you have ANY questions or are worried about anything or just want to talk...we are here for ya!
Lots of hugs,
Rena
Hi Liz,
Just wanted to second Rena's warm welcome and say hello too. Let us know if you have any specific questions.
What types of tests have you already had? Are you currently taking any medications?
Welcome to our forum family!!
Elaine
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I will read the article and make sure the right steps are being made for my diagnosis. Thanks for providing a place to ask, vent, and connect/relate. Just as a side note...my husband is a big Oilers fan! He is from Calagary, AB. :)
Thanks again for responding to my post. I will definitely be on here a lot!
With a grateful heart,
Liz
Just to make a small change to my answer honey...you are already seeing a neurologist and if he is doing the proper testing, I think you should stick with the neurologist unless he gets "stuck" and is unsure as to what the next step may be. If you are diagnosed with MS, I would advise an MS Specialist as they are better qualified with the treatment of the disease. If you have read the Health Pages and your neurologist is proceeding with the tests that are best to get a diagnosis, stick with the neurologist. Don't mean to confuse you honey but I think you might want to stick with a good thing if it is going well and you feel confident with the care and testing you are receiving ok?
Lots of Hugs,
Rena
Hello there Reimergirl and Welcome to the MS Forum! I am so sorry to hear of all the problems you are currently having and I hope that we here on the forum might be able to guide you in the right direction towards a diagnosis for your symptoms!
First of all, is the neurologist you are seeing an MS Specialist? This is very important and I will direct you to read the article in the Health Pages titled something like, My family doctor thinks I may have MS...so what do I do now? This article will explain why it is so important to see an MS Specialist and the steps that should be taken on your journey to a diagnosis. It should be noted that while numbness in limbs, eye problems (as in optic neuritis), extreme fatigue, difficulty with speech and balance problems can be symptoms of MS, it is important that the proper testing be done to rule out any other MS mimic diseases.
Please know that we here on the forum are here to help you as much as we can and although we are not health professionals we do have a member that is a retired physician that we tend to bombard with our more difficult questions as she has been diagnosed with MS as well and is a big help. We are here should you need to rant, rave, laugh or cry and there is not such thing as a "stupid question" here. You need to garner as much knowledge about what you are dealing with in order to deal with it properly and we will do everything we can to help.
So for starters, I would advise that you look up in the upper right hand corner of this page and click on "Health Pages" where you will find a lot of useful information that has been put together by a number of our members. Everyone on this forum has either been diagnosed with MS, are living in limbo-land (where there is symptoms of MS but no diagnosis) and friends that were concerned that they may have MS but were diagnosed with other disorders but remain close friends and allies that we all need in this time of uncertainty. Please have a look at the health pages and let us know if you have ANY questions and we are here 24/7 to help you out ok?
Lots of Hugs,
Rena705