Confused

[rainbeaurose]

For about a year now I have been noticing a gradual weakness in my arms and legs, the worse being in my forearm area.  I feel like I have my strength for the most part but just have a "feeling" of weakness if that makes sense. I am very fatigued all of the time almost like having the flu, constipated, incontinence, bad memory, at night my arms get tingly and feel as though they will go numb, when lying down with my eyes closed I feel as though the room is spinning and it becomes difficult to remember which way my body is facing, headaches, nausea and then what prompted me to see a doctor is the degredation of my fine motor skills.  I find it difficult to do anything with my palms up and things like turning a screwdriver, playing drums or a guitar(rockband) have become very frustrating and difficult because after a very short period of time I become very clumsy and uncoordinated and my forearm and hands will start to lock up.  My doc sent me to get an MRI which came back showing that I have a 5mm nonspecific white matter area in my left lateral ventricle perital lobe, which they said has something to do with myelin and could possibly be due to migraines.  I am going to see a neurologist tomorrow because my doc is unsure of this white matter area and because ms runs in my family.  I am really confused about all of this and would like to know if anyone could tell me what my MRI results could indicate and maybe what i can expect at the neurologist tomorrow?

[jensequitur]

Rainbeaurose, Lulu gave you some good advice!  

Keep in mind that the neuro is looking for 'dissemination in time' of your symptoms.  What that means is that he's looking for symptoms that come and go, and have more than one time they appear.  

I was diagnosed with MS with one 5 mm lesion in my cerebellum, and a positive spinal tap.

[rainbeaurose]

Thanks so much lol, i will definitely write down the main things that I am having concerns about.  I do not go to the doctor much and am aware that I have a few different things going on and you are definitely right that I shouldn't overload any one doctor with all of my problems at once.  You are all so helpful on this site and it is so neat to see how supportive you are of each other.  I don't know what I have going on with me but I hope after my tests tomorrow the doc will say "you're crazy go home", or will give me some definitive answers LOL!

[Lulu54]

Hi RBR,

Please take a few minutes and write down the top 5-7 things that are bothering you the most.  This list will give you something to begin with when you see the doctor tomorrow.  If you make the list any longer you will possibly sound like a hypochondriac and not be taken seriously.  

Plus the average neuro can only absorbe so much into their brains before they begin to tune us out ! LOL

The neuro exam includes many small tests- you honestly can't fake the results of any of these because these neuros are well trained to spot the fakes.  Real neurological problems have very real signs that they are trained to see.  

From our health page on WWW Resources:
"The Precise Neurological Exam for NYU Students
This contains links that explains in depth the 7 areas that should be covered in a neurological exam. It explains how each test should be preformed, and it also shows after each test what problems could occur, and what part of the body's system they could be linked to.
http://edinfo.med.nyu.edu/courseware/neurosurgery/"

Our best for tomorrow' s appt  Please come back and let us know how it goes,
Lulu

[rainbeaurose]

*BUMP*

[Wobbly]

I just wanted to say hi and let you know that we are here for you... it's difficult to say what your results might be?  I am still UnDx...with Brain lesions in diff parts of my brain... and the Neuro cannot give me a Dx yet.. I have some of the symptoms you have and hope you get some answers soon.

take care and let us know how your appt goes..
wobbly
undx

[rainbeaurose]

Thanks so much for giving me your input... it is very much appreciated :)  I just don't know what to think of it all and I have been having so many weird things going on with me for the past year and have been called a hypochondriac so many times I get embarrassed to even mention anything to anyone. I do not have a history of migraines.  I get headaches every now and then just like anyone else, some being worse than others but nothing that a couple of Aleve can't handle.  I really hope my appt goes well tomorrow and I hope I will not just be dismissed as I have become accustomed to and is the reason I HATE going to a doctor.  Is there any certain questions I should ask the neurologist?  I did read that a couple of the tests that they do are to have you stand feet together with your eyes closed which i did and i sway alot, and then doing the same thing with one foot in front of the other which I did and when I put my right foot in front of the left I sway so much I practically fall??

[essdipity]

Hi, Rainbeaurose. Welcome to our MS forum.
.
I'm very glad you're seeing a neurologist because your symptoms sound troubling, and getting worse. I'm no doctor myself, so take what I say about your MRI with lots of grains of salt, but here goes. From what I've read, migraines often do cause lesions on MRI, but they tend to be multiple and tiny. Yours is 5 mm, which is rather big. Do you even have a history of migraines?

Please take a look at our health pages (see yellow icon at upper right). There you can get lots of info about all phases of this disease, and about the testing process. Your neurological exam should take at least half an hour. If they do a few little tests for just a few minutes, that's a tipoff right there that you don't have the right doctor.

If it does appear that you have MS, look for a neuro who is an MS specialist. The health pages talk about this too.

Good luck in this process and let us know what you find out.

ess