Tired of being treated like a mental case over symptoms

[Margo39180]

I worked successfully for 30+ years in 2 jobs with above average evaluations by my employers in both careers and have been happily married for 39 yrs with 3 healthy children.  I feel like I'm fortunate to have had the life I have had.  I was a Medical Technologist and felt like I had very good intuition. Even had 1 Physician as me why I didn't go to Med school.  Now I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but just to know I feel like I'm a normal person, without any mental health issues, other than having clinical depression in my family and I am successfully treated and take my medication as directed, see my dr regularly.  He doesn't feel that my symptoms are being caused by the antidepressant medication but when I sought out other specialist for many of the MS type and/or Parkinson's type symptoms I began to have at age 54, they all wanted to just take the easy way out and blame my antidepressants.  I actually had a neurologist that I saw the first time tell me that quote " I was a high strung woman".  I was with my husband and had not been there talking with him 3 mins when he decided this to be my problem.  I should have walked out immediately, but I think I was too shocked.  I began with tremors and gait/balance problems.  I would be walking and sometimes would just walk into a wall or the doorway opening.  My job required me to do work that used fine motor skills(ex. Pipettes in test tubes, etc). My uncle(mothers brother) had Parkinsons and I knew that it could be hereditary, and it was said a relative before him had a type of "Palsy".   As time went on I became a l title more off balance, and very stiff after rising from sitting at my desk at work.  The first neurologist(who said I was high strung) did an MRI and found a Menigioma in the area that a can control balance, but felt it was too small to be causing any problems.  The symptoms  started getting worse with some cognitive problems.  One day I was driving and suddenly did not know where I was...not just what part of town but what town state etc.  It only lasted about 30 secs and then it resolved. I also play the piano, and one Sunday I got up to play for services at the end and looked at the music and it was like Greek, after playing since 3rd grade, I didn't recognize what to do.  This also only lasted about 30 secs.  I asked the Dr if I may have been having some TIA's, but they didn't think so.  I also had a NeuroPsych work up and Scored poorly.....had memory problems and doing simple math and repeating a "block" problem that the therapist showed me how to do.  They put me on Donezepil and some Parkinson's Meds and the tremors improved.  
I was still performing pretty well at work, but was having problems interpreting written instructions.  If I was given an experiment to do, I would have to read it for an hour and still couldn't really figure out how to set it up.  I had trouble organizing.  Even after telling my employer I was seeking help for my medical problems, they chose to not renew my contract after 15 yrs.  That was very hard to take.  I had spinal tap and mri's but can't find what is wrong.  So when they can't, it's "all in your head".   The last year I've had a number of falls, lots of fatigue, still having tremors or weakness in the morning like many here.  My legs get tired, am having bowel control problems and incontinence.  I asked my psychiatrist if he thinks that I could possibly be crazy and he assures me he doesn't believe that it is related to any mental health issue, but that doesn't get me an answer.  I did receive SS disability the first time that I applied, so I guess since most have to apply number of times, they must have felt I deserved it.  I want to work, I miss doing what I use to do, but when I say anything to my husband, he feels like I really can't.  Symptoms are worse when under stress also.  I hope I haven't bored everyone, but this has been a long long road without any answers yet.  Sometimes I think I never will get any.

[HVAC]

FYI MS patients often have trouble reading so if you divide paragraphs it helps. Thanks.

It takes several years for most people to be diagnosed with MS. My first MRI showed Dawson's fingers classic MS lesions. Everything test there after showed MS and negative for anything else. It took me two years and 6 neurologists for my diagnosis. Actually I had my first MS attack in 1965 and I was not diagnosed until 2009.

Mental health is the old stand by. When that was put to me with MS I asked how can you have depression effect only the left side of the body?

You just have to keep trying. Neurologists do not do well with emotion. My GP taught me to not be emotional at the neurologist. I let the neurologist do his thing then I ask questions.

Even with cancer they are quick to say you are mentally ill. I had an oncologist who was basically doing nothing to keep me alive. I was failure to thrive. I went to his buddy at another hospital. His buddy put me in the hospital, gave me potassium, fluids, magnesium, and two units of blood. He saved my life. Then to protect the other doctor the second doctor said I was mentally ill, that I never was that sick when he treated me. Even though I had his report in writing.

I do not worry what doctors say about me. I could not get disability for mental illness. I had two psychiatrist say I just had MS I was not Bipolar. Yet that is what gets sprayed all over my chart.

It is about finding the right doctor. I had to keep trying to find the right MS Specialist. It took three oncologists until I found the right one. I do not do well with paternalistic doctors who just tell you what to do.

Something is going on. You will get an answer. Our medical system is slow. It took 4 or more years to find my cancer. By then I was late stage.

Alex

[Sailorsong]

I can really relate to your story Margo. In 1989 I went on Disability due to my MS and still miss my work as a Computer Programmer and Computer Design Engineer. At the time I went on disability I was the Manager of Hardware Design at a major computer design firm.

I can still remember the first time I had no idea of where I was. I had taken my daughter out for trick or treat and was only 2 blocks from home when I had no idea of where I was nor how to get home. I ended up having to ask my daughter how to get home. My wife ended up having to take her friends home I  could not figure out where they lived either. I still have these episodes where I no longer know where I am, but I have a GPS in my car so that I can get re-orientated to my location pretty quick since I always have it set up to guide me where ever I am going.

I also have PTSD from when I was in the Navy So there is also the mental issues involved with that working on me. Like you Stress does increase the symptoms so I avoid most stressful situations as best I can.

I didn't get my MS Dx until 2010.

Dennis