Describing symptoms - putting it in words

[Lulu54]

Doctors always want something more specific in our descriptions when they ask us to describe what is going on with our bodies.  Just saying *it hurts* or *It doesn't feel normal* is not enough - and that is understandable.

Likewise saying *I feel like I was run over by a truck* doesn't fit the bill, either.  These are all too general or vague for our doctors to get a true picture of what is going on.

I am wondering what phrases or combinations of words you use to relay these strange blips, twinges and pulsations we get with MS.

Some examples I can think of -----

buzzing = feels like a cell phone on vibrate

piercing pain = like an ice pick is stabbing me repeatedly

Do you have descriptors that can be added to a list for use?


Normally I'm not at a loss for words,
Lu

[Lulu54]

I'm bumping this lengthy thread for our new folks - especially oceans_apart.  There are very good suggestions here.  - Lu

[sllowe]

Good discussion.

How about:

I know there is water in my spine and it's moving around! If you listen to it, you'll have to hear it!  hahah  Yup, I totally said that.

Did I put it into words good?

[jumpinjiminy]

Radiculopathies - sharp white hot jolts of lightening running down my leg into the foot.

Paresthesias - icy/hot or biofreeze gel spread in big splotches

Heaviness - like weights strapped to a body part

Weakness - noodle legs

Fatigue - like walking through water

Abdominal spasms - similar to an induced labor

The first big episode was like walking through water with 20 lb weights strapped above each knee. The next day was like walking through water with 20 lb weights strapped above each knee in a pair of stiletto heels after a couple of cocktails too many. The nurse liked that description. lol

For the loss of coordination, I just told them my feet would stop, but my body kept moving forward. Or I tried to pour a can of something in a bowl and it went all over the countertop. It seemed to get the point across pretty well. They knew exactly what I was referring to.

Vertigo, like the room flips sideways.

Numbness, was like part of my foot was missing when standing on it.

Confusion - forgot how to sort laundry, can't put a meal together because the parts don't come together, have to rely on canned foods, can't put a grocery list together or decide what to put in the cart at the store.

Mud brain - nothing is clicking.

Patches of bugs biting - kept looking for mosquitoes when there were none there.

Muscle spasms - squeezing.

[GracieBee]

Head buzzing -  feels like I've inhaled helium along with a few dozen bees.

Linda

[Lulu54]

Wobbly, perhaps we could turn this into a patient's glossary of symptom descriptions and store it as a health page.  What do you think?

[frowngirl]

head is buzzing- feel like someone has implanted a tuning fork in my brain

Arms Burn- feel like I was in the hot sun and got sun burned

Fatigue- Feels like I went to the gym and lifted a 1000k pounds of weights over and over again.

Headache- feels like i have been hit with a hammer and my head is going to explode from the top to back of my neck.

MS hug- Feels like I am pinned between two large metal plates and it just gets tighter and tighter

Foot vibration- tuning fork on my foot

Pain- pain in my fingers just to type on my computer causes pain, I wake up crying almost everynight with pain. Mostly pain in my arms and hips are the worst

Heat intolerance- the warmth from soup, coffee, or sun makes me feel like I have the flu, dizzy, lightheaded, weak, nauseated. I have to stop everything and laydown and cool my body down.

Cognitive problems- I feel as if I am getting dumber and dumber. I cant even speak so I dont speak. When others speak to me I dont often understand the conversation and miss certain words of the converstation.
I dont want to be with others because I dont want to sound like and idiot.
I find that conversation uses too much energy as well.
Dont say what to me when I am speaking cuz I dont have enough energy to repeat myself and then I get very angry and start to cry.

I read the posts ....cried and laughed at the decriptions. Today I am at the end of my rope because not even my best friend understands what I and we go through.

Dawn