Latest Update/relapse.

[Udkas]

Well they reckon I am having a relapse and that I should probably start some steriods, I am going to see how I go over the weekend and make my decision then.

Hmmmm,

Cheers,
Udkas.

[Udkas]

Hi there,
booked myself back into my GP to have a complete checkup and see what he thinks about it all, make sure that it is not my ticker!!

So then by the time I see the neuro I have other stuff ruled out.

Cheers,
Udkas
Will let you know what he says.

[Udkas]

To Mptel81:
Mine have always started suddenly but gradually got worse over a period of two weeks, so they build up, peak, the gradually get better again, usually I feel left with some deficit that I didn't have before.  Then my symptoms reoccur when I am sick/tired/stressed etc.

To JJ.
Your relapses sound terrible, thanks for the advice and offer of support.

To Shell:
The hmmmm is because I am not certain with what is going on? and I am disappointed if it is a relapse, I am still thinking maybe I have got too tired with the wedding and it is just a pseudo relapse.  I didn't go to my GP as he is a waste of time with this stuff, maybe I should get a new one, but silly i like him. Well I told him when I was there getting my migraine med but said I had taken it up with my neuro's office so he didn't even ask me about it.
I talked to my neurologist's nurse who is a nurse practioner specializing in MS, so I call her the MS Nurse, she is the one who does the home visits with the DMD etc. and she also works for the MS Society, but here if you see a neuro you get a nurse assigned to you who knows your history, so you can ring her and then she liasons with your neuro. Not sure if she has spoken to him yet as she said she prob wouldn't be able to get hold of him until Monday and suggested I go back to my GP, but I told her how hopeless he was..lol. she said if I get bad go to the hospital.  She seemed to think I should be on steroids and was going to contact my neuro sooner if she could get him.  She was quite definite that she thought it was a relapse as I am having lots of leg symptoms too. Not an MS relapse tho a reoccurce of the Transverse Myelitis as TM would affect or can affect both arms like that. Prob still should get my ticker checked out, maybe I will ring my GP today.. hmmmm
hmmm , why do I always have something different from everyone else...makes me feel weird
Thanks guys
Udkas.

[sllowe]

Are you feeling they didn't rule out something else as a cause? If so, I see why you are hmmimng
Who reckons this is a relapse, the MD?

-Shell

[supermum_ms]

I'm sorry your now in relapse, it was so good to hear you were doing well, I dont know but maybe we shouldn't say when we're doing well because then we just jinx our selves. lol not funny but so Murphy's law (what ever CAN happen WILL happen) its hard not to shout from the roof top (so to speak) when your feeling great, too much time on the other side and its amazing how good you can feel when you get out of it. Again sorry your in a free fall!!

I think you've ask the question that everyone gets confused about, I couldn't tell you how many times 'how do you know your in a relapse' comes up, not quite the same but close enough. If you work off the basic principle that a return of old sx or old and with something new, then it needs to be consistent for at least 24 hours, though the concensous is leaning more towards 48 hours.

I find that I dont want to believe i'm having another relapse even when i've got a new sx, I dont count it in until i've experienced it for at least a week. Not really rational but it helps me metally, simply because once a new sx comes then I have to accept that its going to come back and that takes a bit of acceptance. I suppose i'm always focused on coming out the other side and when i finally do, i'm still battling to get fighting fit and I dont want to slide backwards when i'm trying to keep the momentum in the other direction.

Personally, I dont ever think i'm in full relapse untill my tremors & spasms are out of control, communicating is difficult, brain is frying and then the fatigue really starts setting in, I usually know by the third day but still I dont believe it unless i'm still going down hill after a week. I do think thats mainly because the ones that are memorable are the ones that last months and months. Though my last one was scary because i started struggling to swallow, it lasted just under 2 weeks and I do hope that isn't a sign of things to come.

I have to say the first time I experienced the Hug, was the most painful experience of my life, I sure would of liked a 10lb baby instead lol, there's nothing quite like the pain it brings. They are becoming normal to me now but it took a while to find acceptance, still not quite there yet, maybe never. lol

Tricks you can have a go at to see if you find something that helps, laying flat helps minimise the spasms because your not using other muscles to hold your self up right in a chair or where ever. Dont wear a bra or any clothing that is restrictive around the rib cage. Hot or cold packs, hot helped sooth mine a little bit but the cold is horrid, I found these stick to the skin heat flat packs that i loved. I found that even when the heat (which isn't hot more like a warm face washer) ran out, the support the sticky bandage gave was still helping because I couldn't over flex my rib cage and set off my intercostal muscle spasms (hug) again.

If I think of anything else i'll let you know :-)

Gentle hug...........JJ
  

[mpatel81]

This may sound like an odd question but....

How long do your relpases take to come on, i mean how long between initally feeling the start of symptoms to knowing you are in a full blown relapse?

M