I love the hand grenade comment about my back. I almost peed in my computer chair laughing. Yall are so funny. Its nice to find a place thats not only informative but amusing. See yall when I get to work!
Rutey
Welcome Rutey!
Wow, so sorry to hear of all the troubles. It must be painful! I'm glad you've joined our group and from...., oh, let me make a wild guess. . TX - ya'll, I just love it.
Anwyay, I thought this might be helpful.
Tests they would run to check for APS. This was mentioned by Quix (Hughes Syndrome - Sticky Blood). I've cut and pasted this from web info I've researched:
Physicians use a combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory tests to diagnose APS. The common blood tests for antiphospholipid antibodies are as follows:
Lupus anticoagulant (LA) and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies are the classical tests used to diagnose the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
- Anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG, IgM, and IgA)
- Lupus anticoagulant – a panel of blood clotting tests that may include the dilute Russel Viper venom time (dRVVT), lupus aPTT, mixing studies, and hex phase phospholipid test, platelet neutralization procedure
- Antibodies to b2-glycoprotein I (IgG, IgM, IgA)
Clinical Criteria:
- Vascular thrombosis- arterial, venous or small vessel, in any tissue or organ, confirmed by objective validated criteria
- Pregnancy morbidity
- Unexplained fetal death at or beyond 10 weeks gestation
- Premature birth before 34 weeks gestation because of eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia or placental insufficiency
- Three or more unexplained consecutive spontaneous abortions before 10 weeks gestation
Laboratory Criteria:
- Lupus anticoagulant, present on at least 2 occasions, at least 12 weeks apart.
Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), IgG or IgM, >30 units for both, present on at least 2 occasions, at least 12 weeks apart.
- Anti-beta-2-glycoprotein I antibodies (anti-B2GPI), IgG or IgM, >20 units for both, present on at least 2 occasions, at least 12 weeks apart.
In the absense of the clinical criteria, it's easy to see why APS is not necessarily checked for and caught in the early stages to keep folks from having strokes, blood clots, hearts attack, etc.
With MS there are so many similar symptoms you an compare them side-by-side.
Again, welcome, and I hope you get some relief and answers soon,
SL
P.S.
I've had problems w/my neck for years. I won't begin to complain after hearing of your back. But, for me, MRI's looking for MS (among other things) showed left paracentral HNP at C3-4 and left uncinate spur is present w/moderate mass affect upon the anterior left thecal sac and mild left foraminal stnosis w/out cord compression. . .My neck and shoulder blade still aches like a toothache and I think the headaches are a result of that too.
After the Dr's suspected MS, I began researching symptoms for stroke (I thought for certain I had one and that they were all wrong), but I also searched Herniated discs and I found plenty of evidence that they can in fact cause neurological symptoms, depending on the effect on the spinal cord. . .not to mention the pain, nerve issues, etc. .. .
Just thought I'd add that incase you felt like researching those reports you have - best of luck,
SL
Howdy,
Actually I was born here in Orlando, Florida. All my relatives are from south ga though. Thanks for responding to my post so quickly. I feel like Im falling apart. Its really sad because, I eat healthy, ive lost weight, and now Im having a hard time walking. This morning my husband had to drive me to work, I feel like my legs are "drunk". I tried going up the stairs, and I had to hold on to the railing just to get up there. It was quite a workout. Have you been dx'd with MS?
Hi,
I'm glad to do it, I've received so much help here, all I can do to re-pay is recipricate (sp?). I should of guessed the GA. My brother is stationed there and lives there now.
I can totally relate to the drunk feeling. It's horrible. I had it for a little over 3 months. Not only does the body respond in that way, it's the thinking too right? Mine was. Do you feel like you have to keep correcting yourself when walking? Like you are sideways a bit? What about your eyes?
Yes, I was dx'd this year. I have to update and re-post up my timeline (so Quix doesn't hollar at me...lol) so you can read it. It's actually a good thread with the others w/dx's too, although I think mine is waaaay back on the board.
I too am in good shape (well, there is always something that need tweeeking), but overall could be worse. I haven't been able to combat smoking, and so I blamed everything "weird" that happened to me over the years on that.
Just as a forewarning.... do look into your past when your thinking is on track, before you go to the Dr. It's good info for the Drs, in order for them to determine if you've had any past episodes. Otherwise, it's considered clinically isolated (CIS), although a good neuro who is "definite" you have MS, however does not have the past episode identified w/time and space, will still recommend you on DMT's.
I have lots of spasms in varying places, and those back one's. . . . . .oh man, just take the breath out of you don't they! Are your appointments far off? I hope not. . .
Wow, you are fast! Omg, you have been through what Im going through. You are so correct at the THINKING aspect of walking. I have to think where my feet are heading. Its funny how we just get up and walk and in the past my feet went where they were supposed to without thinking about it. My eyes havent been as bad as some of the other posts Ive read. I have had my eyeglass prescription changed a couple of times in the last year and a half. They attributed it to my blood pressure probs. I have had a "cloudy" film in front of my right eye, but it seems to get better. Like I said before, my legs used to "go to sleep" only at night while I was asleep or trying to sleep. Now it is constant, it feels like they are "spazzing" out from my knees ato my toes. I dont see them visually. but can definitely feel it. Im trying to focus on that its due to all my spine problems and not anything else. The last hospitalization in March of this year, I was in there 5 days. They worked me up cardiacly, and stated I needed to follow up with a neurologist. My Pcp never gave me a referral, and when I started having these leg weaknesses and headaches, he realized my brain MRI said demyelination, and thats when this whole MS subject started, I have an appt with a neurologist on Oct. 3rd, and a neurosurgeon about my cervical MRI'S Oct 10th. My PCP wants me to go to the ER if I keep having the leg problems. I am trying to hold out until October.
