My story.

[Mybe]

does having MS kinda keep you from getting sick? ie. colds.
Just wondering because I haven't been sick this whole year since I've had MS.

Been on this forum for a little while just reading other's stories and commenting on some.
Thought I would introduce myself and tell my story.

Hi my name is Myra,

I'm new to MS. Dealt with problem after problem beginning in April of last year. Didn't know they were all related. I just thought I was a weird  person coming down with strange things.

My first symptom was vertigo in April last year. Two weeks crawling around and my mom took me in the ER. They told me it was wax in my ear so they cleaned out my ears. The vertigo lasted severely 3 months after the er visit.

Then in October my toe went numb, then my foot, then both feet, then both legs, then rib cage area and then my hands and fingers. It was so bad and felt so tight that I couldn't even turn around in bed.

I thought I must be stressing out too much. Maybe I'm so depressed it's taking a physical form.

So I sought out some anti anxiety and depression meds.

Two weeks into taking those I came down with double vision. Everything was in twos. Unless I was one foot away from the subject.

Called the doc and she had me stop the meds and sent me to an ophthalmologist. They didn't find any damage but referred me to a neuro-ophthalmologist.

My boyfriend's dad saw my head jerk one day and told me that he thought I had MS. I was like, no way... not me.

At the neuro-ophthalmologist they did extensive testing. MRI, CT scan, blood tests, and some other testes on my feet and had me walk around. The MRI showed lesions on my brain and spine and my blood work showed a trace a lyme disease but that came out to be negative.  He right away said he highly suspects that it's MS. Wanted a second opinion so after seeing her and she concurred they gave me information on Copaxone.

Had to fill out an application to Shared Solutions and they told me it could take 12 weeks to get it.

And that is where I am at now. Waiting.

The vertigo is gone for the most part, the numbness and tightness is still there but not severely. I still wont drive. The double vision is gone but my eyes still do this thing where they wanna do there own thing. So I really don't think it's smart to drive.

[Mybe]

it's eastern time where i am. I live in Michigan.

Lulu, I want to go to school for those things. I need to get my GED first. I got married young and stayed at home with my two kids. I'm divorced now and have no job experience and no diploma. Gave my ex custody of my kids because he can provide for them. He decided to move to the other side of the country to Washington state (with my kids). I get them on their summer vacations. I really need something to do during the time they aren't with me. I go crazy and miss them so much. That was another thing that brought on my depression.


Mistylee- thank you for the welcome

[mistylee]

well its about 7.40pm Sat night in USA , 1.40 am Sun morn in the UK and here in New Zealand its 1.40pm on Sun afternoon. lol!!

We NZlanders are always ahead ....Hahaha!!

By the way....welcome mybe !!

Mistylee

[Lulu54]

You are so right, Myra. this MeSsy problem does help to put a lot of other things in our life into a different perspective.

Now for those goals - how about you do the training anyway, get your license  and find a way to grow a business quickly and be the owner/manager?  I love my massage therapist - I have seen her for almost two years now.  And my hairdresser is a favorite, too.  

Which time zone are you in?  We are all over the world - we have a lot of UK members who are 5 hours different from me and 8 hours off from the West Coast folks.

I don't even try to figure out what time our Australian and New Zeland friends are in!  

take care,
Lulu

[Mybe]

grannyhotwheels! :-)

nice name!

They didn't tell me what type. I didn't even know there were "types". I have a doc appointment Wednesday so I'm curious and will ask.

And you know what..you said something about "at such a young age" and you're right. I think that is what is most depressing for me. Is that I have not accomplished a single goal of mine yet and then this has to happen.

I wanted to go to cosmetology school or medical massage therapy school. And now how am I going to stand up that long to cut hair or give a massage?? And then with no feeling in my fingers too!

They are the only two things I REALLY wanted to do in life as a job.

And now it's a struggle just to take a shower and do daily house hold chores.
I still do them it just takes extra long to get anything done.

I do appreciate things a whole lot more though. A simple smile from someone, a kind word, the wonderful smell of food and being able to eat some without throwing up, being able to see, go visit family... it so beats being bed ridden with dizziness and being incoherent. It's funny how when we get taken away from us the things we take for granted how it can change us so much into being so happy with the simple things of life.
It gets us back in touch with what the pure essence of life really is.

Thanks for commenting and yes these people are wonderful. I love them already.

Thank you for your prayers

[Mybe]

Aww tears...

You're quite welcome! I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I originally got on this site to ask doctors questions about my mysterious symptoms. But after getting a diagnoses, she informed me this site had a forum on MS. So I moved over here and just started reading what others were posting and commenting on some. I've seen you around, as well as Lulu and there is a girl named lewis09 that had posted something and nobody has commented on hers but me.
maybe she can be "bumped"?

Um the jerking that his dad saw I didn't notice myself. I think a lot and I pretend I'm having conversations with people. You know how we will rehearse in our minds what we are going to say to someone? I do that. So it could of been me shaking my head no, or shrugging my shoulder according to the conversation I was having in my head! lmao I think that may be more embarrassing to admit.

But just so you know...my head does jerk. It's like a twitch at times. Or on a bad day it just shakes uncontrollably. Like you said though with the jerking, it is the least thought about out of all the symptoms. But probably the one that gets most recognized by others. That and the shaky hands.

Hope you enjoyed your nap!
Mybe

[Mybe]

Hi, yeah I noticed this forum has slow times. Like at night. I sit here waiting for my boyfriend to get out of work which is 12-12:30am and I noticed people have stopped posting by then. Which is fine, don't want him getting irritated I'm spending all my time on here when hes home at night or on Sundays! lol

I've learned a lot from this site. And it's kinda nice to know I'm not alone. I didn't get told by my doc about the RR-. I found out about it through a website the nurse at the doc's gave me and then seeing it everywhere on here. So I guess I'll ask Wednesday when I go in for another appt. if that's what I got. More than likely I do he just didn't clarify that to me.

I didn't know about the health pages. I will be checking those out forsure. thanks.

oh and about the depression/anxiety... I didn't let it get ignored. To be honest I was more concerned with getting that taken care of then the MS. But they wouldn't put me on any anti depressants till I found out what was going on. So as soooon as they told me it was MS, I asked if I could get on anti depressants and said yes I went straight to my PCP and told her. I said Its MS and he said I can take antidepressants so write me a prescription!!! lol  I'm still waiting for those to come in the mail too. I filled out an application like I did with the copaxone for Paxil and I'm waiting. Waiting for both.

did any of that make sense
sorry

lol

mybe

[grannyhotwheels]

Thank you for sharing your story with us.  Did they tell you what type your MS was?  I'm sorry that you are having to go through this at such a young age.  I know how devastating it is.  I'm glad you found us and I'm sure you will love these people here just as I do.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[stella213]

Sorry I forgot about your question! Then I tried to answer it and hit BACK TO FORUM instead of REPLY.

Anyway I read theat ppl w/MS may not get sick as often but when they do it tends to be much worse.

I went into more detail the 1st time then deleted it and now I'm pooped-and my back's killing me. Anyway, maybe we can find more info on it.

LuLu: I just saw you did the same thing- minus deleting the it before posting- but was just wondering if you know that GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! ?

Yall have a great day I gotta go lay down

Stella

[stella213]

Myra, I want to THANK YOU for introducing yourself and telling your story. It's brought me to tears as it sounds all TOO familiar (sorry in advance if I misspell anything or word this wrong).

May I ask you about the head jerking? Was it so slight that you noticed it (as did your boyfriend's father) but just thought ? it was just a twinge or idk? I'm just wondering because my head does that-sometimes once & other times repeatedly. Of all the sx I have that may be the least thought about and I haven't seen any other complaints about it on this forum.

I have 17of your sx.The ones I don't have are replaced by different ones. I hate that everyone is going through this but am so glad we have each other to lean on. Before I found this group I didn't have a soul.  

Thank you again for telling your story. I am sorry that you suffer from MS but am glad you are recieving treatment and that you know your not crazy or "just wierd"!
Glad you have an answer.

~Stella

[Lulu54]

oh, I forgot to answer your question.  Yes, the one good thing about this MS  is it makes our immune system OVER active and MS patients as a whole tend to be ill with viruses and such a lot less.  There is always a silver lining in every cloud, right???

That said, you still have to be cautious because when MS patients do get sick, the side effects can be horrible.  many people are thrown into relapses when they become ill.  Infections or viruses can elevate the body temperature and that alone is enough to cause problems.

[Lulu54]

Hi Myra, It's so good of you to post your story here and introduce yourself.  You may have noticed that it gets a  bit slow around here on the weekends but it picks back up Sunday night.  

This is a very smart community of people and I hope you will find it beneficial to stick around.

it sounds like you have been through a bit of everything  leading up to your diagnosis.  I can't even begin to imagine having vertigo for 3+ months.  

The symptoms you list here are all pretty common with MS - I assume they dx'd you with RRMS.  Relapses and remissions are pretty much the norm.  Hopefully you will go into a remission soon and your symptoms will quiet down.

One of the best things you can do as a newly diagnosed person with MS is to educate yourself about this MiSerable disease.  We have great health pages here, written by members of the forum.  You can access them through the yellow icon on the upper right side of this page.    

Don't try to read them all at once.  Just bite off a little bit at a time and as you learn more, you will take the MyStery out of MS.  

Be aware that depression and anxiety is very common, especially among the newly diagnosed.  Please don't let it go on too long without talking this over with your doctors.  

Welcome again, I hope to see you around here more.  Feel free to ask all the questions you want - that's what we're here for.

be well,
Lulu  

[Mybe]

LIST OF SYMPTOMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED

NUMB/TIGHTNESS FROM TRUNK, LEGS, FEET PLUS HANDS AND FINGERS
MY FINGERS ARE HARD TO BEND, LEGS HARD TO PICK UP AND MOVE FORWARD ECT..
SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF FUNCTION IN MY HANDS, CAN'T FEEL THEM SO I DROP THINGS A LOT

COLD BURNING PAIN


COLD ELECTRICAL SHOCKING SHOOTS OF PAIN WHEN LIGHTLY TOUCHED


ITCHING IN THE NUMB PLACES FEELS LIKE BUGS CRAWLING INSIDE ME UNDERNEATH THE SKIN, NO RELIEF WHEN ITCHED, (DROVE ME INSANE)

NOT REALLY ABLE TO POOP OR PEE

NO BALANCE, NO STABILITY

SEVERE VERTIGO. IT WAS SO BAD I WAS CRAWLING.

GAGGING

THROW UP IF TOO MUCH ACTIVITY AROUND ME OR TOO MUCH MOVING MYSELF AROUND

UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING

DOUBLE VISION (ONLY WHEN I LOOK TO THE FAR LEFT NOW)

CLENCHING MY JAW TIGHT MAKING MY TEETH HURT

REALLY TENSE EVERYWHERE

SLURRED SPEECH

SOMETIMES CAN'T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT TO SAY WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY

LOWER BACK ACHE

EXTREMELY COLD HANDS AND FEET

LOSS OF A LOT OF WEIGHT

LOSS OF APPETITE, (I STILL EAT THOUGH)

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IS PRESENT