Need My Legs To Cooperate!!

[patientnurse]

   So something else completly weird happened to me last night. I was lying down because I just wasn't feeling well. I actually hadn't been feeling well for the past 2 days-very fatigued. I went to get up to get ready for work and I couldn't! I would fall back onto the bed each time I tried. I had to call my husband in to help me stand. My right leg was shaky and both legs just felt heavy. I ended up crying my eyes out and going back to bed although my husband felt I should have gone to ER-I just didn't have the patience to deal with county last nite.
   I woke up this morning able to get up and walk but my legs still feel kinda heavy. I finally got a copy of my labs and everything is normal, no O bands in CSF, only the ANA being positive. I'm going for an OCT soon, my vision has stabiized to my "new normal". So question, has anyone out there been dx without having OCBs? The radiologist report from my c-spine mri was spinal stenosis, but my neuro was pretty adamant that the films need to be viewed directly. This is driving me crazy.

[patientnurse]

Thank you for sharing! I had my OCT done today, there's definitely some swelling going on, but of course I couldn't get the tech to tell me much more than 'your dr will explain your results to you, and I can't give you a dx." He actually was very nice in telling me that I do have swelling, that was after I told him that I'm a nurse. But still, I'm playing the waiting game.
  Hope you are doing better April, dragging legs around gets exhausting!

Chanda

[vidalouise]

I was diagnosed based only on symptoms, including optic neuritis, and an MRI. I have never had an LP.

Right now I'm in a flare and my left leg is doing just what you described. Its very heavy and feels like its huge, but it is still its normal size. I can't move it very well and kinda drag it along as I try to walk. Hubby calls it my zombie walk :-)

Bright Blessings,
April

[patientnurse]

Yes,mum, I do know that there are autoimmune diseases that mimic MS, and I was tested quite extensively last year when I first had a positive ANA, although it was a completely different pattern. I've been posting my troubles and thoughts in the limboland community so I won't bore you all here with it. Just click on my name and you can read it all! Lol. Initially they thought it was Lupus which is the great MS imitator. But negative on that one. So back to the drawing board. I don't have any of the symptoms that my ANA pattern would be indicative of. So back to the whole is it MS thing.

  I wanted to ask this community if those already dx w/MS happen to have positive ANA also? I read somewhere that this happens quite a lot. And also if anyone was able to be dx based on clinical lesions alone? Those are when the dr knows there is damage based on the neuro exam but you aren't showing lesions on the mri yet. It seems that this is where they are heading with me, no O bands, possible c spine lesion mis dx as spinal stenosis, and whatever the heck this is with my eye. All clinical stuff, no proof in the pudding.

I am and always have been on the other side of the scale, so if studies show 95% show O bands, I wouldnt be surprised to be part of the other 5%. Im going over to neurology tomorrow for my OCT on my eyes so I'll show them my jello legs then. Raz, after what I've been through in the last month I can't go to another ER anytime soon!

[RazCarver]

first time a doctor said possible MS was 5 years ago. it can be a slow process to figure out what is going on. there are others here that have been in limboland a longer time. others that haven't. you just have to follow where things lead i guess.

Hope your luck holds and it does all go, but maybe you should be seen now?  just a thought.
Raz

[supermum_ms]

A positive ANA is associated with the MS mimics, on its own it possibly indicates you may have an autoimmune disease as yet unspecified, it can also be caused by certain drugs. Unfortunetly if it is autoimmune, it can also take time to pin it down, its also very difficult to dx. This is a good read regarding the ANA

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/tab/test

Cheers...........JJ  

[patientnurse]

Thank you so much for the link! I appreciate it. I guess I'll add this to my  "weird things that happen" list. Today I have been able to drive and move around. But I notice that I can't stand for long. And getting out of a chair or walking up stairs still isn't easy. My luck it will all be gone by the time I'm seen again.  

  Raz, how long have you been in limboland? I've been here about a year myself, but after more in depth thinking, I may have actually began having symptoms almost 10 years ago.

  Well take care, hope you are doing well.

Chanda

[RazCarver]

I get the shaky heavy leg thing too. it started in my right leg then a couple years ago it started in the left.  told neuro that it felt like i had elephant legs. but they weren't swollen or anything. I haven't had an LP yet. and still in limboland.

however there is a good health page on this. you can find it here:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Can-you-Diagnose-MS-with-an-LP-that-is-Negative-for-O-bands/show/142?cid=36

lots of other great health pages too. I read them over often. if you haven't found them yet, the link is at the top right.

life gets interesting when your legs go wonky. wish I knew how to get them to cooperate too.

Raz