getting a diagnosis????????

[sarah2114]

Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a 26 year old female who lives in good ole' South Carolina ( and I am a northerner LOL)...Well, all of this has started with having unusual "goosebumps" that I would have just on my left leg and arm.  I would go to my family doctor when my left leg would just hurt for no reason and he would just blow me off. Eventually after 2 years I got new health insurance (wonderful medicaid with select health) and they send me to a bunch of residents at MUSC.  The first doctor I saw asked me where I grew up and I told him in upstate New York and he sent me to have a full Mri done.  The Mri of my brain showed a patchy FLAIR around the atrium of my left lateral ventrical.  The possibilities could be from past headaches, blood pressure or a demylitating disease with no further evidence to suggest latter possibilities.  I also have 2 bulge disks in my T12-13 and L4-5.  I also have wedge deformities in my cervical spine.  My family doctor suggests Multiple Sclerosis but she has to send me to a neurologist and I have been waiting on that for over a month!!!!!! I also noticed that on the sheet you sign out with that the Doctor wrote down fibromyalgia.  My whole left side will just go numb and tingle for no reason!  Every morning I wake up with hands that are puffy and red for no reason and I just hurt all over and I am always tired!  My test for Mono came back positive but all of my other blood work seems to be okay.  I have been to the ER and an other Doctor and it just seems like they blow me off.  I did have a nerve conduction test and an EMG but it was from interns at MUSC and nobody gave me any answers so I don't know.  I am on lyrica and don't even know why...Does anybody else feel this way or any suggestions on how to find a good Doctor or to even get into a Neurologist with this crappy health system.  I know this was very long and I am sorry!  Thanks for your time and hopefully someone out there can help...


Sarah

[Karen99]

I'm new on this forum, but have sorted my way through the medical system.  I would suggest you ask your family physician to obtain the results from MUSC.  What does he/she have to say about your spine?  Ask, if this no answer has been offered.   I would imagine that deformities in the cervical spine could cause problems with tingling and numbness. Ask for a referral to a rheumatologist if fibromyalgia is suspected.  

I'm on the west coast so I don't know how things work over there.  Here in CA there are county hospitals who have bright doctors who will see medicaid patients and those without insurance.  It can take a while to get established, but specialists are at your disposal if needed.  Do you have a system like that in S. Carolina?  (is that what MUSC is?)  How long will you have to wait to see a neurologist?  The source of your problems could be from many causes.  Try get in to see an orthopedist and rheumatologist before your neurology appointment if possible to see what insight they might have.  Good luck.  

[fortywhat2]

Hi,
I am also a Northener, Massachusetts!  I have both fibroymalgia and MS along with osteoarthritis.  There are 18 pressure points that will tell a dr. if you have fibro, like Karen said see Rheum. they handle fibro.  Also, was you MRI with contrast on a high field machine?  Very important!  Also I had am EMG many years ago and it did tell them I had deficits but didn't label why, so that didn't aid in dx. I've had back surgery for disc's that was due to osteo not fibro or MS.  Boston has some of the finest dr's around and I could help you with names but I know nothing about S.C. (sorry)!
Good Luck
Debbie
~live as if all your dreams came true~