Diagnosis?

Hi,

I joined the site three years ago after being diagnosed with a benign brain tumour on my brain stem and a stenosois of the spine, these were all found purely by chance after i had a problem with my eye sight (optic neuropathy, i think it was called) that has left me with damage to my eye/sight in one eye.

I then went on to have further tests, including a lumbar puncture, cat scans of the brain, MRI scans of brain and spine and others that i cannot remember of the top of my head, but no diagnosis of MS was ever given, although i was told that this was what they were testing for. I now have annual MRI scans and appointments with my neurologist and am always told that there are no changes and everything is fine.

BUT, i have always suffered from lethargy, constantly tired, all sorts of pains in my elbows, shoulders (and now hips/lower back) severe head aches, constant pins and needles in my left hand and fingers (which was diagnosed as carpul tunnel sydrome, had an operation for it last year that has made no real difference) and legs that every now and again will just give out on me for no apparent reason, more eye sight problems, massive problems with short term memory and speech, you get the picture i could go on and on.

I just feel that whenever i mention any of these symptoms to anyone including my GP they just think i’m a hypochondriac, i now have an appointment with my GP and am wondering how best to go about suggesting that i may have something wrong somewhere!

I’m sorry that this all probably seems a bit vague and random, but i was just trying to find some advice/answers as to how i can somehow persuade people to believe me that something may/could be wrong.

Regards

Sid.

hi sid

tell your doctor what you have told us.

he knows that the hospital would send you for a cat scan.

tell him that they were looking for evidence of ms.

naturally you wanted to know more about ms and did a bit of research and that having read about it, it sounds just like what you are experiencing.

nothing hypochondriac about that.

tell him that you are grateful that the tumour is benign,

that you don’t want to have ms but you’d like help with symptom management.

i hope i answered with understanding of your message, if not, sorry it’s my ms brain!

good luck

carole x