I’m 23 and have been suffering with ‘vertigo’ feelings for 10 weeks now. I have little balance and constantly feel like I have been spun round repeatedly. I was sent for an MRI and the scan showed an abnormality on my brain suggesting MS.I had my first appointment with the neurolgist on wednesday who said I do not have vertigo and it is likely to be MS. He is sending me for a lumbar punture, eye examination and MRI scan on my neck. Does anyone know why it is on my neck? Since that appointment I have been an emotional wreck! I’m scared of all the tests and feel like it is going to take forever.My family and partner are being brilliant but dont understand how I am feeling. Everyone keeps telling me to look at the positives but at the moment I can’t see any. Im in that limbo phase where I need a diagnosis in order for them to start any kind of treatment so I just have to put up with these symptoms in the mean time.
hi pink lady
yes, its scary when life becomes a round of medical appointments. but you hit the nail on the head when you said that you need a diagnosis.
don’t be afraid of the tests.
MRI is totally painless. if you are claustrophobic ask your gp for something to relax you.
lumbar puncture looks worse than it is. (don’t sneak a look at the needle like i did!)
eye exam is run of the mill like you’d get at the opticians.
the mri of your neck is likely to be because of something that showed up on your previous scan.
pretend to yourself that you’re watching an episode of casualty, it’s quite interesting seeing all the tests in action.
you get your diagnosis so that you can start treatment. so chin up girl
good luck
carole xxxx
Hi Pink Lady
I’m sorry to hear you’re having to go through the ordeal of hearing your symptoms maybe caused by MS. But as you said you need a diagnosis to be able to be able to help yourself and get the treatment you need.
The MRI of the neck (cervical part of your spine) could be being done because MS can cause lesions (damage) to your brain and spine. The area of the spine most likely to be damaged where most nerves are involved is the cervical spine. As you go lower down your spinal cord more nerves have exited (like exits on a motor way as someone put it). It also maybe as Carole put it because of something he’s seen in your examination.
The eye check up will be painless, you may need some drops to enlarge your pupil, you may do peripheral fields tests or scans of the back of your eye but nothing terrible. Just allow a few hours for the appointment.
The LP I haven’t had but the main thintg is to drink plenty of fluids or caffinated fluids in particular and lie down - this is to prevent a headache.
Take a deep breath. It’s scary having your wonderful normal life uprooted by all this and at such a young age. But please don’t believe everything you’ve read or heard regarding MS. There are some people that have severe problems but a lot of people do go on to live essentially normal lives with the odd bout of trouble and there are many that accomplish great things inspite of the diagnosis. So MS doesn’t have to mean the end of all your hopes and dreams.
At the moment try not to overthink or google. Being stressed can sometimes make symptoms worse. Turn to your family or boyfriedn -it sounds like you have a good support network and of course any questions we’re all hear to help and answer or just listen.
Wishing you the best of luck I hope your tests go as well as possible.
Reemz
X
Just had MRI on brain and spine, painless, its annoying you have to stay so still but It will be ok, spine is longer then the brain if they are doing your whole spine, I was in there for 35 mins I think.
I also had a LP, again it isnt as bad as it looks, Just make sure you feel confortable with the person doing it and make sure they have done it before and are qualified not a trainee.
I am 26 so I understand its scary, my symptoms are worse but until they actually diagnose you be possitive as you can be. We are all hear if you need anything. I have an EEG VER coming up which i should imagin is simualr to your eye test but I would rather they confirmed what wrong, noones told me nothing even though I was kept in hospital for a week as my legs stopped working.
Thank you all so much for your comments. I have alreay had an MRI on my head which found the abnormality on my brain so I am ready for that it is just the other 2 that concerned me. From your comments though I have been put at ease. I have always been healthy so never had any tests like these which is why this is alot for me to take in.
Carole that is good advice, thank you. Although as this is all still very new to me I am still trying to process everything that. The frustrating part for me now is no relief from the symptoms and it scares me that this could just be the beginning.
My neurolgist seems pretty certain that this is what I am facing. Reemz thank you for clearing that up that makes sense to me now why they are scanning my neck. The googling thing is my down fall. It was my natural reaction because I didnt know much about it.
Tom, I’m sorry to hear that noone is telling you anything, I have to say I have been very lucky with my GP and neurologist being very up front with me from the start. That is also the thing that worries me that at the moment by balance is affecting me in so many ways including my job and the thought that I could have more problems really terrifies me.
How long do you usually have to wait for all your results to come back? I have to wait for the LP and eye test appointment to come through then wait for all the results after that.
Amy
My eye test or EEG VER has come through today for the 5th, My follow up with neurologist is on 27th sept, The LP should tak 20 to25 minutes, Its a procedure done a lot so although dont worry doesnt cut it, I promise you the experience I had was with a trainee that lied and said she had done it before, the women monitoring left 3 times to go outside on her phone, I wont tell you more as I have a friend who has now had 3 and each time not been a problem, they inject you with local so you dont really feel the needlegoing in and if they hit the spine (this can be normal as they do things by touch they cant see the gap and it is small), it just feels like when you hit your funny bone. It is honestly nothing to worry about and the only danger is infection in which case everything is sterolised and they explain this to you. Have someone with you and honestly try not to worry.
I havent had my result back for this yet but the fact is was over a week ago and my neurologist has requested the EEG means I think she may know more then what she is saying. My neurologist is brilliant, she come to see me each day after her shift a 7pm at night just to give me the results of my MRI and to see how I was.
The scary thing is not knowing, once they know they have things they can try to help with it, so it is a waiting game. Try to enjoy the times when you feel good, and if you feeling bad or unsure we are all hear and I promise people on this site are sooo supportive.
Hi Pink lady I too was a emotional wreck at the time . Your symptoms are exactly how mine started . But the advice given by everyone is so true . The tests really are not that bad and it’s so much Better to be getting them done quickly. I had 5 Spots on my brain MRI and they did the spinal MRI on my to just to check but that was clear . I know it’s hard to stay positive when u are hit With all the test and uncertainy , but do try to Keep that chin up . Sarah x x
Sorry for the late reply and thank you for all your posts. It’s just a waiting game for me now for all my tests to start x
Hi pink lady, I’m very low down the diagnostic process, but wanted to say i can empathise with the emotional wreck part, i thought i was coping until i realised there were so many other people out there who were feeling the same as me, there was actually something called limboland and it was all real! (((big hugs))
xx