Hello All, sorry if this starts to ramble but it’s my first time on here. I feel like I’ve been on a long journey and just need some support really.
First history, I’m a 46 year old Mum of four and work full time, in a fairly demanding job (I support children with complex medical needs) . About 19 months ago i collapsed at work with terrible pain in my head/neck , like a really bad migraine but everytime i tried to stand up I feel over and vomited. My colleagues phoned an ambulance and they rushed me in to hospital and performed a CT scan which was clear, they also ran blood tests, which showed I was anaemic , but that was no suprise as I always am! over the next couple of hours I felt better but was left very shaky. Now as I said I have four kids so i signed myself out and went home, saw my GP got some more iron and she signed me off for a week . Since then I have really felt rough , very fatigued and then about twelve weeks ago my symptoms started to get much worse, very shaky. falling over, bumping into doorframes,forgetting words and blank moments , co-ordination all over the place and tremors and weakness, particularly on my right side- to the point that colleagues at work began asking me if i’d had a drink at lunchtime (not as funny as it seems) . I saw my GP and she sent me for more blood tests and found my B12 was low so started on the injections but the nurse I saw was very concerned that my tremors etc weren’t improving and my right side is still very weak - particularly when I’m tired/stressed. My GP then saw me again and put in a referral to neurology, and I have an appointment next week. My symptoms have got slightly better , but I still have pins and needles in mainly my legs, numb feet and in bed I can’t always judge where my legs are (? weird) , very poor co-ordination and a horrible tightening pain that keeps creeping up on me round my ribs. I also find that I forget words and names and lose my place mid conversation.
Does any of this make sense? , feel so tired easily and just seem to be in a really confusing place at the moment, what can I expect from my first visit to the neurologist?- I’m hopeful because its a speciality unit with MS specialists and Nurses.
Sorry like I said bit rambling but sick of feeling out of control , any advice would be great , thanks xxx
I think most people in here can associate with at least some of your symptoms, so you are among people who understand. At the moment, unless you’ve had weird symptoms in the past, it’s not MS. This is because a diagnosis of MS requires either at least two attacks or a year of gradual progression. The two attacks thing is stipulated because there are various things that lead to a one off neurological attack, very like MS attacks, eg ADEM. So, there is a good chance that this will never happen to you again. I would expect the neuro to take a history (have a think back, right to childhood - any weird events?), ask about any family history and do a clinical exam. The exam involves testing your reflexes, watching you walk, testing your sensory perception, etc. Nothing to worry about. Depending on what he/she finds, they will refer you for tests, eg MRI. And then it’s a waiting game - appointments, letters and finally(!) results. It can all take quite a long time, so best to be prepared for a bit of a long haul. In the meantime, rest lots and be kind to yourself. Karen x