Personally, for me this is a difficult thing to do, putting my personal life out there, but hopefully by sharing my story/experiences it will help myself, and others.
For me it started in January 2012, I think!. I drove myself to work as usual, looking forward to probably another 10hr day, NOT. At some point during that day I noticed that my speech just wasn’t right. I knew what I wanted to say but it just came out as a load of ‘gobbledy gook’ and my colleagues noticed, but didn’t say anything. Apart from this, everything else was fine. The same continued for the next couple of days until I went to my next job. Working away from home I decided to take myself off to the local GP, who then admitted me to hospital that night. They initially suspected a stroke, but after CT scans, blood tests and other scans, was later ruled out, and it was here that I was initially introduced to the possibility of my condition being MS.
At that point, MS to me was a picture of someone housebound, in a wheelchair and being cared for by others, narrowminded I know, but I now know how wrong I really was.
After being discharged from that hospital and seeing my GP to continue tests at my local hospital further symptons arose. I lost the use of my left arm and left leg, also had a drooping of facial features on the left side, as well as speech problems, these took approx 1.5 months to fully clear. After such time a MRI was undertaken, to be then informed by the Neurologist that ‘Legions’ were apparent upon my L/H side of my brain, again MS was mentioned. A lumber punch, and a bloody cracking headache afterwards supported the idea of MS. At this point I was referred to an MS consultant who confirmed a case of CIS (Clinically Isolated Symptoms) had happened in January 2012 and although all the tests pointed towards MS until a second ‘episode’ happens a definative diagnosis can’t be reached. My frustration is after being told that, ‘Yes I am displaying signs of MS but it my be other things’. Now I can appreciate that the brain is a very complex organ but for all tests to stop and not to rule out the ‘other things’ is beyond me. I feel its a case of ‘waiting for the inevitable, second episode, to happen’.
Well its just gone January 2013 and guess what…heart attack!, as if things couldnt get any worse. I dont know if the constant dizziness is a result of medication, blocked arteries or a second episode!. Not looking forward to next January :)!!
Apologies for waffling on a bit. I haven’t put everything in there as I would like people not to fall asleep before they reach the end. Is it just me or have other peeps been/are in the same predicament?
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.