Hi all, diagnoided with ms a month ago still trying to come to terms with it and get my head around what it all entails. I have a couple of questions that I need help with please. I have brain leisons but no spinal leisons. Yet I have the ms hug which I thought only happened with spinal leisons. I also suffer with spasicty in my hips and knees again I thought this again was only a symptom of spinal leisons. I could be totally wrong about all this and would be grateful if anyone could clarify it for me. Thanks, Ann
Hi Ann, it does take ages to get you head around all this stuff. I also only have brain lesions yet mobility is cr*p and I get hug also. This is because the MS lesions are in the central nervous system, which is in the brain. It’s a bit like the computer that runs the whole body… so anything and everything can be affected. It’s why our mobiity can be affected, why we get hug, why eyes can be affected… bowels and bladder… you name it! Also it can affect emotions… so depression, or crying a lot or even uncontrolable laughing! It all depends on where the lesions are… so no, it doesn’t matter if there are no spinal lesions. It’s why some people have some symptoms and someone else might have very different symptoms. It’s also why symptoms can come and go again. The brain can sometimes find a way around a lesion so a symptom will go away. MS is a very complex condition… so don’t expect to understand it all. Coming on here you’ll learn bit and pieces and then over time you’ll become a bit of an MS expert. Hope I’ve explained that ok… please feel free to come and ask any questions you have. Take care and hope you’re having a good day, Pat xx
Hi Ann, I was sitting here trying to work out how to answer you…severe cognitive issues today and nothing would come into my brain! Next time I looked Pat had answered you in a much better way than I could have done! Just leaves me to say a big welcome to the forum, hope we will see you on here again soon. Best wishes, Nina x
Hi Ann and welcome. I can only back up what Pat has said. I too have brain lesions but if there are any in my spinal cord we can’t see them (I have screws in my neck so that just illuminates all my neck scans in brilliant white). I also have a lot of physical symptoms so it really doesn’t matter where your lesions are, your whole body is usually affected but as all the literature says, the severity and areas affected differ from person to person. I hope you get the answers you need, but don’t expect any false hope from people trying to tell you otherwise. Take care.
Cath xx
Ann-
What Pat said!
I’m the other way round: no visible brain lesions, but plainly visible spinal swelling. MS does seem to be a bit of a chameleon.
Kev x
Hi Ann
I have lesions on both brain and spine, sadly.
Even though I’m beginning to feel like a human form of the Titanic soon after impact with iceberg (already listing heavily to the left!), I try to keep positive by exercise and reading good books; on a kindle. I struggle turning pages…
Have a good weekend all.
CP
Hi Ann
I don’t think we will ever truly understand what makes ms tick, it doesn’t seem to make any difference where the lesions are found, nor whether we have only a few or lots, it can affect us all differently, that’s what makes it so complex.
Hope today is good for you, and ask away if you have any more questions, I am sure someone can explain it for you.
Pam x
Thanks everyone for answering. Pat that was a great explanation. Ann