Hi Everybody
I’m new here and I am only writing here as I feel really low and pretty bored to be honest at the moment. I have been reading over some of the forum posts for the last few days. The reason that I am here is because of some internet health research and good old Doctor Google.
My story starts a few weeks ago, I woke up in the morning with what I can only describe as a numb arm/ hand. At the time I guessed that I had slept awkwardly on my arm and that soon it would wake up. It didn’t wake up, in fact it got worse. Later that day my whole arm went completly numb, it felt as though it was wet and at times felt a little tingly. The next day things got really bad, my whole chest area started to go numb and I had no feeling what so ever in the affected regions. I was unable to hold a pen or feed myself with a fork. I called the doctor but was unable to get an appointment so went ot the local minor injury unit, and waited there for four hours, before being told to go back to my GP. (All in all this episode lasted about four weeks.)
I went to the GP and he instantly referred me to the local stroke /TIA clinic at the local hospital suspecting a stroke. (I’m 39 by the way) I was unable to use my fingers to touch an object which was presented to me. I went to the clinic, they carried out various tests and decided that I did not have a stroke, but the Doctor I saw decided to send me for a spine and head MRI. I only had to wait for two weeks before the appointment came through and I had my MRI.
To cut a long story short, I went back to the TIA clinic last week for the results of my MRI. Hopeing for the best I thought that they would say possible trapped nerve, nothing showed up on the MRI off you go.
What he did say is a little blurry in my head, he said that he was sorry to say that the results showed that I have some lesions to my brain and also one to my cervical spine ( I think he said that, I was pretty shell shocked and could only think of tumours for some reason). My next port of call is for me to be referred back to my GP where it will be recommended for me to be referred to a neuro doctor.
So I sit here waiting for an appointment to come through.
Thinking about it, all my troubles started about five years ago when I used to get a really funny feeling in my lower spine and legs when I used to look down at the floor, it wasn’t electric shocks, more like a pulling sensation. I went to my GP then who looked at me and pretty much laughed. I returned a few times to see him with different issues like burning sensations in my legs and real bad stiffness in my back. I was refered then for an MRI of my spine and a degenerative disc was blamed for the symptons I was getting. It was basically a this is what you got, get on with it type diagnosis.
Over the years I have had other strange things happen, my mind randomly goes foggy, my back constantly aches (chronically), my legs hurt when I walk and my left eye, although never have lost vision in it, from time to time feels achey, it feels like it wants to close up and now and again things looks blurry through it. I have had an eye test recently and I was told I had no issues with my eyes. I had a stint (and now and again still do) of not being able to have a pee straight away, I can stand there for a couple of minutes sometimes before something happens. My right leg is currently achey and feels really hot, sometimes the heat radiates ll over my body and I get tingling in my fingers and toes.
Fortunately I still have a job, wife and am pretty mobile still. I guess that this must be limbo land which I am in at the moment untill I get a definate diagnosis. I really hope that all of these things are in my head and I can go back to living a normal life again.
Sorry for the long post, but heck I was bored and think i’ve come to the end of the internet.
Because the MRI showed lesions on my brain and spine, does it look likely that I have MS?