hi i was diagnosed with ms on may the 3rd 2012, due to collapsing left knee and no grip in my left hand at first they thought i had had a stroke and finally after a few tests i was told that i had ms…i felt numb as i hadnt really heard anything about the condition.i havent been able to walk without using my stick,i have to rely on people to take me out in my wheelchair… i have found this very difficult as i was the type of person that was out all the time.and being housebound has made me very depressed.im now on medication for the ms and the depression… i went back to the hospital in october and they told me that it wasnt ms, but a very mild condition of ms… so why do i get the symptoms of ms? ie… swollen left knee which can be unbareable,continual cramps in my legs and shin splint feelings i am continually very tired, some days my legs feel like lead and somedays i cant walk very far indoors. my back is very painful if i stand up in one position too long… please let me know if you have the answer… many thanks
Hi Londshanks,
I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis, and that you’ve been affected so badly, right from the start.
I’m really confused by what has happened since, though - and quite understand you would be too!
NOT MS, but a “very mild condition of MS”? I don’t understand how this can be. There is no such diagnosis. Occasionally, what can happen is that someone has a single attack that is highly suggestive of MS, but can’t be diagnosed with MS, because the diagnostic criteria say it has to be multiple - i.e. there must be more than one attack, or proof that it is ongoing. In that situation, people can be left waiting to see if it ever happens again - which it might not. Technically this is called clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). A patient who’s had this might be told they’ve had an “MS-like thing”, but which doesn’t satisfy the full criteria for MS. I’m wondering if this is the case with you? But on the other hand, I can’t really understand why it would be classed as “mild” if you need a wheelchair.
I’m afraid you are not very likely to find answers here, as the only person who can really confirm your diagnosis, and what it means, is the neurologist who wrote it. Or perhaps you could visit your GP, and ask him or her to interpret for you?
I must say that the only places MS causes swelling are in your brain and/or spinal cord - i.e. nowhere that would be visible from the outside. So I don’t know what your swollen knee could be due to, but it doesn’t sound like MS. MS can cause both pain and loss of function in the limbs, but just doesn’t cause swelling.
I think you need to go back to the doctor, and explain that you’re uncertain whether you have MS or not. And if not, what is your diagnosis, and can it explain your present symptoms?
It’s your body, and your right to understand what’s happening, so there’s no such thing as a stupid question. If medics have left you confused, make a list of the things you want to ask, and go back to them.
Let us know how you get on!
Tina
Hello and welcome to the site 
I’m completely in agreement with Tina. This situation does not sound right at all!
I think you need to go back to your GP and ask for a second opinion.
Please do it asap - there may be something completely different wrong with you that could respond to treatment in which case, the longer you leave it, the less likely treatment is to work!
Also ask your GP about neurophysio / rehab physio - it could help to get you out of that wheelchair.
Good luck.
Karen x