Hello everyone,
I’ve taken a bit of time to read through some posts before sharing my story and it’s been very helpful to find people who have similar circumstances. So, a little over a week ago now I started experiencing numbness and tingling in my left hand and arm. The numbness was only vague, like pins and needles, as if my hand/arm had fallen asleep and was in a perpetual state of waking up. I’ve dealt with some back issues, in particular a herniated disc in my lower back which causes recurrent episodes of sciatica. After about 3 days of the sensation worsening and spreading throughout my left side (from my neck down to my toes), I visited a doctor. I told her that I thought it was maybe connected with my back issues, but I found it strange that I did not have the usual stabbing pain that I would normally associate with my back issues. After checking the usual things (blood pressure, reflexes, etc.), she asked if anyone in my family has MS. I told her yes, my mother does. She then asked about family history of stroke. Again yes, my mother had a stroke last year. At this point she is looking a bit concerned and then says that she wants me to have a CT scan that night. Unfortunately, my insurance would not approve this.
Fast forward to now, I am finally scheduled to have an MRI next Tuesday. The way it was explained to me, the MRI of the brain and neck/shoulders will show signs of MS (lesions) or a pinched nerve if either of those are the cause of my symptoms. Between the initial doctor’s visit and now I have taken a full six-day round of prednisone. My symptoms included the numbness/tingling on left side, difficulty with balance while the numbness was taking place, weakness in the affected arm, and overall fatigue. Everything is mostly better, but I do still have some very minor tingling in the hand/arm where it originated. Through my involvement with my mother’s diagnosis and ongoing treatment, I am mostly familiar with the process and what to expect. I guess I’m not really looking for advice, but rather just putting my story out there as I don’t have too many people to talk to about it. I am a bit nervous in general about a possible diagnosis and what that could mean for me. I have two very young children (3 and 1) to keep up with. My mother is still very active at the age of 70, despite her MS and stroke, so she gives me a lot of hope and support.
If you’ve read to the end, thank you for taking the time! I wish everyone that best and I appreciate any encouragement that you could provide.
-Catherine