Hi there, first time posting and I guess I just need to get all this down as not spoken to many people.
About a week ago I was experiencing numbness in both feet and was struggling to move, since then it’s got worse and my feet and ankles feel really tight. I can feel the coldness of the ground but am really struggling to walk. My legs from the knee down also feel very heavy and I have numbness around the backside and on my left side near my ribs. I went to A&E on Wednesday and they took my bloods and got me to do various tests and have referred me to a neurologist but thinks it could be MS. I’m in a situation at the moment where I just feel lost, I don’t know what to do, I want to go outside but can’t even walk to the car let alone down the street. I work full time and am trying to work from home to distract me from what’s going on but I’m frightened for my future. My husband is having problems at work and is depressed and I’m trying to keep things as normal as possible for my 13 year old when all I want to do is cry!
How can I get the movement back in my feet so I can at least leave the house again? I went to the gp yesterday so they can refer me to the neurologist and I said what do I do in the meantime and they didn’t answer. My appointment could be months and months away. I’m completely lost and just don’t know how to cope. I keep fearing it’s not MS but MND and the worry is making me feel sick.
Sorry just needed to get all that off my chest x
Hi, that’s a lot to dealing with, and I appreciate it must be quite scary for you, particularly if you have been googling MS - google likes to go with the worst case scenarios.
Are you able to see a Physiotherapist? They may be able to suggest stretches/exercises to help with the mobility of your legs whilst you are waiting on the Neurology appointment, any improvement would be good. A lot of us with MS have regular physiotherapy to help with mobility.
Walking stick(s) could be useful too, it may feel a bit weird to start with, but they can really help with walking when you can’t feel your foot/feet, and have stiff ankles/legs. If you go for a stick, make sure you hold it at about hip level, with a slightly bent elbow - usually on the opposite side to the one most affected. I have so many walking sticks now, different colours and styles - makes a huge difference to my ability to walk.
Be kind to yourself, allow yourself time and space to have a good scream - get a pillow and punch the bejezus out of it, then have a really good scream into it. It’s quite useful to have a good cry from time to time, when I feel the need I run a bath with loads of scented bubbles, music on, shut the door and have a good weepy session in the bath - can blame red eyes on getting soap in them.
If it does turn out to be MS, there are lots of medications now to help slow down progression, and medications to handle the various weird symptoms that MS can throw up.
See if there is an MS Centre near you, they can be really helpful, even before you have a diagnosis. There will be people there who have been through what you are going through and can provide more advice/help.