It’s taken me a while to pluck up the courage to even talk about this but guess if anyone can help it’s this site so here goes…
I am 50 but about 7 years ago I had a freaky episode, numbness down my left side, confusion, temporary sight issues in left eye and just general feeling of walking on sponge legs. I took myself to A&E and because of the numbness was tested and prodded and admitted to a stroke ward (even though a CT scan had confirmed I hadn’t had a stroke!). I had a head MRI done and a lumber puncture to check for MS but all came back fine. After a week I was advised it could be down to stress and working too hard so after a week in hospital I was sent home.
The symptoms did subside and I actually felt good for a long time and led a normal lifestyle working, going the gym holidays etc etc.
I had a referral about 3 years later with a neurologist as I was concerned I was losing my marbles and had started with dementia?Think I had a head MRI but can’t quite remember? I couldn’t remember peoples names and was looking at household objects and making my own names up for them as I couldn’t remember what they were called, and have constant tinnitus, it was scary but again I was told nothing was picked up and was discharged.
Around 12 months ago I noticed no matter what I did my hands and feet were constantly cold, even in bed my partner said my feet were that cold they burnt his legs when I touched him! Then came the fatigue, dizziness and blurry eyes and pins an needles in my fingers, but somehow I always found another excuse for it all and not once did I link any of it to the possibility it could be serious.
Things seemed to be getting a little worse, confusion with words and working in customer service I was making too many errors when responding to messages and emails (thank god for spellcheck) but again I joked and blamed my age!
The worst bit was around 3 months ago I almost collapsed as it felt like the floor was spinning and my legs buckled, if my partner hadn’t been next to me I would have hit the floor. I called the GP and was sent for blood tests and they said I was low on iron so started a course of iron tablets, it helped for a few weeks but then I was hit by the constant fatigue, numbness, and dizzy feelings again, even having to nap in the afternoon like a toddler, waking in the middle of the night to pee several times, waking with pins and needles in my hands and feet and just staring into space feeling confused and trouble remembering things.
4 weeks ago I woke with a tingling on the top of my left thigh but this was under the skin and was more annoying than painful, this then worked its way to the inside of my thigh and then to the right side of my leg, I had never experienced anything like this and waited a few days to see if it subsided but it didn’t. Again I called the GP and due to me having issues with a previous lower back problem (slipped disc) she arranged for an MRI to be done.
2 days after the MRI my left side was numb and constant pins and needles so I was again advised to go to A&E where they quickly tested the FAST tests to check for stroke symptoms and bloods taken again which came back normal, I was sent home saying I could just be stressed and anxious waiting for the MRI results. I did tell them that I am not and have a fabulous home life, I have a job, a loving family and although nobody is perfect I just felt I was being fobbed off.
The numbness did not subside and I started getting worse - felt like my legs were attached to lead weights, my left eye felt gritty and kept blurring over and caused me to squint. Headaches every morning on the left side just above my eye, getting out of bed I had to sit on the edge of the bed until the room stopped swirling, hand tremors, dropping things, weakness in arms and hands, aching neck and top of my spine, the dragging of my left leg and that tightening feeling across the chest, just that feeling that something is definitely not right.
By this time I had already been off work for a week as I just couldn’t function on the computer not to mention deal with irate customers so I called the GP again and spoke to one of the locums who just didn’t seem interested and basically said that they cannot do anything until the MRI Results were back and signed me off work for a further 2 weeks.
All the time I have been trying to function as normal as possible and as most of the symptoms are not physical people must think I am some sort of a hypochondriac so I would just plod on and not say anything, even though inside I was getting myself all wound up knowing that there is something not right.
I started googling stuff (always tell people not to do that too!) and all seemed to point to the same thing MS!!
I wasn’t gonna just be fobbed off so called for a over the phone consultation with a GP. When she called I gave it to her with both barrels and got so upset as I felt they weren’t listening. After I told her everything she just said “wow that’s a very varied scope of symptoms” no shit Sherlock I thought and told her I wanted them to refer me to be tested for MS! She has sent a referral to a neurologist and requested a head scan so all I can do now is just wait, still no update on the MRI from my back and that was almost 3 weeks ago.
So sorry for the long story and hopefully Things will start moving soon. All I know is that I am feeling a little lost at the moment and just wanted to tell someone.
Thanks Tracey