Hi. Just want some opinion from people in the know really. I came down with optic neuritis in Nov last year and it has started a chain of events which seem to be leading to an MS diagnosis, although it’s all taking forever! Prior to Nov I had been to the doctors last summer suffering from numbness which had begun in my toes and gradually spread up my legs, especially on one side, to the point that I couldn’t really feel anything from the waist down. I was still able to walk etc but if I touched my skin I had almost no feeling at all. I had also been to the doctor on an earlier occasion with tingling and numbness in my left hand and fingers which is still there almost 2 years later, although not as severe now. Looking back over the years, I can point to many other symptoms which seemed innocuous at the time but which could easily be attributed to MS- tingling skin, stabbing pain in head / ankles, cramp like pains in legs, itchy skin which lasts for days but when I try to scratch the itch it’s like it’s moving under my hand and I can’t find it (?!), long periods of time with bladder problems which have been unresponsive to antibiotics, etc etc. Since the optic neuritis I’ve had a brain and cervical spine MRI which has shown several lesions in the neck, one in the brain and one on the optic nerve and I have a referral to an MS clinic in July. Does this constitute a diagnosis? And can anyone tell me what happens at the MS clinic? I feel like all these things have happened and ive been given little snippets of information but I’ve got no idea what I’m meant to do with it all! Thanks in advance.x
hi nicci
if your neuro believes you have ms you will be given your diagnosis.
you will be allocated an ms nurse (fab people) and maybe offered a DMT,
you could fill the time until then by researching the DMTs because they are such unfamiliar words and it will help you follow what is said.
also you could take someone with you to make notes of what is said.
as for your bladder problems you should see someone at the bowel and bladder clinic (you can self refer to this).
good luck
carole x