MS symptoms

[Artful]

What are they?

[Artful]

The on-line site for help and support in the UK for sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis is:

http://www.msrc.co.uk

[Artful]

On the link you must remove the bit at the end (please note my technical literacy!) - 3%<P>

Anybody, why is that added and added unknowingly?

[jno]

Artful, you may have hit the return key after copying in the address - this is also a paragraph mark, which the system translates into </P> - the thing to do is hit the space bar once after copying a URL, this seems to keep it happy.

I hope your answers satisfied the questioner?

[Artful]

Thanks, jno, that's good to know.

I know you've been on another Thread and that I'm aware of many of the symptoms. This is an extebsion of what someone brought up elsewhere.

Thanks for the support, jno and I mean that!

[PurplePixie]

The symptoms can vary a lot in each individual, but symptoms that most MS people talk about are; Eye problems (double vision/nystagmus) dizziness & balance problems, pins & needles, numb patches, urinary disturbances, loss of function of limbs, stiffness & spasms in limbs.

All of these things can come & go, that's why a diagnosis can be difficult to make at first.

[Artful]

And afterwards unfortunately,Purplepiie.
There are so many tyoes and research is improving all the time thank heavens.

[Ouisch]

The symptoms PurplePixie listed are typical of MS, but they can also be present in many other illnesses.  A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis can only be made by a doctor, usually after a patient has had an MRI.

[angel1978]

Sorry for the delaying in replying Artful.

Am seeing the neurologist on Tuesday!!  Am guessing it make take a while with tests and such before I get any answers.

I had an MRI but only on my inner ears when they were testing for Menieres etc...

Am hoping they've given my notes from my GP and casualty trips so they have previous evidence of symptoms such as my reflexes in my legs disappearing and from doctors who've witnessed my off balance episodes etc...

I do worry a bit hgelp & support wise, I've moved around a lot and never got to really settling anywhere, always been a bit of an independant madam, me.  Have lots of friends but no-one I've really known for along time who's near and no family up here and no partner or children. 

Gets me down a bit when and gets a bit hard sometimes when I'm really tired and all I want to do is just lie down and not move or when my legs are playing up and I'm off balance and can't see properly etc... but still have to drag myself about to get day to day stuff done and I do worry about what the future may bring as things are getting worse symptom wise.

Have also got quite a high pressure city job with long hours which probably doesn't help.  I moved a while back from an even worse one and things are much better but still takes it out of me.  I also worry about the effect things could have on the career I have worked so hard and so long for although think people here are getting used to seeing me looking rough with strange bruises all over, having my vertigo moments and bumping into random things and tripping over my own feet and such :)

[angel1978]

Need to get back to the gym, used to go so much but after my legs started diappearing on me kind of fell out of going. Love yoga, pilates and meditation but they tend to bring on the numbness and spasms in my legs and feet and hands. Find it better to do faster things but need the energy levels for that but swimming's OK :)
Not too bad today, more just the evil pins and needles (keep jumping in my chair with the little electric shock ones, my colleagues must think I'm barmy!).
Really nice just to get this out, thank you for the support and keep in touch :)

[Artful]

Oh angel, I feel so much for you. Your symptoms certainly sound like those I had and still do have but yours sound far more acute.

You say you see the neuro Tuesday, is that this Tuesday coming (12th?) - that's good + hopefully he'll get all sorts of tests into motion straight away.

The medical system is very different in France and England so I don't really know what to advise re your dossier - surely everything will be passed along to the specialist - obviously if you have anything you will take it with you including names, phone numbers, addresses of the different people you have seen, consulted.

My MRI was a brain MRI, I was exceptionally lucky in that the guy who did it is one of the few people who can read them - usually the waiting is quite long for the results. When he gave me the brain scan sthg bothered him and he asked the neuro to ask for an MRI, 15mns after the MRI he danced into the changing room telling me he could see the problem!

Help and support will be important if you do have MS; you say you have no family near but you didn't say if you are in contact with your family. Your balance - people could be quite nasty to me at times (drunk again! clumsy as usual!), why don't you get a cane (it sounds as if you could do with one) and today you can find fancy, fun ones. My husband was against me using artefacts saying that we'd wait until they were really necessary! It was only when we went to a special hospital that he heard people talking about how important a stick was.

[Artful]

Do you drive as that, of course, could be a problem. Just B4 Xmas we traded my car in for a (semi-/)automatic. A Fiat Idea and as it is high it's much easier for me to get in and out. People tell me such cars are easy to find in GB, in France they are still frowned upon so there is not much of a choice.

Try and avoid stress (very easy to say, so hard to do and it sounds as if your job doesn't help), summer is coming and so be careful of the sun and the heat as they can aggravate the condition.

The site I put at the top of this thread is worth looking at as it has many helpful things.

I don't know what to say angel as take care, rest well are meaningless so I say keep smiling, try and only fall over soft objects! Stay in touch - today is Wednesday so it's nearly next Tuesday!

[Artful]

Is it tomorrow you go to see the neuro, angel? Morning or afternoon? Remember to let me know how you get on, I'll be thinking of you.
Make sure you have results, scans, X-rays and anything else that you may have and can be useful. If you wear glasses don't forget to take them with you.

[angel1978]

Hi,

My appointment is this afternoon!  Will let you know how it goes.

I am in touch with my family, most of them I only see at Christmas but my mother comes up every month or so for a day.

The heat here is horrible at the moment, it's so hot already and it's only early though I guess the city traps heat and commuter rush hour on crowded buses (with the heating on - are they mad!!!) doesn't help :)

Never been one for hot weather but am currently planning myself a nice break with oneof my closest friends somewhere nice in September, just to rest and relax and kick back for a week, can't wait!

Will let you know how it goes :)

[Artful]

Best of luck, angel. Are you going on your own or is a friend accompanying you? My husband comes with me to any appointments I have re MS, 2 pairs of ears are better than 1 also there is so much to remember that even if you have noted everything something is always forgotten and the other person hopefully remembers...

I know what you mean about the heat, it can make life unbearable. Last time at hospital I was told to avoid it if poss (temps can be as high as 40�C with the heatwave weather) as it seems that sun and heat both aggravate the illness.

[Artful]

angel, how did you get on? Please let me know.

[angel1978]

Sorry again for the delay in replying, vertigo was bad yesterday and was away from work.

Went to the appointment on my own, always do for scans and tests and everything.  I'm kinda used to it but it does get to me sometimes especially when everyone else is there with someone and especially when something really frightening happens and I'm on my own in casualty for hours.  It can also be a struggle getting there and back as I don't drive and when my legs and balance and such are bad but I manage.

Didn't make much progress yesterday, got to go for a brain (and other bits) scan and neurophysiological tests and see the neurologist again in 4 months (although they don't know if my tests will have been done by then).

They don't seem to have much idea what is it at the moment (or they're not saying) but at least it's a start though.

The heat here is horrible at the moment and trying to keep out of it.

[Artful]

What have they have advised you to do, angel re your falls and dizziness and numbness and this unbearable heat? Have you been given sick leave? Is it just a brain scan or an MRI? What are the neuro tests? 4 months B4 you see the neuro again?! This is dreadful, absolutely dreadful.

Did you explain to the neuro that you are on your own and how difficult you are finding everything?

Have you looked at the site that I mention at the top of the thread? See what is on it and if it mentions anything you can do? I'll look again and then get back to you ? I'm glad you are going on holiday with a close friend, but what a way until September though.

Just looked at the msrc site, at the very top they give the MS 24 hour telephone counselling service number 0800 783 0518 (then press 1). Maybe you could call them and tell them your fears. Whatever link to the site http://www.msrc.co.uk

[angel1978]

Thank you, i'm just feeling very down about things at the moment and it really helps to be able to have some support.

There seemed to be a bit of confusion over the MRI I had.  She said that there was mention about my brain and said that it would be very rare for anyone with MS to have a clear brain scan. 

I pointed out that they had only scanned my ears and eventually she said that maybe they had just caught a little bit of my brain when scanning my ears and that that bit was OK.  If so then I need a proper brain scan (assuming she means MRI).

They don't seem to communicate very well as when I was discharged from ENT the guy i saw said they hadn't had my results back yet even though casualty had told me what they were about a month before when I was co-incidentially in there when my legs were going and, more to the point, ENT had sent me a letter to come in because they'd had my results in!!

She kept mentioning migraines but I've never had migraines so not sure about that.  She said she's going to check with a collegue about the vertigo and such to see if they can shed any light on it.

Don't know if I'll get my test results back before my next appointment in 4 months (very unlikely over here as things move very slowly) so that may well just be to see how I am generally and I'll have to go back once my test results are in.  The MRI waiting list in some places can be around 18 months plus.

Trying to keep going at work as they're being a bit funny about absence and such at the moment and feel like I have to try and prove myself so they don't think about trying to get rid of me.

[angel1978]

Have got stemetil for my vertigo and some analgesia for pain and my GP is very good.  Will go back and see him if I need to.  Going to start a diary and get things loogged and try and make sure someone like my GP sees things while they are happening (they've already seen me in a medium dizzy state and when my leg reflexes disappeared when I was losing the use of them) so it is noted by a medical professional which may help.

Going to be a long journey I think.

[Artful]

angel, I'm glad it does you good to talk about it and I understand - it's very, very important with any problems like this. It's good to know you're GP is supportive. The dates and delays you tell me about are shocking, just told my husband (he didn't go to work today as it is a public holiday in France, July 14th) and he looked at me with his mouth hanging open!

What you say about keping a diary is a very good idea indeed - I've found it has always been appreciated by the specialist and my GP. Can you have a word with your GP and ask him about sick leave, it sounds as though your physical condition is poor so I can imagine how it is pulling heavily at your moral. Have you looked at the MS site? Do think about giving them a call, angel or why not ask your GP what he thinks?

Do tell me angel if there is anything I can do for you apart from keeping my eye on this thread.