The Saga Part II
With my MRI done, my next appointment with my Neurologist had been made for a week after for him to review the scans. So the appointment comes around, and he say that something has been discover in my neck.
He says it is an inflammation of my spinal cord in the C3-C4 region of my vertebrae. He said it could just be a virus that may have caused it and prescribes a course of Prednisone (type of steroid). He said that this type of inflammation takes time to develop and also subside. So off I went home and began the course of medication. Well one of the side effects mentioned in the little pamphlet you get was "increased hunger". That was a mild understatement… I was having to have about eight meals a day, and I'm not talking little snacks. I'm talking full meals.
So for the week and a bit I was taken the Prednisone I spent it in the kitchen. Make meal, eat meal, clean up, get hungry again, make meal, rinse and repeat for the duration.
So about two weeks later I went back to my Neurologist, and he advised it could be a couple of things after reviewing my case, one of which was Multiple sclerosis. He said that there was a screening test I could have that my point towards helping make a diagnosis. There is no one test you can get that says you have MS (Multiple sclerosis).
So he tells me what the test is, and that it requires a Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap) to draw spinal fluid and runs some test looking for oligoclonal bands. If it's not there then it's not MS (Multiple sclerosis), if it is then it's another marker in the diagnosis.
So I get booked in for the Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap) the following week. So I arrive at appointment (it's day surgery) and get taken up to the ward. I lie around in the bed for about an hour until they are ready for me.
Then the fun begins.
So they prep me and tell me what they are going to do. If you are not sure what a Lumbar Puncture is, they take a needle and stick in between your vertebrae and into your spinal column and drain some spinal fluid.
So they jab me with a local and get me in to a position that curves my spine (I was lying on my side tucked up in a ball). So first attempt, can't get it thru the gap. So they try a second attempt, same thing. So a third attempt is made. By this time the local is starting to wear off, and he hits bone.
Bugger me, did that hurt!!!
So they call for the registrar, turns out I had an intern attempting the procedure…
So I have a new rule when I go to hospitals now…
NO trainees…
So after about an hour, the registrar shows up (he had to be paged). He changes my position. I am now sitting on the edge of the bed leaning across one of those side table they bring you have in hospital for food etc. he applies another local, and I sit there.
After about three to four minutes I don't feel a thing, so I ask if he is going to stick it in me. His response was "It's been in for about a minute, and we are nearly finished…" Well bugger me, I didn't feel a thing.
Reason for my No trainee rule ;)
So they drain what they need and send it off for testing. I go back to the ward for recovery. I had to spend the afternoon on my back, under observation. So I get a meal (I have found it's hard to eat soup on your side), have a little nap, watch some daytime TV, after watching me all day and testing for various response the nice nurses allowed me to go home around six in the evening. Had a mild headache for the next few days, so took it easy.
About a week later I had a follow up appointment with my Neurologist to review the results of the test. So this is where he tells me that the test is positive and they found the protein marker, which is another marker for MS (Multiple sclerosis).
So he tells me that the diagnosis is ninety five percent MS (Multiple sclerosis), because by definition to have MS (Multiple sclerosis) you need to have multiple attacks when a certain time frame. But he says with all the other symptoms displayed he is sure of the diagnosis.
The reason it is so hard to diagnosis generally is because it has a list of symptoms from like A to Z. The problem is one person may have symptoms B, C, D, K, J and L which come on strong. While another person may only have symptoms X, P and Q which are light.
So he diagnosed "Relapsing Remitting MS" or "RRMS". This type of MS (Multiple sclerosis) is when attacks come and go. This can be exacerbations of current symptoms (meaning the current symptoms get worse) or new symptoms.
It was a little hard to take in.
Multiple sclerosis
Wow…
The only thing I had to do with MS was when I was younger and I read books for the MS Readathon, and The President from The West Wing had it
Now I was being told I had the disease. It’s not every day you are told you have an incurable disease!
So what does it all mean…
Well basically my body's immune system is attacking me, and in particular the lining that coats my nerves (Myelin). So basically it boils down to, I'm like a house with bad wiring, and the electrician doesn't know what's caused the bad wiring, and doesn't know how to fix it.
So the signal from my brain gets sent, but doesn't always get where its suppose to.
Some other points
No one knows what causes MS, whether it's genetic or environmental.
At present there is no known cure. But there is a lot of research going on. Now that retarded redneck of a president (George W) has left office, I know that Bazz Obama has rescinded bans placed on stem cell research. So hopefully this will bring new avenues for a possible cure.
There have been some promising research already - MS stem-cell treatment
I forgot to put any dates in because I could remember them exactly, but the diagnosis process took several months from January 2007 through to April/May 2007 when I was given the firm diagnosis
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