Quote:
Originally Posted by nalonso
Hello my name is Nicole and I am a 27 year old student, mother of 2, and a wife. I was hoping to get advice because I have been putting off seeing a neuro I guess because I have been so busy that I didnt want to get any sort of bad news. Now that the school semester is done and I have been having more strange symptoms I need that extra push to go, or you all may tell me I am fine. I had my first mri in 2005 do to chronic migraines and it showed a periventricular deep white matter lesion that was non specific. I had a repeat 8-16-07 and the report was more scary to me and I was hoping you all could help me understand what it all means.
Findings: CSF spaces are normal besides slight dilatation about the sylvian fissures. On the left in the deep frontal matter adjacent to the ventricle is a single area of increased T2 signal with normal diffusion and no enhancement. No other areas of abnormal signal intensity, abnormally restricted diffusion, or abnormal enhancement are seen.
Impression: Single area of gliosis similar in appearance to Dawson's fingers. This could be demyelination but other causes of increased signal cannot be ruled out. Consider ischemia, trauma, post infectious, vasculitis, vasculopathy, and collagen vascular diseases. Minor atrophy. Normal brain otherwise. No mass, hemorrhage or infarct.
I put this all away in my mind and have ignored the symptoms that my family doc was concerned that is may be ms. It wasnt until last week when I took a bad fall down my stairs because I couldnt feel my feet that all of this started flowing back and overwhelming me. My biggest complaint right now is that I am a student and toward the end of last semester I struggled to maintain my grades because I am so foggy. I was put on adderall two years ago and it no longer seems to help. Also I have been finding it hard to speak the words that I want. I say things backwards or a word that was out of no where which is very embarassing! I have other quirks and pains that I have learned to live with. The word atrophy is scaring me. Should I continue with school, Am I doing it all for nothing when my brain is slowly wasting away, or should I be spending the time with my kids and husband?
Thank you all so much for listening to me and for any advice. I know I need to go to a neuro, but in the mean time I really need feed back. I really lack the much needed support.
Thanks again.......Nicole
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Nicole,
I definitely can understand you being overwhelmed and scared when you're in school and you have a family. MS is individualistic so one person might not have the same symptoms as another, that being said when I was in undergraduate school when dinosaurs roamed the world I had the same problem with mixing up my words and saying them backwards and I was forgetting my apt combination to get inside my apt.
I went to a Neuro. then and I didn't have a problem..fast forward from 20 to 30 and I didn't experience any problems, had my 3 kids and had one incident in Florida when I felt heat spread up my legs and then I collapsed because I had no muscle control. I didn't have any problems for 2 more years until last Dec. when I had vision problems. Needless to say the Neuro. and I don't think its optical neuritis but it brought me into being evaluated. Some of my symptoms match up with MS and others do not.
I consider myself someone with MS but I definitely need the Neuro. to check other things that might mimic it. I am actually at peace with having MS and BOY, that's saying a lot because I've done the denial, anger, bargaining, and I'm finally just at peace and trying to make sure I can take care of my sons as long as possible.
Please go to the Neuro. and have all the tests done.. MRI, evoke potentials, and the spinal tap so you know what you have and can decide what, if any treatments you want to do. I wish you the best and please keep us updated on how you're doing.
Monique