Hello,
My name is Kadi, I am brand new here. I am 22 years old and though I have yet to be offically diagnosed, but since my aunt cousin and great grandmother have all had this my family is convensed that MS is the reason I can't feel the left side of my body and cant control my left hand. The only sensation I have on the left side is an extream itching and cramps when my fingers decided to become posessed and move of their own accord. I have my first neuro exam next week and they told me they will be doing an MRI and lumbar puncture. I am terified and dont know what to do or expect. Any advice would be appreciated.

I can't really offer advise (sorry) but hopefully you have a good doc and things will go as smooth as possible. Good luck!

Kadi,
I repled to copy of your thread in the Stumble Inn.

Welcome to NeuroTalk, Kadi...cute name.

Yes sometimes MS is a family affair and other times not??? I am the 1st one, that I'm aware of, with MS, in my family, but my 40 yr old DD was DXed, 7/8 yrs ago..

No advise, just take a deep breath, relax and let us know what your neuro tests say, whem you get back from the Doc.

Welcome Kadi...
Not that you'll forget what's bothering you, but you might want to make a list of symptoms and questions...sometimes being in a doc's office makes some of us get brain freeze...
Take notes of what any doc says or what any test reveals, and keep a symptom journal.

Good luck...I hope you find out what is causing this...

Hi Kadi and Welcome to the group. Sorry if you have to be here, but it's a great place with caring friends who are always willing to share their experiences. I've had a few MRI's which I've always thought feel like you're inside an old video game with all the banging and strange noises. The lesions found with the MRI's were enough to diagnose MS in 1990, so I never had a LP.

Hope you'll stick around and please let us know how you make out. We're here if you need us!

Sorry you have to come to this forum, but glad you found us in your time of need! Getting a diagnosis can actually be more liberating due to the fact that you can begin processing information... What to do and treatments to consider. However; you may not have MS...there are lots of things that mimic MS so let your doctors decide what is best to do. In 2002 my entire RIGHT side went numb and the inside of my mouth felt as though it was burned.
Hopefully they will do the MRI first and see what the results are. They did mine first only to find lesions so they skipped the lumbar puncture. Doctors are all different on how they approach the diagnosis. Take a deep breath and remember that we are here for you!

Welcome Kadi!!!!

Sorry to hear you are in limboland right now!

It sucks to say but it does sound like MS.

And it does suck if you have it BUT at least you're getting into the diagnosis now so it can start to be treated, the longer you go, the more problems you'll have.

That is coming from personal experience.

I myself am 22, was 21 at diagnosis.

What you are facing is in fact scary, but you are not alone.

Mine started with numbness and tingling in my right side, sensory problems, went half blind in my right eye and then I just fell apart after all of that, that's why I say the earlier the better.

Soooo when I was dx, I was completely in the dark. I had no clue what was ahead of me.

If you are an MS patient and start experiencing really bizarre sensations, don't panic! This disease causes sooo many bizarre sensations and neuropathic pain, it's like being on psychedelics ALL OF THE TIME!
So when I was first diagnosed I was freaking out at all these weird electrical sensations thru my body, no worries, it's just messages backfiring weird right? lol

Again I am sorry to hear what you are going through. It's SUPER hard. Hang in there!

Add me if you'd like! Us MS-ers are really the only ones that can understand the numbness and electrical shocks, everyone else thinks we're off our rockers! lol

Be well chica!

-Ana D

I dont know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but make sure you've got all sorts of good insurance before you get diagnosed!

I got diagnosed too quickly, and didnt seem to have time and also didnt really believe they would find anything and didnt get my insurance propped up. I have a high deductible...it's still great insurance, just wish I could have tweaked it to make it better.

http://ms.about.com/od/multiplescler..._diagnosis.htm


Kadi: This will give you some insight as to what doctors are looking for to reach an MS diagnosis.