[nemsmom]

Today I woke up to a horrible sensation.

My lower two ribs on both sides in the front feel like something was wrapped around them and is trying to crush them. My lower part of my sternum feels like there is a vise crushing it.

Has the hug ever affected any of you this way? I don't want to blame everything on MS, just trying to understand.

The only thing that helps is standing. Unfortunately I am so weak, tired and light headed that standing for very long is just not possible.

I don't know if this is a continuation of the right flank pain, or something new all together.

Maybe it's time to see my current neurologist, I can't see the new one for two months.

[TheSleeper]

Not sure because everyone might have different experiences with it? My first time with it I had trouble straightening up, pain in my lower rib cage, another time I felt like I was being shocked with electricity in the same general area, and another time I felt like I had pulled muscles in my rib cage.

When in doubt? See a doctor?

[Kitty]

When I have "the hug" it feels like when I used to run too much as a child and I'd get that awful cramping in my side. With the hug it's just in my ribcage area. I think everyone has their own personal version of the hug. But I'd still at least call your Neuro and see what he says about it.

[tkrik]

The hug is not fun at all!!! Like Sleeper, mine is not the same every time, but it consistently is a squeezing/pulled muscle feeling and/or electrical shock feeling. For me, it mostly effects my left side and oddly laying on that side can sometimes feel the best. Laying flat and standing would be next. Sitting can be unbearable when it is acting up.

Also, for me, heat tends to make it worse but ice seems to help. I can handle a warm shower, which helps relax the muscles but not a heating pad or heat pack. I have tried Salon Pas on the ribs and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't.

I would definitely contact your doctor as you may be in a flare. Let us know how you are doing. Gentle 's!

[nemsmom]

I called my neurologist this morning. She wants me to go to my PCP to rule out cardiac issues. I see him in a little less than an hour.

Once that is ruled out she wants me to make an appointment with her.

I have a feeling this is all MS because of stress. Thursday is the one year anniversary of losing my Dad to pancreatic cancer. Last Friday I went to one of my uncle's funeral. This Uncle and my Dad shared the same first name. While in town for the funeral, which had an open casket, I saw my Grandpa's grave for the first time that I can remember, I was two when he died. I saw the plaque for my Dad for the first time and my other Uncle's plaque, who died in December of last year, for the first time.

Friday was a very difficult day and I'm having a hard time with Thursday coming up.

Now I took my eleven year old daughter in to the urgent care this morning for back pain and they say x-rays showed a bamboo spine. They say it could be because she was trying to stand so straight for the image, or it could be something else. So they drew blood. I am the type of person that has to know what I'm looking at, so I looked up bamboo spine. It looks like they are looking into arthritis in my child!

I'm ready for a breather from life's stresses right now!

I'm staying calm and waiting the week and a half for the blood results for my daughter and trying to get my health taken care of as well.

Oh yeah, and my husband woke up out of a dead sleep at eleven last night to stomach acid coming out of his nose! But he refuses to go to the doctor until they figure out our daughter and my issues!

Grrrr! Okay, thanks for letting me whine, it really does help.

[nemsmom]

I went to the PCP yesterday. No cardiac or pulmonary issues.

My ureologist appointment is tomorrow and my neurologist appointment is Thursday.

I have to take my daughter back this afternoon to redo her blood work. I'm not sure why but they say we have to.

Peppermint oil is helping her pain though, so we have something to help her out.

I'm so tired! Hopefully I'll get a whole lot of answers soon!

[tkrik]

I'm so sorry both you and your daughter are going through a tough time right now. I hope your urologist appointment and neurologist appointments go well for you.

I will say some prayers for your DD. Poor girl. I'm glad the peppermint oil is helping her some.

Let us know how you are doing!

[nemsmom]

Well, my ureologist appointment got rescheduled for the 27th. I was a half hour into my forty five minute drive when they called to cancel. The doctor was in an emergency surgery.

I saw my neurologist today. She thinks I'm in a flare. I go in for an MRI as soon as I can get it scheduled. I will call in the morning for that. She has me taking gabapentin twice in the evenings, I don't function well on it, for the pain. If my MRI shows enhancing lesions we will discuss steroids.

Unfortunately we really have to be careful using them because they aggravate my Periodic Paralysis and I end up with 15 hour paralytic attacks that make it difficult to breath. That would be why I have only been on them twice in the 8 1/2 years since I was diagnosed. The first time I didn't react, the second time I landed in the hospital for five days.

At this point though, something has got to give! So I think if it is a flare we will have to do the steroids.

Good news though, my daughter's first labs came back negative! We are just waiting for the genetic test now.

Just wanted to share the update, have a great night everyone!

[tkrik]

I'm glad you were able to get in to the neurologist. Hopefully, you are not in a flare and don't need steroids. I have a new neurologist now and haven't had a flare so I don't know how he treats flares; but my old neurologist didn't do IVSM unless the flare was severe and/or involved the eyes. Do you react the same way with Acthar? If not, that may be an option for you.

I'm so glad to hear your DD's test results have been negative! I hope the rest of the tests come back negative as well.

I hope you start feeling better soon.

[nemsmom]

I've never had acthar. I will look into it. My neurologist is terrified to try any new medication with me because I had such an intense reaction to the steroids.

I have a feeling it is a flare. I'm so much worse today. I'm so weak I can barely walk and at lunch time I was so weak my husband had to open the little squeeze pouches of food and get them near my mouth for me to be able to take over and eat.

I did manage to make dinner for the family tonight, with lots of help from my hubby.

My MRI is scheduled for next Friday, they say three hours for the appointment, but they always seem to be quicker than they say, and I can't eat or drink for four hours before. I thought that was odd, I've never been told not to eat or drink for a time in the past. But that's okay, if I'm going to lay still for three hours I will need to do that just so I won't have to pee.

Now time for good news...

My daughter's last test came back negative!!!!!!

My friend's grandson was born yesterday, so we got some happy for that day instead of just sad memories.

My oldest brother and his girlfriend are at the hospital now, she's being induced. This is his first baby! So hopefully my newest niece will be here today or tomorrow! I have 13 nieces and nephews until she is born, plus another 6 that call me auntie.

I wanted to be at the hospital, I'm just to weak and trying to keep myself from getting my own room there. So I told them I will see them when they come home. I will probably find a way to at least go see them once she's born.

Okay, too much typing, time for bed.