That's interesting about the memory foam. I had a memory foam pad for about 6 months before I got my first super obvious MS symptom (numbness in the legs, which was promptly ignored by my doctors office)

I had to give my matress pad away because the memory foam made my numb leg problem feel worse. (I actually felt more numb when laying or sitting on my bed) and my arms going numb at night started when sleeping on the memory foam.

I would sink into the memory foam and NEVER MOVE AT ALL at night, and I'd wake up with a hip that was so sore, I wanted to scream when rolling over.

The matress pad was great until the numbness started. Also had a memory foam pillow and it was nice until I developed Optic Neuritis. I had some weird numbness in my face around the eyes at the time and the pillow drove me nuts.


I had the CTS surgery back in the early 90's...it could have been as far back as 1990, but I think it was '92 or '93. I only had the right hand done. (open surgery) Never did have anything done with the left. The surgery seemed to work, the pain I had in the right arm back then was so bad, that I could barely do anything, but after the surgery, I felt pretty good. Even now, other than numbness in both hands at night, my arm doesnt hurt like it did then. It still hurts, but nothing quite like what it was in the early 90s.

The neuro said that if it's CTS again, and if it's bad enough, he'll recommend that I get another surgery done. (he does not recommend the laproscopic surgery, so it would be another open surgery with all the "pretty" stitches again.

Not sure if I'd do another surgery, the CTS would have to be pretty bad, but at least I could crochet or knit for therapy. (crochet and knitting is therapy for me now...it keeps me from killing people )

For me the downside of the memory foam is it traps heat and that makes me real shaky limbs and head in the morning. I just take off the covers and let the cold room bring my temp down for a minute before getting out of bed. I actually found it helped the hip pain I was experiencing and sleep longer because my hips hurt less.

MS sure is inconsistant as far as experiences go. I too would be crazier without crochet.

Right now the crochet is driving me nuts. I'm trying to teach myself hairpin lace crochet, and I swear, I feel like I did a year and a half ago when I was trying to teach myself to knit. I've seen hairpin lace done, and you'd think I'd remember how they did it, I seem to be having problems trying to figure out which way to turn the loom. argh!!

I gave my memory foam pad away a few months before I actually got the optic neuritis and before I knew I had MS. I dont think I was experiencing Uhthoff's (worsening of symptoms from heat) at the time, so I'm not sure I was having problems from heat making things worse. If I was, I didnt recognize the signs and dont remember how things were.

My boyfriend's room mate inherited my mattress pad, and I've heard that he totally loves it. Apparently he'd had problems finding a bed soft enough for him. It was a $200 pad and wasnt even 6 months old yet, and I just gave it to him, so he was totally tickled by that.

Tonight the numbness that was hiding from me has reappeared...yeah...now that I'm not at the neuro's office... my legs feel weird, and my sore knee/leg has decided to hurt me like crazy AND be numb...why it cant be painless and be numb at the same time I dont know.

Hi Erin
Hairpin lace? Just the name sounds intimidating. Although it is beautiful, I sure wouldn't frustrate myself to attempt it. I hope it clicks for you soon, and you finish that project successfully.

I'm so glad the mattress pad had a good home.

I get the numb/pain combo, I don't know why they don't cancel each other out.

I'm sorry your knee is hurting so much. Please rest yourself.

If I hadnt given the mattress pad away, I probably would have taken it to a parking lot and lit a match to it. (I'm really not serious about that)

Kinda sucks, I'd wanted one of those mattress pads for a long time, and had gotten it for Xmas. I slept great on it until early April when I first developed the numbness in my hip. After that, it was no longer comfortable.

I was all freaked out by the numbness, which had started one day at the zoo...about 10 minutes after my boyfriend and I got free rides on the zoo train (steam engine) up in the engine area. It was seriously hot right on the train engine, since they were burning wood to make the steam for the engine. It was also an unseasonably warm April that year.

I didnt know where it came from, and for awhile, I thought it was the mattress pad. I had read people talking on the internet that memory foam was causing them health problems. Because memory foam outgasses the chemicals in the foam (outgassing would be the chemicals leaching into the air from the foam)

Erin,

Go ahead and have the EMG. It's not that bad of a test and can reveal a lot about your situation. Who cares what it cost the insurance company. Look at what you pay a month for that coverage. All I had to pay was a $20 copay when I had mine done three years ago.

Either way, I hope they can determine and treat any problems they find.

Good luck.

I had an EMG about 18 or 20yrs ago (cant quite remember exactly when) and I didnt think it was a bad test at all. Maybe a bit of a sting when they made my middle finger twitch. I'm probably going to go ahead and have it done.

I woke up this morning with a numb left hand, and even tho it woke up, it still took about 4 hours for the tingles in the fingertips to go away. I'd like to know if that's the median nerve, the other possible nerves, or if it's my brain screwing with my hands.