I've been numb so many times and in so many different ways.

The first time it started in my left foot and traveled up that side till it reached mid-breast. Then the right side started, and went up as high as just below my right breast.

After I healed, I would get intermittent numb patches.

Several years later, my soles went numb and it traveled to up over my chest. Other parts of my body were effected including my internal organs. Not nice.

The third time, it was the right side of my body only.

The next time it was the roof of my mouth, tongue, lips, throat.

This past time, it was my torso, plus my hands.

"Life is like a box of chocolates . . . you never know what you are going to get."

Cherie

Both of my feet were becoming numb. The numbness was moving up both legs. I had a scare when one pain doctor that I was seeing for my back suggested it could be diabetes, since he didn't see anything in my MRI that could affect both feet. That is what got me proactive in finding a new primary care physician. From there the ball started to roll....long story short... no diabetes...."just" ms.

Both of my legs went numb in 2003. I remember waking up and thinking mmmm....this feels weird. I could walk but it felt like my legs were asleep (both of them). Pins and needles feeling but that subsided within a few days but the numbness was still there. Thought I had pinched a nerve.

By the time I had made an appt with the doctor, was seen, referred to another doctor, etc. the sensation had gone away. I figured it had resolved itself and went on about my business.

Fast forward to October 2005 I had a BAD bout with diplopia (double vision). Bad to the point of me not even being able to stand up without assistance.

That was what earned me my dx of MS. I was relieved - it was actually a joy to receive that dx. I had done Internet research and concluded that I had a brain tumor. Luckily, it wasn't. MS was my preferred dx because everything else I found that it could have been was much worse.

I have numbness in my right hand/arm now. My whole right side went numb in October 2007 (3 months ago). Now it's down to basically just my hand but it's MUCH better and getting better every day. My fingers are affected the worst right now but I can write and type easier than I could at first.

Your numbness, Greenjeans, sounds like classic MS to me but I am no doctor. What does your doctor have to say about it?

The flare that started my path to being diagnosed was tremors in the right side. Foot, calf, and hand were the worst. When the shaking stopped, the numbness took it's place.

It's almost like my brain rewired to keep the tremors from happening by numbing everthing.

For me, my whole left leg felt like rubber and I could not use it well. I was picking up supplies for work and was in the parking lot at Office Max. Too the supplies back to work. Luckily for me, I was only working a 1/2 day that day as it was the 1st day of school for DDs and I wanted to spend the afternoon with them.

I had a manual car at the time and really couldn't tell if my foot was on the clutch at all. I managed to get DDs and get home.

Since that time I have gone numb in other ways as well. Sometimes I would get that burning feeling. Sometimes I was completely unaware that I was numb until I burnt myself, saw blood on my finger from a paper cut, etc.

My numbness began in my left thumb...very minor. Now it encompasses my entire left hand and some of my right.

My neuro is not convinced this is entirely MS. So don't count entirely on that. With the shoulder blade pain or cramp you described it could also be spinal problems, injury or something else. Of course it can also be MS.

It's a matter of eliminating other possibilities.

I've had a dx since 1995. Things have only recently gotten worse and frankly I don't entirely think it's MS. So you never know.

Age (in my case, I'm 63) certainly brings more 'stuff' your way unless you are very, very lucky. Everything from your past comes back to haunt or hurt you (falls, sports injuries, childhood illness, lifestyle, etc.).

So I'm finding out what's what to the best of my ability. Sort of like 'connect the dots'.

Tootsie

wow, I gotcha on THAT one!

I was very sad to give up my old Dodge Colt Vista manual tranny... 'cause I'm a bit of a controlling type, and hated the way automatics shift themselves, especially during windy-road foothill driving... drove me bonkers.

but the numbness, combined with weakness, well, I could hardly tell my foot was on the pedal, PLUS, I couldn't hold the clutch in for an entire stoplight wait.

and my right arm started having trouble shifting... hand numbness and weakness.

so, I got a little Subaru Forrester with an automatic tranny... and managed to keep on driving for another three years thata-way.

ok,I mainly went numb at first only for 5 minutes or so,in my finger,lips,and toes.This was at onset.
I have had it where Im reaching for somthing,and my whole arm would go numb.
But gosh,your story is freaky....
that would really freak me out.

I thougth that too Tootsie. That's why I didn't run to the doctor for the first week or more. I have a spine doctor now and MRI's of C & L spine, and the only area that has varifiable issues is my L-spine. Totally unrelated to anything I experienced. Definately have to work on fixing this problem, and in PT for that. All the doc's say it was not a pinched nerve. Thta's why MS became an issue.

That would seem to be the conclussion huh? My tests will not support a dx tho.

I do want to thank everyone for posting their experience here....it shows how very different it is for each person. I did read someone once say they had the same pain in their shoulder blade before going numb in their thumb too (been a while ago). Therapist and PCP are not finding reason to believe that stress caused this....so I'm just a complete mystery.....and until I know for sure, MS will always be in the back of my mind.