[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

[mom23angels]

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

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

[AfterMyNap]

Hi, Nalonso! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

First, it's important to remember that none of us here is qualified to give you a medically-authoritative response. My advice would be to finish that education! See the neuro and let him/her decide which batteries of tests are most appropriate. If the answer is first to rule out MS, let them rule it out. The more they know, the better they can assess your condition.

Second, I strongly recommend that you purchase a wholly separate day planner book into which you make a daily note of your general condition, specific symptoms, and any sensations you experience. This is invaluable on the diagnosis warpath. It is imperative that you stay committed to daily entries, it's much too easy to forget half or more by the very next day.

[Koala77]

Hi there Nalonso! I too wanted to welcome you to NeuroTalk, and to let you know that what the others have already said makes a lot of sense. We can't diagnose, but we can give advise from personal experience. Anything else needs a neurologist.

Don't make any life changing decisions while you feel rotten and for you I mean your schooling at the moment. Chances are, even if it does turn out to be MS, you'll feel a whole lot better soon.

If you've read up on the condition you'll find that relapses come and go, and people have quite long periods in between flare ups. These range between months and years.

Good luck with getting to the bottom of this, and welcome again to the site.

[NurseNancy]

hello nicole and welcome to NT.

i believe that fear of the unknown is worse than knowing the truth.
nothing you've said means that your brain is atrophying. but, i'm not a dr.
that's where you need to see your pcp and get a referral to a good neuro.
knowing what, if anything, you're dealing with will give you personal power.

you owe it to yourself, and your family.
i wouldn't give up school. but i would encourage you to have this checked out.
AMN's advice is always the best.

what are you in school for?
please stay in touch with us. hoping to hear more about you.

[nalonso]

Thank you all for the kind words... I have just finished up my pre req classes and I will be starting the BSN nursing program in August. I have just read a bit on dawson's fingers and I cant find any positives on the subject. I am going to start my mission and reschedule my appointment at the Illinois Neurological Institute. Hopefully they will have good neuro docs that can relieve my anxiety. Thanks again......Nicole

[nalonso]

I think the planner is a great idea,but I am not sure if I would know what to record as far as symptoms etc. because It seems like it is always something from headaches to feet falling asleep. I have gone so long ignoring and thinking its just me or I did too much. How do you know what is out of the ordinary and worth talking to the doctor about? I know it is probably a dumb question, but I dont want to turn into a hypochondriac Thank you for taking the time to help me.....Nicole

[doydie]

Welcome to our little world Nicole. All of the above advice is good. I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch. I was the cross stich queen! So i had this
relapse back in '99 and I was so exhausted. Just going to the car did me in. I couldn't concentrate on anything and eating anything like peas or soup was a joke because of the tremors in my hands. So i sold every bit of cross stitch things I had, down to the last needle. Well now I cross stich, have learned quilting and several other good crafts. Since I have RRMS, most of my abilities came back. So don't give up. Keep your dreams. it will help your family and actually give them inspiration to go for their dreams also.

[viseeu]

Originally Posted by nalonso

I think the planner is a great idea,but I am not sure if I would know what to record as far as symptoms etc. because It seems like it is always something from headaches to feet falling asleep. I have gone so long ignoring and thinking its just me or I did too much. How do you know what is out of the ordinary and worth talking to the doctor about? I know it is probably a dumb question, but I dont want to turn into a hypochondriac Thank you for taking the time to help me.....Nicole

Hi Nicole!
Head aches and my feet fell asleep! write it down!! It is not being a hypochondriac when you are recording what you are feeling and I understand what you are saying too. When I tried to describe what was bringing me to the doctor (on and off for 3 years before my exacerbation) it was difficult to describe and when none of the tests showed anything, I started seeing a psychologist just in case it was an 'emotional' thing! lol and I had the 'getting words mixed' up thing going too!

botton line, you cannot take action to get yourself better until you get a dx of whatever is going on, so I hope you will make that appt. and see the doctors, let them determine what tests need to be done. You are in nursing school, so you know you would encourage the same to another!

Please keep us posted, and welcome to the forum