Hello,

I have been looking around this site for a few days to get the feel of things, and I am now ready to say hello to everyone.

I was in another lifetime, a Senior Lecturer in a University, however this was ended with the ensuing series of events.

It is a long, long story to this point and I will not bore you with much if it. Some years ago I was very ill and required resuscitation and urgent surgery. That was when things went wrong. Since then I have had increasingly troublesome balance problems. A lumbar puncture showed Oligoclonal bands and it was thought that I had MS, but that was later ruled out. Several MRIs later, and I was told the most recent showed Empty Sella Syndrome, which led me to an endocrinologist. She told me that what I had been told for 13 years was Peripheral Neuropathy, was in fact Dorsal Column disease.

The problems are progressing slowly, and some days I have quite severe ataxia, others only mild symptoms. Falls and bruises are commonplace. On bad days a walking frame is a great help. On good days, a walking stick is enough. I recently became the pet of an opinionated and stubborn teacup Chihuahua, who I love wholeheartedly. He takes me on quite long walks and gets me out in the garden for tug of war and fetch sessions (often I do the fetching). He has been so good for me.

I guess it is only a question if time until I find my way back onto the merry go round that is Neurology. I guess that is why I am here. To find out if other people have had similar experiences, and hopefully find out how they cope.

Warm good wishes to all, especially those who are experiencing poor health at the moment.

Hello, and welcome to the community. I am not familiar with Empty Sella Syndrome or Dorsal Column disease--guess I'll have to do some research! I do know what a Chihuahua is, though!

I'm not even sure which forums to suggest--you might type "empty sella syndrome" and "dorsal column" into our search feature and see what pops up. Or someone more knowledgeable may be along soon!

I am wondering...by what criteria did they rule out MS? I have always been told that MS is diagnosed partly by ruling out OTHER diseases.

Griff,

It is great to have you come and be with us. You will fine a great number of dear friends to listen when you are in need of ears. Please, just let us know how we can help you out. You will find out we are supportive and relaxing place.

Please keep us up to date on your situation. Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thank you for your welcome. It is good to hear from you.
Dorsal columns are part of the spinal cord that tell your brain where your body is in space. Empty Sella is an apparently missing pituitary gland at the base of the skull Most of the tests seem to show that there is enough left to produce at least some of the main hormones . Trust me to have something obscure. MS was ruled out because of no significant demyelination.