HI EVERYONE! Long Intro inside if you dare enter ;)
 

Hi. I'm from WI, 38 female. I have been having various health issues for years. Mostly mild until a few years ago. I'll make it short as I can. I was in a MVA at 12 - been going to chiropractor since then for various neck/back issues. Fast Forward to 32 when I had my son. That was the turning point for me when I really starting feeling extreme fatigue every day. I started having severe urinary incontinence to the point it was stress and also would just leak out on its own doing housework. I had prolapse of the bladder, urethra. When I went in to be examined, uro/gyn said I also had an enterocele and a rectocele. Soooooo, the surgery (Feb 06) I had was a burch retropubic urethropexy with mesh, A/P vaginal repairs, recto/enter and while he was "in there" I told him to tie my tubes. THAT, my new friends was a huge surgery. I had a huge incision on abdomen and two in buttocks. This took over a year to not hurt (incisional pain). He said it was neurogenic, whatever, I just lived with it as it finally did subside. About 3 months ago, I did not have stress incontinence, I just had "leaking incontinence". THEN, I started having various other symptoms which promted my GP to have me go see a neurologist to be checked for MS (Dec 07). Since 12/5, I have had a brain MRI, cervical and thoracic MRI (no lesions on any), I have had nerve conduction studies, a WHOLE LOTTA bloodwork - ALL NORMAL (other than the two herniated disks in my c-spine and 1 in my T-spine that right now are not causing any radiculapathy that I am aware of. So, I guess I am just perfect LOL! :rolleyes:.

Oh, my symptoms, BURNING FEET. During my neuro exam I should note he did find any ankle reflexes (I haven't had those for a couple of years now!). I also had cold differences below knees than upper. And I had a balance issue (Romberg's). These things prompted my neuro to think I have some kind of neuropathy. He put me on Gabapentin. have been on it for 2 week snow and is not helping.

I got a letter in the mail today and he is now sending me for BAEP and SSEP (medial and tibial nerve something or another and Brain and Auditory Evoked Potentials). I guess if they are abnormal, it could mean a few things. Either puts me back in the possible MS category or it means I have some kind of neuropathy. I am SO confused.

My brain MRI was "essentially normal" said I had punctate areas of high signal intensity bilaterally in the centrum semiovale, probably representing virchow-robin spaces", which my NEURO says that is indeed what they are and do not represent plaques.

Oh boy, this is getting long. So, that's where I'm at. I go for all of this testing on the 28th and 31st, next week :eek: 4 hrs on the 28th and 4 hrs. on the 31st, then right after that I go for a LUMBAR MRI to make sure the disks have not progressed any worse than my last one in 05.

Oh, did I say MY SPINE IS A MESS??? Osteoarthritis diagnosed at age 34, what is up with that?

Ok, I'll leave it at this and write more later if anyone cares to respond to my post LOL !

I am so sorry that you have suffered so much. The one positive note is that it sounds like you have an excellent doctor who is really investigating everything with all the tests that are available. It must be hard to wait and anticipate this testing that you have pending, but I think that you will have much more peace of mind about this once you get the results and, hopefully, a diagnosis. Best of luck to you. I hope you can relax and enjoy the holidays while you are waiting on a diagnosis and treatment.

And I would say you have a darling sense of humor. For you to have been through so much (I never knew having your tubes tied was such a MAJOR thing. My god.

Anyway, I'm sending you a warm welcome and a nice hug.

:hug:

Merry Christmas

Melody

Hi Susan
 

Thanks for your quick reply. I do believe I have found a wonderful Dr. He is very thorough and seems like he really wants to help me find out what is going on.

I wish you a HAPPY HOLIDAY season as well. I'm so glad I found this forum!
Take Care.

Thanks Melody - well, what I meant to say was having the tubes tied during the same surgery I had the bladder repair, enterocele and rectocele repaired and the A/P vaginal repairs. I was under anesthesia for 4 hours. That was a very long time to be under the knife. Thanks for the kind note, you are a very nice person.

HI Sandy!
Greetings! You've come to the right place to find info and great friends!
I hope your dr. gets all your problems figured out......I know it's not an easy task! I've been there, done that....bought the t-shirt........lol So good luck to you! And Happy Holidays!!

Hi, my symptoms were burning feet and burning up to my knees, a Nerve Conduction Test showed absolutely nothing wrong as well, but Quanitive Sensory Testing showed mainly small nerve damage [the burning] and some large nerve involvement as well, by an EMG test.
I would phone that doc and tell them that you are getting no relief from the Gabapentin, and ask what do they suggest to do, as you really do need some relief.

Brian :)

Brian
 

Hi Brain. THANKS for the note. Well, On Friday I had VEP's and BAEP's and on Monday I have 4 hours of Somatosensory testing on arms and legs, is that the kind of testing you were talking about? Then after that on Monday, I have a Lumbar MRI. So, I'd bet a million to one they'll find something on MOnday's testing.

Hi Want2bewell, these sites will explain those tests.

Somatosensory Evoked Potential-
http://www.allaboutbackpain.com/html...tics_ssep.html

Quanitive Sensory testing-
http://millercenter.uchicago.edu/lea...nt/index.shtml

EMG -Electromyogram -
http://www.medicinenet.com/electromyogram/article.htm

Brian :)

Sandy, these tests are
 

pretty straightforward, tho some folks say they go thru the ROOF and above with some of them. For me, I felt nothing or very little once my PN was well-established. Kept asking WHEN are they going to start? Turned out they were done! Dead nerves? You bet! Some soreness with the test that they sick the sensors into your skin and muscle tho...kind of like accupuncture but only no benefit, other than test results [or non-results].
Do keep in mind that test results CAN vary, and at times widely, from piece of test equiment to the next, and how skillful the test tech/doc is as well. The longer you have progressing problems, the less likely you are to have an inconclusive test result. I know that the three tests I'd had from ER to diagnosis a year later, results indicated greater detrioration. Because of machine and testor variables, that's why new docs want to do their own testing...from sources they trust.
Lastly? Be sure you and your skin/body is warm and comfy in any test room! There is documentation that test results can show false good results if'n your nerves and skin and body are too cold during the tests!
Here is a respected neuro's discussion on this issue:
http://www.onecallmedical.com/PDFs/E...0ISSUE%205.pdf
I can attest to the fact that I'd had to have one nerve conduction test re-done due to my feet turning blue on their own during the tests?
Hope this all helps! - j

OH by the way? The tests themselves really don't actually take that long! Most of it is hurry up and wait, set up [be prepared for lots and lots of INK marks where they are going to put sensors] then more wait...Testing itself is usually about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes each. BORING! just try to keep warm and sorta nap in between. Don't get anxious about it all. It's gotta be done, like other 'maintenance' exams we all do!