Severe exacerbations? How do they start?
 

I'm having a bad week. (lots of numbness apparently coming from the neck)

I woke up a couple of times this week, and my left hand (the one that's the most numb) several of my fingers wouldnt move right away. I mean, they literally would not move. I couldnt get the muscle in the finger to flex, nothing. The fingers just lay there. (scared the heebie jeebies out of me)

About 5 or 10 minutes (or less) after I woke up, I was able to move my fingers.

I'm more than a bit freaked out by that, and am curious...if this numbness was getting worse and was going to get to the point where I'm paralyzed, will I wake up one morning, not able to move, or could it come on gradually during the day?

I'm a lot scared by this, especially since I have that lesion on C4 (as of december 2006, there was one lesion on C4 and one on T12) But, I did sprain my neck a few weeks ago, and I dont know if this is being caused by the MS, or if it's from the inflammation from the sprain that's ticking off the MS.

My neuro was off last week (he usually is for most big holidays) but I called his office anyways, and he's supposed to call me back tomorrow.

I'm really really nervous about this now. It was one thing to have diplopia earlier this summer, or an almost totally numb leg last year, it feels more and more ominous this time around. Probably because the numbness is seems to be obviously coming from the C4 area of my neck. (I also have numbness going from the neck up the back of my head and ear on the right side. Mouth and face arent numb tho)

I'm just scared that I'm about to have the biggest exacerbation. (actually feel like I've been in one big long exacerbation all summer and fall)

I don't know the answer to your question, but I really feel for you - that would be really scary.
I understand your fear.
I hope your next morning waking is much better.
:hug:

My neuro just called me.

I told him how I had new numbness in my right side, but told him about the neck sprain and how this numbness seemed to start not long after I injured myself. He said that I could have hurt a disc in my neck when I sprained it, and he said that's most likely the cause of that numbness.

I dont know whether or not to feel good about that. At least it's probably not a new flare/exacerbation, but an actual physical injury to my neck sounds scary too.

He told me the numbness from the neck injury will probably take longer to resolve than the numbness from the MS flare. He asked if I wanted to see him, but I've seen so many doctors recently it's getting expensive. (he's actually my cheapest doctor!) I asked if it would be ok to wait after Christmas and if I'm still sore from the injury and still having problems with my neck after Christmas, that I'll call and make an appointment for that. He said that was a good idea.

Told me not to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds until after I see him next time, and to be really careful when I do lift anything from now on, since I can re-injure myself really easily.

I like my neuro, he made me feel a little better after talking to him. I told him it was scaring me that I was about to have a big MS flare because of all this new numbness on the right side. He said it was most likely that it's not from the MS since it happened pretty quickly after the neck injury.

It's just scary that I can injure myself that easily. I picked that box up so many times over the week before my neck got injured. (that's probably what did it...picking up heavy stuff so often that week)

I asked him about getting an H1N1 shot, I wanted to know what he'd heard from other MS patients who had gotten shots. He said that he thought it would be fine. He'd been the one who said not to get the shot immediately after they introduced it. He's been reading about it and said he hadnt heard any reports that it would be bad for people with MS. So, I might go get the shot. I'm sick this morning (I think I had a bad hot dog last night) so I'm waiting till the queasies from feeling icky this morning goes away and then I'll have to look and see if my county is having any more vaccine clinics.

I'm phobic about vaccines now, but after reading what H1N1 has been doing to perfectly healthy people, I'm trying to get over that phobia because the nasty stuff H1N1 does scares me a little more than my phobia does.

I just wish I could get my mom a vaccination too. (my dad's a medical worker, they forced him to get one) She's 69yrs old and has COPD and other chronic conditions, but they still wont let her have the vaccine. I just hope that flu we had in 1976 was a swine flu and that it's going to protect my mom some.

Feel better, Erin..:hug::hug:

I hope I do soon. The neuro made me feel somewhat better after talking to him, but I still feel a lot of anxiety anyways. (wish that would go away)

and I'm still freaking numb...talking to the neuro didnt help that...and numbness is such an uncomfortable feeling. It's not quite as bad as vertigo or double vision, but it's just as disturbing to me and I wish my body would stop that.

At least the numbness that's probably from the neck injury isnt as bad as the MS numbness. That's one good thing. I'd be freaking out if my right hand felt as bad as my left hand does. I'm just still scared by the numbness no matter what's causing it.

Don't quote me on this, but to set your mind at ease, I seem to recall reading those age 65 (or around that number) having immunity. As you say, from a previous variant of the flu another year. Hope this is the case, but it's what I recall reading.

yeah, but her doctor still said for us to get her the H1N1 shot. Too bad no one in Omaha will give her one. (the county is doing free shots but wont give her one, local doctors dont have any vaccine because the county is controlling it all)

I have to look and see when the next vaccine clinic is, and will go to get one. My dad told me to take my mom and lie about her age and see if they'll give her one.

I might not lie about her age, but might just tell them she's got COPD and other chronic problems and that her doctor told her to get the vaccine. See if they'll be nice and give her one.

I cant believe I've changed my mind about getting a vaccine. I guess the news is doing a good job at scaring people. Altho, this week's news doesnt sound as dire as stuff did the last couple of weeks.

Neuro also told me to get the regular flu shot, but to wait a couple of weeks between the H1N1 and the regular flu shot so there hopefully wont be a problem with that.

I cant believe I'm going to get a vaccine. I just hope I dont have any weird reactions to it. (knock on wood, if I can find some...everything here is particle board)

I was going to suggest your sx might be a result of the neck sprain. Try not to freak about that. The good news is, that can repair itself.

Anti inflamitories - Tylenol, Advil, etc - should help. Ice/heat, even if the neck does not feel sore or hurt. My neck often does not feel too bad, but causes sx all over and txing the neck makes those sx ease up. Also rest, and what I mean is, lay your head down comfortably. Just as you would put your foot up if you sprained your ankle, put your head down and give your neck a break a few times a day. See if that helps.

If the flu doesn't get you, all this worrying will. You need to find some way to chill out, Erin. I sat and watched Bad Santa the other night, and then Elf. Wow, what a diff a few laughs can make.

:hug:

I've upped the Baclofen at night, since I usually take less than a whole pill. I'm now up to taking the whole pill. Wow... (which means I have to go searching thru the pill bottle that's full of half pills and quarters of pills to get something resembling a whole pill...maybe I'll just go get a refill)

That seemed to help me a bit last night...not that I could call it last night because I didnt fall asleep till 6am (slept till noon)

I ran out of ibuprofen and forget to get a new bottle, so I have to go to the store in the morning. I've been feeling the soreness today from the lack of ibuprofen. Shoulder is killing me today. But then, I was stupid the past couple of nights and was sitting on the floor working on something, went to get up off the floor and realized that was going to be a problem with a sore neck and shoulder. Pushing my 200lbs+ self up off the floor was probably going against the whole "dont lift anything heavier than 10lbs" that the neuro suggested.

Whoops!

I think I'll use the chair instead of the floor from now on.

My saga with my bedroom remodel is getting closer to being over. I finally found someplace that will take the old desk that I want to get rid of. Donating it to AmVets. I only have to get it out of the room and outside for them to come pick it up. I might as well just put it on the curb with a big FREE sign on it. (that's another option I may yet consider, altho donating it, my dad can use the donation on his taxes...maybe)

I just need a couple of big, strong, preferably totally gorgeous pieces of male eye candy to come here and let me ogle them and their muscles just a little bit before they carry my desk outside for me.

If I cant find that, I'll settle for a couple of guys and a dolly who can get the desk out of here in the least amount of time and damage to my walls and in a way that I dont have to do any kind of lifting so I dont make my neck any worse. (I need ibuprofen!)

Oh, I havent gotten the flu yet (or my flu shot) but I did get some sort of weird virus that my dad had over the weekend. All it's done is make me feel really queasy and dizzy. I'm assuming it was a virus and not the MS triggering that... (because I cant blame EVERYTHING on the MS! as much as I'd like to at least.)

I'm going to bed before my head falls off of my neck. (feels like someone's whacked me in the neck and shoulder with a baseball bat still...geeze, and the neuro says this is going to take longer to heal than my current MS flare...great)

no advice, just hugs :hug: