I may need some hand holding
 

I have had the privilege of going on in this MS journey without any really big bad stuff. They are all inconvenient, cognitive things, heat problems, fatigue, but not life changing things, I have to admit that I am truly scared going to the doctor tomorrow. I have no idea what he is going to do, what tests, does my d=husband need to be there if they put something in my eyes that I can't drive home. Will I immediatlly be scheduled for other tests such as MRI. I read full Solu Medrol for 3 days then Prednisone for 11 days and then I read just prednisone and I also read that nothing is given. So I'm freaking out. I'm the one that has been on Avonex since 1997 and my MRI looks the same....one lesion in the pons. So i have enjoyed life, just had to put up with some things. I've had good quality of life with MS. Ok, for the third or fourth time, I'm scared.

nothing I can add except that the human nature of things is to be scared and from reading past words from you, I am certain you will handle whatever happens when it comes up and do just fine.:hug:

Thanks. I'm just glad that Mom is in heaven right now and doesn't have to deal with it. It would worry her more than it does me.

Praying for you this morning, Doydie. I'm in the same boat as you, and you put it so well..."without any really big bad stuff." Hoping this won't be big or bad.

Aww Doydie. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. :hug:

IF it happens that you have ON, treatment may be different to what I had because doctors seem to have differing opinions. I have had Prednisolone tablets in the past, but I believe thoughts are against that now, and I read somewhere that oral Prednisolone is no longer used in ON. I had IV Methyl Pred over 3 days for one attack, and I have ridden the others out without any steroids at all. For me, the ON lasted about 6 weeks if I had no treatment at all, and maybe a week with cortisone.

Your doctor should do an Ophthalmoscopy. During this examination, he'll shine a bright light into your eye and examines the structures at the back of your eye. This eye test evaluates the optic disk, which is the area where the optic nerve enters the retina in your eye. The optic disk becomes swollen in about one-third of people with optic neuritis.

I did not have any drops put in my eye because my neuro could see my optic nerve without them. He did do eye tests though, especially the color blindness one because with ON, some color perception is altered.

Even if you don't have eye drops, I think you should definitely take your DH with you. You should not be driving yourself anyway and you're going to need emotional support. Another pair of ears is always a good idea too, just incase you can't remember everything your neuro tells you.

He may order further tests like a MRI and maybe a test of the optic nerves, called VEP (Visual evoked potentials test).



Try not to worry too much. The diagnosis part is important and he won't do anything to you that'll hurt.
Sending hugs :hug:

Take the hubby even if just for support. I will be praying for you today. Visual is my worst sx, and wow, its been a bitter pill to swallow.

My husband has NEVER been to the neuro with me. I was diagnosed in '97, was in the hospital. She took me down to do all the nerve study tests and said she would be back up in 30 minutes with the results. He hightailed it out of there. WE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL AND HE WOULDN'T EVEN WAIT. And he has never seen her since either. So he is going today but mainly because I didn't know if there would be any eye drops used. I asked him last night if he knew what optic neuritis was and he siad he figured if there was anything importnat about it that I would tell him. I said 'how about being blind'. I just wanted to have a shock effect. He did looked shocked. At least it got him away form the TV. So I told him a little about it and that blindness was not typical and if I had any it would more than likey be short term and only in the one eye.

So he is going with me and not only are going to go the 1o minutes it takes to get there, he wants to get there a full 30 minutes early.

:hug:Doydie:hug:. It will be ok. In my experience, most neuros want an Mri done after any kind of exacerbation to check for more lesions and progression. Do it at your own pace. The Mri isn't going to 'fix' anything. I had 1000 mg of iv solumedrol for three days when I had ON. I was lucky that my insurance covered it to be done at home. Otherwise, you will probably have to go to the hospital every day for your one hour drip of solumedrol if you choose to do it. Good luck, hon.

What time is your appointment and where? We will all be there with you. Picture us sitting on DH's lap and guiding the dear ole Doc to do all the right things to make you feel better.

Doing the IVSM is your choice, of course. It may or may not shorten your ON bout. I hope it works for you.:hug:

All of you sitting on DH lap. That is a picture! I don't think I would have not chosen IVSM. I will not risk not being able to see my grand kids for anything! My oldest started 5th grad today and wearing a bra!!!!!