More health issues ~ Bells Palsy

Boy did this come on suddenly. I was getting ready for work on Oct 22nd, monday morning. I thought my vision looked kind of weird, but didn't think much else. Then while driving to work, the left side of my face felt kind of weird. I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed my smile to be kind of crooked, or was it just a weird angle. I couldn't tell, so as soon as I got to work I went to talk to Sandi. First thing she asked was "what's wrong with your mouth?". Turns out the left side of my face has Bells Palsy. I don't have actual numbness or tingling, it just doesn't work. I can't smile on that side, and my left eye doesn't blink and I can't raise my eyebrows on that side. Yesterday, I began to have severe pain behind my left ear and the entire side of my face. Luckily my doctor was able to give some tramadol, which seems to have worked well (without my usual nausea/vomiting of narcotics). This bells palsy crap is very very concerning and frustrating and embarrassing to me. People look at me funny and I talk kind of funny. I never thought I was vain in the past, but I guess I must have some, because I don't like how I look and don't want anyone seeing me.

This is a pic of myself trying to smile.

This is a pic of myself trying to raise my eyebrows. Nice huh? Well, I have alot of friends and family praying for me. I pray as well. I'm told by so many people that they had bells palsy, or someone they know has bells palsy and it sounds like most people go back to normal. My neurologist said about 80% go back to normal with minimal residual symptoms. Luckily my recent MRI I had after this came on, came out stable. NO new lesions, and no enhancing lesion shown. I had a chest xray and test for lymes disease and an angiotensin converting enzyme done and all came out ok. That is good news in terms of MS, so it means this is not MS-related as which was initially thought. So in terms of that, we are still sitting and waiting. I just pray the waiting is over for bells palsy, because this really sucks!!! Thanks for listening.

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Have a GREAT day, and God Bless!!!

UPDATE ~ Bowel Obstructions

Boy, have I been late in updating on this blog, it was difficult for me to get into as well. Somehow google has now been taken over blogger services and won't allow my current email to switch it over. Anyways, I have to remember this other email to get into it to add anything to this blog. I had been doing stable in my possible MS symptoms, but then suddenly just OUT OF THE BLUE, I began to have problems with bowel obstructions. One day at work, I was overtaken by stomach cramping. It just continued and continued all afternoon. I went home and the pain worsened and worsened. Finally I had to go into the ER. Turned out I had a bowel obstruction. They thought it was due to adhesions and scar tissues from my past bowel surgeries. After about 3 days in the hospital with an NG tube up my nose, apparently the obstruction cleared on it's own, thank God!! What really sucked, was about 2 weeks later the exact same thing happened. I know what caused this one, I was trying to eat healthy all afternoon and was eating pea pods as a snack. I"m sure that is what caused it. But the same thing, started with mild stomach cramping mid afternoon, and progressed throughout the afternoon. Sure enough, another trip to the ER, and another admission to Salem Hospital for bowel obstruction. This time I learned to have the NG tube done down in the ER, they are so much better at it than on the floor. I was in the hospital for a few days longer, but then luckily it again cleared on its own, so home I went again. Thank God!!!

Neurologist appt on Tues

I have my appointment with my Neuro on Tues. This is a followup from my last brain MRI. He had said in past appointments that if this MRI shows no changes then we will just "wait and see" approach, and probably just repeat MRI in a year...

My question is this...What exactly are we waiting and seeing? I will be asking him if in his professional expertise, if he thinks I am just waiting for the inevitable? or if this could just stay at this point the rest of my life?

I have some definite good news, my LP came out ok. My cervical and thoracic MRI's came out ok and overall my memory test was Within normal limits, but I am concerned with what WAS found.

1) Brain MRI - "Most of the lesions involve deep or juxtacortical white matter. There are not very many periventricular lesions, probably less than 3." "meeting at least 2 but not definately 3 of the McDonalds criteria".

2) Advanced Cognitive Assessment (memory test) - Within normal limits, except for an abnormal score in the area of information processing speed, an area commonly affected in diseases involving white matter such as MS or microvascular disease. Second lowest score was in Executive Function, another domain commonly affected in white matter diseases.

3) The "new" bloodtest by glycominds that my neuro ordered that came up "positive" for MS. (which afterwords he told me is so new that he doesn't put alot of merit in it) But why did he run it then???? Just sayin.....

I have an upcoming appointment with my eye doctor and I will be asking questions about my eyes and the extreme worsening in my eyesight I've experienced lately.

I don't want MS, but if it looks like a good possibility that it may be heading that way, are there meds that can slow progression? He has started me on nortriptyline for my daily headaches I was having, and it has helped with the headaches, but could it also be helping to slow any progression or symptoms?

Oh so many questions, and probably not many answers, will probably walk out of there with the "wait and see" approach still...but will see, and update when I find out on Tues.

Got my blood test results....

So, I have been stalling writing this....not sure why, just don't want to say it I guess. Anyways, so last week I had got a call at work from Dr Smoot. He had received the result of my blood test. There are 3 classifications: negative, postive and strongly postive. He called personally to tell me that mine came out POSITIVE!! Yikes! He was more or less trying to encourage me to not jump to conclusions yet, that we still needed more testing, starting with the lumbar puncture. I also have to have a memory test, which I have scheduled this thursday. The lumbar puncture is scheduled for Sept 6th. I am really anxious about it. I'm trying to not think about it, but I'm more convinced that it really could be possible that I'm in the early stages of MS....we'll see...

Saw neurologist yesterday...

Ok, so saw Dr. Smoot yesterday. I explained to him how my right leg symptoms got worse for about a week or so (as written in my last blog entry). I also explained that I have a concern that I have been having a hard time word finding at times. It is subtle, I don't think anyone else notices, but I sure can tell that I have a hard time finding words at times. I asked him several questions, 1) could my brain lesions ever go away? He said no, they are like a scar. 2) asked doesn't MS involve numbness/tingling bilaterally? He said not always. Can't remember what else I asked him at this time. He still needs to rule out MS. He told me there is a new blood test that looks for MS specifically, but he uses it with all the other tests as well. So I had blood drawn for it yesterday. I need to have an LP (yikes!!!), but at least I will be able to do this in Salem. And he wants to set me up for a memory test. They will be calling me to schedule all this stuff...we'll see what comes of it.

Recent episode

Ok, so after my inital numbness/tingling sensations that sent me to ER, symptoms seem to calm down. So I did too. I had the thoracic MRI done, but hadn't heard from Dr Smoot office that I took the ol "no news is good news" attitude. Mostly because I wasn't too thrilled at the idea of having a lumbar puncture. I was feeling same ol same ol...a little better, but not worse. At least until Sunday. I took Lyss to her basketball camp, it was a very hot day, but was doing ok. Just a bit of a headache on the top of my head, so took some tylenol and it got better. I took a little nap and woke up feeling better. Went to dinner and then was watching tv, then wanted to get something in the kitchen, got up, turned on the light and then had the weirdest vision changes ever. When I would move my head, it would look like the light was flickering on my peripheral vision. Almost like a ceiling fan was going around near the light, causing me to see a light flickering image. The next morning woke up and the vision thing was better, but then I had a different problem. At work all day long I had the feeling like I was drunk. It wasn't a true dizziness or vertigo, just a wooziness. If I had drank 6 beers, it would be understandable, but I hadn't drank in several days. The next day that was better, but last few days, my right leg has been much worse. I have every sensation imaginable in my right leg. A deep aching pain at times, numbness/tingling, pins/needles, hot/cold spots, and a feeling like things are literally wiggling around rapidly inside my leg. Then it doesn't take much for my muscles to burn sooo bad. just walking up a flight of stairs kills my leg muscles..they burn and hurt like I ran a marathon or something. Also, when I walk, I think my gait is normal, but it "feels" like my right leg doesn't lift quite as high as the other at times. I have analyzed it myself, and they appear to be normal. Its just my perception that is messed up. These sensations are driving me crazy, both physically and mentally. I know that whatever is causing them, is not normal and it scares me. I called the neurologist, requesting my results but haven't heard yet. I think on monday I will be calling to report my worsening in symptoms. Today I was grocery shopping and while I was bagging up my groceries, that leg was burning sooo bad I was having a hard time standing still. I was rubbing it and moving it and trying to bear weight on the other leg, just trying to stop the burning. Now I have a left sided sciatic nerve problem, perhaps from favoring my right leg. But I'm tired of all the pain and weird sensations. I have been taking tylenol and ibuprofen daily. I am really truly scared now.
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Saw the rheumatologist....

So, i saw Dr. Goel yesterday, she thinks I have fibromyalgia. As soon as she said that, I started to tear up. I'm not even sure why...It might be my new meds?? I have been feeling not quite right since starting it. Its nortriptyline, and have been going up 10mg weekly last few weeks. But I have been feeling somewhat PMS-y. Yesterday I was feeling so emotional, and cried at everything. But, also I am kind of bummed at that fibro diagnosis. I don't want anything worse, but I hate the stigma of what that diagnosis brings with it in the medical field. There are so many medical people out there that don't believe in it. I know my symptoms are real, but also in reading about it, I have realized that fibromyalgia symptoms are almost the same as MS. I am currently going through testing to rule out MS. So I wonder, if by chance I was to be diagnosed with MS, would I have both MS and fibro? or would the MS diagnosis be INSTEAD of fibro? I'm not sure the answer to that...If it comes to it, I will be asking though, if the need comes up. I haven't heard from Dr Smoot office yet regarding results of the thoracic MRI, or about scheduling the Lumbar puncture. I'm ok with it though, beccause I am NOT looking forward to an LP. Actually scared to death of it....