My first appointment with my doctor is a little nerve racking because he is the type of doctor who will not let anything slip about what he is thinking and won't make a diagnosis without all the evidence. Of course this is good but with my history I don't like waiting I want to know.
So he tells me that there is evidence in my brain MRI of inflammation. I have no idea what that means but being of the Google generation I went home and looked up possible causes. Virus, Aids, Herpes and Multiple Sclerosis. Now I have to back up again because at the beginning of this new diagnosis every person that I spoke to asked me the same question. Do you have MS? And of course I say no and they say well have you been screened for it and again my answer is no. I have never even thought about the possibility that I would have this disease so I dismiss it. Now one of the things that I have not been given at this time is the Radiologist's report of my Brain scans. My Neurosurgeon receives it at the end of our first appointment but doesn't say anything to me. He orders some blood work and we meet again a few weeks later.
In the meantime my old surgeon from Virginia is informed by his Physician's assistant of my current symptoms and that I cancelled an appointment with him because of insurance reasons. Well my doctor decides he wants to see me anyways and makes arrangements with me. I go to see him and he looks at my MRI's. He determines that it's not my neck this time. Then he looks at my Brain Scans and explains to me that I have white spots or lesions. He explains that it is a sign of MS and since I have never had a migraine in my life he said that is probably what it is. Then he shows me the report from the Radiologist. Right there in black and white "Highly suspicious for Multiple Sclerosis" I lost it. I broke down and started to cry and was completely shocked. I appreciated being told though since I was feeling like I was left in the dark with this whole thing.
The next appointment with my Neurosurgeon was a little strange. The results of my blood work showed very low levels of Vitamin D so he put me on some heavy duty vitamins. He also had a Freudian slip and said "Now with regards to this MS situation" I was like I'm sorry did you say MS situation? He back tracked and said "I'm sorry that was a slip what I meant to say was with regards to your brain situation where MS could be a cause." Give me a break really?!?He also said that he wanted to go ahead and order a spinal tap. Even though I have had countless injections and blood drawn and IV's I was still nervous about this procedure. I think deep down it was because I knew what the results were going to be.
Nonetheless we scheduled the procedure and when the day finally came I was really nervous. I was very concerned that the Dr seemed to think that the best place to put the needle was right in the middle of my fusion site. I didn't like this idea and I told him so but he is the one with the PhD so I trusted him. During the procedure however I knew that I was right. It hurt way more than I think it was supposed to and I ended up with pain radiating down my legs and in my hips. When I told him what I was feeling his response to me was "Well I don't know why that would be happening, maybe it's the way you are lying on the table" If I could have moved I would have jumped up and punched him. I was so mad and in pain and seriously I had been through enough to last me a lifetime.
But of course there is always more. I had the Spinal Tap on Monday the 18th and on Friday the 21st I went back for the results. My husband Chris came with me to hear the results. Now my doctor is not someone that I would call direct. He is very conservative and doesn't say anything too straight forward. But the day I went for the results of my test he was anything but conservative. He started by going through the things that have happened so far and why. He talked about the Brain MRI, the blood work and finally how the spinal tap is the last place you look to find evidence of MS. He looked me straight in the eye and said at this time I am able to give you a positive Diagnosis of MS.
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