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Original poster

Really FREAKED and need to chat

32 replies

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 13:42

Hi
I've not been on mn for months as I have been madly busy with my college course but today I really need to talk to someone and I didn't feel I could burden any of my family and friends with this.

Last monday I developed disturbed vision in my left eye. Over the week it has become progressively worse until i now cannot see out of it at all. I have been to the opticians and also to the eye hospital and the consultant has said he thinks it is most likely due to inflammation of the optic nerve. He said it would probably get worse before it got better (which it has) and that it generally last 10 -14 days.

I was ok with all this although it is scary losing the sight in one of your eyes and its also making it really hard to do my college work. However today when i checked my email I figured i would have a quick check online to see if there was any info on my condition and if there were any self help techniques I could use. I then found out that approx 1/2 the people that experience this will go on to develop MS and although I know what the internet is like and there is no guarentee that I'm going to experience any more problems I am feeling really scared right now. I just needed to say all that to someone and I can't tell my family about it as they have had enough to cope with recently with my mum's breast cancer. If you read down this far then thanks for listening

OP posts:

auntymandy · 02/10/2006 13:43

what can I say. You have had it checked so have done the right thing. take care

Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 13:46

I have to go back to the eye hospital again in the next few days and I think they are going to do an MRI. I wondered why I needed to have one of those but it looks like this may well be to look for other signs of MS.

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auntymandy · 02/10/2006 13:47

easier said than done, but try not to worry untill there is something to worry about!
thinking of you

tissy · 02/10/2006 13:49

the MRI will look for other causes of visual loss, and may be able to pick up features of MS. A friend of mine had this (optic neuritis) a few years ago, and is currently fine- sight returned in a couple of weeks, I think.

hope things improve for you.

Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 13:51

Thanks auntymandy

I know I should try not to worry its just that I only just found out about this. I had no idea that this could be a symptom of something so serious. When I asked the doctor at the hospital he said that they didn't know why some people get this inflammation and that it is usually just a one off thing. Hopefully he's right and I'm not going to get myself in a complete state about this I just needed to tell someone what i had read and that it scared me.

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Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 13:52

That's pretty much what the doctor said should happen with me so its good to hear that someone else has had it and is fine. Thanks Tissy

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Pollyanna · 02/10/2006 13:52

good luck amy - I am going through the same thing and have a neurologist appointment in a couple of weeks. I think the problem is that ms is very difficult to diagnose so there is alot of waiting involved (I first had symptoms last October.).

one tip - don't read the internet any more! It will terrify you. If you have got MS there are different types and people have it at differing levels of severity. There are some people on here with experience and they will know more than me.

BettySpaghetti · 02/10/2006 13:54

Try not to panic although I know its easier said than done.

I've had a problem with my eyes (iritis/uveitis) that, if recurring, can be an indicator of auto immune health problems (MS being one of them).

The second time I had the iritis I was convinced that that meant I had an underlying problem. The hospital sent me for chest xrays/blood tests etc. but they came back clear, thankfully.

Just remember that you've done the right thing going to the Drs/hospital and that the internet does not always give accurate statistics and info. and its quite easy to get scared by it ( I know because I did ).

Talk to your Dr/opthamologist next time and ask them. I'm sure that they will be able to reassure you somewhat.

Orlando · 02/10/2006 13:55

Looking on the internet is horribly, horribly scary. In the past year I've convinced myself I had MS and cancer even though the doctors were very reassuring, and only suggesting referrals to put my mind at rest!

So, I say this as a fellow worrier-- Please put your faith in the professional who has dealt with you personally (and said your sight should improve soon) and don't let your mind wander down the 'what if' path. And join me in vowing never to do a symptom search again!

venusinfurs · 02/10/2006 13:55

Ammynixmum,
I really for you and understand why you are so worried. I think if I were you I would ask about this directly at the eye clinic. I actually work in the business of writing health information and yet I too have have been completely panicked by things I have read about a certain health problem, only to be told that it isn't relevant in my case. Even if this is the case, this is a glass-full/glass-empty statistic. There is an equal chance that the glass will be half full and that everything will be fine. I don't know you, but a hug from me anyway.

Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 14:00

Thanks everyone.

I know i shouldn't have looked it up but I simply wasn't really that worried about this before. I mean its obviously a bit scary losing your sight but since my condition seemed to be progressing as the doctor had predicted I have to admit i have been more worried about whether the OU are going to give me an extension on my final assignment than i have been about my eye. i just looked because i was curious! More fool me. It has really helped to put this down though so thanks for listening and talking to me

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Iklboo · 02/10/2006 14:10

I've had similar experiences - I'm currently waiting for blood test results for Rheumatoid Arthritis or Fibromyalgia. Looked them both up on Google and now have not slept properly for nearly a week worrying I won't be able to look after DS and enjoy life with DH. I keep telling myself I'm worrying over nothing/being a silly bitch but I' having the most gods awful dreams, hyper-tense, really down.......

Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 14:18

Its horrible isn't it. I know i shouldn't worry about it until I know whether i have something to worry about but I can't help it. Waiting is always so hard. I know with my mum's cancer it was honestly almost as bad waiting to find out as it was being given the news that the lump was malignant. I think not knowing what you are dealing with is really difficult. At least when you know , even if the news is bad, you know how to feel about it and maybe can to something proactive. I hope your news is good news Iklboo (and anyone else who's waiting on results)

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Iklboo · 02/10/2006 14:26

It's definitely fear of the unknown. Once I know either way it's going to be "OK, let's get on with this, what can we do to treat/help" if positive or "thank f*ck for that - so what IS up with me then? And go and get some wine in while we're at it"

Original poster

amynnixmum · 02/10/2006 14:27

I'm with you on the wine - absolutely necessay either way

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FatThighs · 03/10/2006 19:25

the internet really is a bitch for health things - the medical profession curse it.

If I were you I would go to your GP and tell them what has happened and ask their professional opinion.

I spend two years convinced I was about to have / had had a stroke due to some passing blood test results. Didn't sleep and became anxious and depressed. You need to talk to someone.

Dottydot · 03/10/2006 21:54

Hi - this is really freaky leaky 'cos I was just about to start a thread about my worries/panicking and I clicked on this one and we're in almost the same boat! So I just wanted to say I'm thinking of you.

I had an MRI brain scan a few months ago which was looking for other stuff (all OK thank goodness) but found a lump behind my left eye. My vision has been getting worse in that eye over the past year, but nothing too dramatic.

So, I've got another MRI just of the area where the lump is next Friday (the 13th..!) and then they'll be able to tell me what it is. The problem might be that it's attached to the optic nerve, which will mean an op. to remove it and then I'm not sure if that might mean I'll lose my sight in that eye.

Ho hum - the waiting is horrible - I've only had to wait 3 weeks since finding out about the lump but it still feels too long before I get to know what it is and how they're going to get rid of it!

Keep us posted and maybe we'll both stay fairly sane by posting here!

chipmonkey · 03/10/2006 23:00

Amynnixmum, I would think that the stress of your mum's cancer would be exactly the type of thing that could bring on optic neuritis. I've noticed ( I'm an optometrist) that where it isn't related to MS, that it seems to occur in stressed teenagers.
Dottydot, how worrying for you! Why do these things take so long when they must know people are going out of their minds with worry!
thinking of you both.

Dottydot · 04/10/2006 11:35

Thanks chipmonkey - the only positive thing I can think of about my wait (3 weeks) is that they can't think it's malignant or I would have had to have been seen within 2 weeks...

FatThighs · 04/10/2006 16:04

dottydot

my dad is blind in one eye but no one can tell. He got used to it really quickly and he is a wonderful artist. The only different he noticed is that he was not so competent at sports as judging distances was hard for balls etc but did not effect his driving.

I hope it won't come to this for you. Just thoguht I would tell you his experience.

the waiting is the worst part.

Let us know how you go.

Dottydot · 05/10/2006 16:24

Amynnixmum - let us know if you've got your MRI date yet, or if your eye's getting better.

Fatthighs - if I had no eyes I couldn't be any worse at catching than I already am, so there's no loss to society there! As long as I can carry on driving I'll be (relatively) happy.

Original poster

amynnixmum · 07/10/2006 17:14

Thanks to everyone who has posted on here

I am ok now I just had a little (well quite big really) panic when i read about MS. I have talked to my DH about it now and he is going to come with me to my next appointment at the eye unit which will be on the 20th oct. If they don't offer me an MRI I am going to request one and explain what I have read etc. My sight has started to return now which is reassuring but it is a slow process. Thankfully the OU have given me an extension on my assignment so I can stop stressing about that now.

Dottydot how worrying for you- let us know how you get on next Friday. What you said about how losing your sight will make no difference to your sports prowess made me smile because I am so bad at any sport that involves aiming that my children were better than me as toddlers.

Its good to hear from an expert chipmonkey and you're right with one thing or another I have had loads of stress in the last 18 months. I can't claim to be a teenager though.TBH I pretty much had put the whole thing down to stress and then I made the mistake of looking on the internet!

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Original poster

amynnixmum · 07/10/2006 17:19

Sorry Dotty - I meant to wish you good luck as well. I don't come on mn very often now as i find that if I don't strictly limit myself I get sucked into the void and find myself hours later still in front of the compter with no housework / college work etc done and no food in the house. I will be checking at least once a week though to see how you get on.

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yellowrose · 07/10/2006 17:29

amy - sorry no time to read the thread just your post - you poor thing ! Try not to worry so much about it - it may just be something my mother had a few years ago. She developed high blood pressure, unnoticed by her silly GP, and this put pressure on one of her eye nerves. It resulted in blurred visiosn (she got really scared too as she could hardly see out of one eye) plus she has had parkinsons for the past 20 years, so generally not a healthy woman.

Any way, I took her for a private consultation to Harley Street as her GP at the time was hopeless and after dishing out about £700 they told us it was nothing and that it would go once she had meds. to control her blood pressure. That's how we found out she had high blood pressure. Have you had your blood pressure checked ?

I hope it's nothing serious.

Original poster

amynnixmum · 07/10/2006 17:36

Hi yellowrose

Yes I have had my blood pressure checked and its fine. I have also had the pressure in my eyes checked both at the opticians and in the eye unit and that seems ok too. I'm pretty sure that the consultant at the eye unit is right and that it is inflammation of the optic nerve as it has progressed as he predicted and is now finally improving. Mu concern is whether the optic neuritis is a symptom of a more serious underlying condition such as MS. Hopefully it is just due to stress and I'll be fine in a few days

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