Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

MRI scan for poss MS - really worried

32 replies

spagbol · 16/10/2006 19:55

I'm having this at the end of the week to try to get to the bottom of my numb hand and foot, and blurry vision. I'm sure they'll tell me I've got MS. I'm terrified to go, and wish I could have it right know just to find out. Has anyone had the test and/or been diagnosed?

OP posts:
arsenelupin · 16/10/2006 20:52

A little bump for you - I'm sure someone will come along soon. My SIL has MS, and it may help to know [a] that there are many forms of the illness - some are quite mild, controllable with a stress-free lifestyle, and [b] that a number of other illnesses can be mistaken for early signs of MS, e.g. myesthenia gravis, which are far more treatable. The MS Society has a reasonably informative website (they also offer email correspondence for information requests), but DON'T look at it until you know the outcome of your MRI. Perhaps ask a loved one to check out information for you, so you can discuss your concerns with him/her?

alexa1 · 16/10/2006 21:00

Hi spagbol. I posted a thread last night on numbness in my fingers and lower legs and feet. i too am worried it's MS.

What exactly are your symptoms? what did your GP say? did they offer other tests or say it could be a number of reason for your symptoms.

I'm sure there is a regular poster on here who has MS can't remember her name but hopefully she will come along and read this and post her experience. Like arsenelupin said it could be a number of things not necessarily MS. i too am worried and afraid to go to the docs. i too was experiencing blurry vision.

liquidclocks · 16/10/2006 21:02

I think thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat has MS? She's very positive about it all - hope she sees this for you. Please please don't worry too much before you know for sure - and even if they do diagnose MS it's not the end of the world, many poeple have it and manage to carry on with life just fine, though of course it takes some adjusting to. Arenelupin is right too - there are lots of things it could be so don't get too hung up on the possibility of MS.

Try and do some nice things to pass the time until the test, watch dvds, get some friends to go out with you etc, spend lots of time on MN - hope it goes as well as it can.

alexa1 · 16/10/2006 21:10

I think 'EmsTomot' has MS too. I remember reading her post. Hopefully they will post soon.

CreepyCrawlyCarmenere · 16/10/2006 21:12

My best friend has MS but it is a mild form thankfully and doesn't affect her life too much. Her bil also has it and again it is mild. I also have a friend who has it and is in a wheel chair which is difficult. I hate that I know three people with it but take heart from the fact that you can get a mild form of it and two out of the three people I know live normal lives with it. They all say that the MS Society is really helpful. Good luck, I will be thinking of you Spagbol

Original poster
spagbol · 17/10/2006 19:03

Thanks for all your posts. I don't live in the UK Alexa1, so medcare might be a bit different. The GP sent me straight off to a neurologist and he's sent me straight for the MRI. I've had very mild symptoms - slight numbness in my right lower arm and leg, pins and needles in the fingers and toes on that side, and numbness in the right side of my face, for quite a long time. You can see a slight droop in my face as well - not very pronounced, but the first thing the neurologist noticed about me when I walked in. I went to the doctor when I started to suffer from slight double vision and clouding of the vision, and began wondering whether I should be driving. None of this is so bad that I couldn't live with it. If it gets worse then my life will need a serious rethink.

When I went to the neurologist I secretly assumed he would just say "don't be silly there's nothing wrong with you, go home and forget about it". Hearing that there is something wrong that needs investigating made me panic. I've calmed down a bit now. I'm going to save the panic until the MRI actually shows there's a problem. Maybe it won't. I'll post again on Friday to let you know.

OP posts:
Cassoulet · 17/10/2006 19:13

I have MS so I do understand what you're going through. Huge sympathy and hugs for you. You're right not to panic until you get the result as there really are lots of other things it could be. Don't be scared of the MRI, it's completely painless, in fact I found it quite fun (well interesting anyway!) - I'd never been in a machine like that so new experience. I assume they're just doing a brain scan, not a full body one, so you don't need to worry about being enclosed. It's really rather a calm, quiet thing, and the nurses and radiologist (?) were very sweet and answered all my questions in language I could understand!

Best of luck. Will be thinking of you on Friday.

amynnixmum · 17/10/2006 19:17

Hi spagbol

I have got optic neuritis which is associated with ms and I'm scared too. I have not been referred on to a neurologist yet as it only started 3 weeks ago (its getting better now) and I have been dealing with the eye unit. They didn't mention about the link with ms - I found that out myself when I looked up optic neuritis online. I have got another appointment on friday at the eye unit and I'm going to talk to them about it and ask for an MRI.

I decided to find out as much as I could which was quite scary but I figured if I was going to worry it might as well be about something that could actually happen. I didn't realise until I researched it that ms could sometimes be so mild - i also thought it was a terminal disease so in some ways it was a relief to find out the facts.

I have had numbness and tingling in my left arm and hand for a while now and I had just put it down to stress but now i wonder whether its all connected. Its really quite scary not knowing the answers and having to wait.

Good luck for friday - I really hope its good news.

Pollybloodyanna · 17/10/2006 19:21

Hi, spagbol, I hope everything is ok - I am going through the same thing as you (my apppointment is next week) - also have numb hand and foot, and funny turns. Hope it all goes well. xx

HappyMumof2 · 17/10/2006 19:23

Message withdrawn

amynnixmum · 19/10/2006 22:34

Hi spagbol

Just wanted to wish you luck for tomorrow. I hope it all goes ok.

amynnixmum · 24/10/2006 09:49

Hi spagbol

I hope the MRI went ok and that you are alright.

Thinking of you x

alexa1 · 31/10/2006 14:04

any news spagbol??

EmsTomot · 31/10/2006 14:15

Hi Spagbol, I am waiting for my MRI results, had mine on 17th October - I hope yours went okay. I have similar symtoms to you and am being investigated for MS - I am frightened about being diagnosed but have spoken to loads of people who have it and they are doing fine. It depends on the type I think. Also it has helped me to remember that these symptoms can be something as simple as a nasty migraine. If my MRI scan is clear (last had one a year ago, this is a follow up as symptoms have not gone away) then I might have to have a lumber puncture - that scares the living daylights out of me but at least I will know for certain.
I hope you are okay and that everything goes well for you. I struggled mentally with the weight of it all once I had my baby, but after weeks of talking to really kind people and having lots of support, I think I can wait a little now without getting upset. I think the tests are awful to go through but once you have, at least you are closer to knowing. Good luck anyway

Mummymonster · 31/10/2006 15:35

Hi there spagbol!

I had an MRI 10 years ago after I ended up in Leeds general Infirmary after a morning of auditioning for a position in the Ministry of Silly Walks. No one would tell me what was going on , just sticking needles in me (A spinal tap eek) looking in my eyes and puting me in big machines that go ping (well the MRI was like listening to Nine Inch Nails so I didn't mind that too much) but my GP ran me through the various possibilities and said 'or if you're really unlucky it might be MS'. Well bless her because working on the basis that I'm not blessed with good luck, I hit the MS society web site, got loads of useful information. As a result, when the LGI processed the tests and deemed my very unlucky, I didn't end up in A&E!
I have MS was diagnosed as definatley having it about 9 years ago at 24 years old. I'm really lucky to have a more benign relapsing remitting type of MS. MY neuro consultant told me that he considered me to be in the 'top 1%' of his patients. I'm too well for disease modifying medication and I just try hard to get on with it. I'm still walking, have a beautiful 3yr old DS and try hard to be positive. So far it has left me with bladder probs but hell if that's the worst it can do to me in 9/10 years, bring it on!
If you end up with an MS diagnosis, don't see it as the end. Get as much info as you can. Demand support from your heath care providers (I've just got my 1st appointment with the MS nurse!) and accept as much help as possible. I've always approached my illness as 'well it won't go away, the can't cure it and it won't have the decency to kill me..if I give into it now there's a long time to be miserable about it'. Despite that I am still allowed to have bad days (I'm finding it tough atm) and bad weeks.
You are very welcome to contact me if you wish (and you trust me after that! but I hope you don't have to as your not going to have MS.
All the best with everything

EmsTomot · 31/10/2006 15:59

Mommymonster, I know your message is for Spagbol, but it has really helped me too...especially the way you approach the illness. I am sorry that you are struggling at the moment, but I hope things get better soon.

alexa1 · 31/10/2006 17:07

spagbol - where are u? we want to know how the mri scan went.

Mummymonster · 01/11/2006 12:27

Hi Emstomot

Well I saw My GP this morning and I've had my nerve pain meds upped (way hey!) as the odd sensations are nerve pain (but not painful?) Trouble is they make you drowsy and I have DS to keep entertained/safe and a hubby who does his best but work seems to come first (Oi, outraged) so I'm goin to take the larger dose and hope it helps and I can keep going (heh heh) She was pleased with my attitude to it all tho, which is nice. I'll get through this, whatever it takes

Pleased that I can offer any help, however small, makes me feel not so insignificant and a pointless drain on the NHS.

Love, strength and hugs to all

EmsTomot · 02/11/2006 16:51

Mummy monster - you are never a drain on anyone -remember that, you sound like you are coping wonderfully and managing to juggle all the balls without dropping too many!
You didn't ask for this illness and yet you are determined to let it just hand around in the background, which I find amazing, so many people would let it take over them.
I have had really selfish down days thinking how unfair and crappy life is, without even having a diagnosis - then someone will point out my family or something equally corny (!) and I thankfully snap out of it.
I hope you are helped by the higher dose and that you continue to win the battle (which it sounds like you are doing)
I get a lot of - how can I describe it? My limbs feel like they do if a walk in a swimming pool, it doesn't hurt but doesn't feel right at all - really uncomfortable - but not painful. Its a very strange sensation.

jampots · 02/11/2006 16:56

can I just ask any of the MS sufferers or people awaiting results, do you drink a lot of soft fizzy drinks?

The reason I ask if that everyone I know who has/had/been tested for MS all drank copious quantities of the same drink

EmsTomot · 02/11/2006 17:00

Jampots - strange question! I don't drink any fizzy drinks, never have because to be honest, I have quite naff teeth anyway without making them worse!
However, I do mainly drink tea - always have and shamefully in large amounts (except when I was pregnant, I cut right down and drank fruit juice) Still had the symptoms in pregnancy, so not sure if it is connected.
As for diet - truefully, I have never eaten much, but would eat anything that I thought would help.

alexa1 · 02/11/2006 18:59

my BIL's mother used to drink copious amounts of fanta, she had MS. I say had, she passed away several years ago, not becuase of MS though.

i wonder why spagbol hasnt been on to tell us how her scan went. maybe shes away.

jampots · 02/11/2006 20:11

i know its a strange question but maybe its just a coincidence within the people I know which includes : my sister, dh's friend, ex teacher, old playgroup mum plus a couple of hearsays.

Weatherwax · 02/11/2006 23:00

Hi Jampots. I used to drink copious amounts of fizzy drinks and now I'm a mum I drink copios amounts of tea. I was diagnoised with MS in 1990 and destressed my life at that time. I have had 1 or possibly 2 relapses since then.

I agree with Mummymonster that a diagnosis is not the end and you find you need to back off from stress and not feel guilty about that. I hope the increase in meds are helping Mummymonster.

Cassoulet · 02/11/2006 23:11

Hi jampots. I've never been able to stomach those things, not even Tizer when I was a kid! I drink tea (loads), I can't even smell those fizzy things without wincing.