NICE and Easy.

So now - five posts down and...well, more to come - I think it's time for a quick recap.

Having had two symptoms (attacks or episodes) that indicated a neurological issue, and then following the results of an MRI, I was diagnosed as having MS.
This diagnosis around 2nd March 2012, took place approximately 7-8 months after the first attack.
Subsequently, I'd had discussion with the neurologists about drug treaments, but had been given a couple of weeks to think things over as the initial results from the lumbar puncture were not yet in.

The "glass half-full" news, was that my symptoms had been very mild and were sensory only. This mean I had not experienced any difficulties with movement nor spasticity. And since everything was so mild, and because I was already of a quite senior age (MS normally being diagnosed between the ages of 20-40), it meant based on normal life expectancy, I'm not likely to be any more inconvenienced by MS than I would be for normal advanced age in the future (this is by following average disease progression trends).

As mentioned, it's now the sixth post, the previous ones covering the original symptoms and stay in hospital, as well as the first two (out of three) doses of corticosteroids that work as anti-inflammatories.
They were starting to work and as a result, the swelling that had caused the lesion I had affecting the
trigeminal nerve (resulting in the facial numbness), was now easing. This meant I was re-gaining the sensory sensitivity and the numbness I'd experienced was slowly fading away.
Some side effects of the corticosteroids, and ones I hadn't been warned of, were palpitations and also facial redness.
This came as a mild surprise when I came home and about an hour later, face beetroot red and a hot flush later, I thought I might be having a heart attack.
So, instead of settling down, I ended up researching the role of these drugs on subsequent side effects.
The same (ok, I can say mild now) mild symptoms happened a few times over that Saturday and the following 2-3 days and are quite common.
I was now back home after a day and night in the hospital - time to take stock and do a power of reading and research.

Symptom 2 - Part 4: A Night at the hospital and home-coming

During the rest of that night, in common with hospital stays everywhere, I think a different person was in my room every 30 minutes to check serum levels, blood pressure, bring dinner, clear away dinner...
By the time 11pm came around, I was tired enough to be almost asleep, at which point another nurse came in, woke me up and gave me a sleeping tablet...

I suppose everyone should know by now, you don't go to hospital to rest.
I think at 5.30 I was woken again for a blood pressure test, and then at 7.30 for breakfast.

Saturday continued like this with people in and out to tidy the room, make the bed, clean the floor, take away the breakfast things.
I don't understand why one person cannot do all these tasks, and get the entire faffing about finished in one visit, allowing the patients some privacy and time to rest. Actually, maybe that's part of the plan - prevent us from becoming too comfortable so we try to check ourselves out as soon as possible!

Anyway, by around 11am, I had seen my DR who was asking if, following the first course of the corticosteroids, had there been any improvement yet in the numbness (there hadn't been), and to let me know the second course was coming soon.

Symptom 2 - Part 2: First trip to the Hospital

Following on from Symptom 2 - Part 1 blog, I arrived at the Ruber International Hospital on Thursday 1st March. This appointment had been made the same day by my DR.

I went up to the Neurology unit and within about 15 minutes, I was talking with one of the consultant neurologists who also had another DR doing some on the job training.

The DR started asking questions about my current symptoms (the numbness being only one one side of my face, neck and by now, upper shoulder.
He asked if it was also affecting my left ear - it wasn't, and then asked about any other hospital trips or symptoms.
Not being sure if it was related or not, I told him about the shadow in my peripheral vision that had already cleared up some 6 months earlier.
I could see he was zeroing in on a theory, but still I had to take my shirt off and cough whilst he listened to my chest and my breathing.

After a while, he excused himself and he and the trainee went out to consult amongst themselves.