I was having headaches. Nothing new. Just more frequent than normal. I had grown up having more than my share of headaches. So, I went to my Dr. thinking she was going to give me some new migraine medicine. Well, she gave me some new medicine but also ordered an MRI and referred me to a neurologist and told me to return in 2 weeks for a follow up.
During these 2 weeks I go for my MRI, set up an appointment with a neurologist, and develop an excruciating toothache that painkillers won’t touch. So, off I go to my dentist who cannot find anything wrong with my tooth. So, they set me up to see an endodontist. Then, I receive a phone call from my Dr. with the results of my MRI. She says that there are lesions on the MRI indicative of MS but it is probably nothing because headaches can leave the same sort of marks on an MRI. She’ll see me on Friday and she knows I am seeing a neurologist in another week anyway. I don’t give it another thought. Meanwhile, my tooth is still killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday comes and my tooth still kills so I start looking up tooth pain on the internet during lunch. I find something on Trigeminal Neuralgia. I think, HOLY CRAP, I have this. Then I read that if you are under 50 years of age (I’m 33) and you have this you most likely have MS? HOLY SHIT!!!!! What the hell is MS??? I print out the article and bring it along with me to my Dr.’s appt. She asks how my headaches are and I tell her they are fine especially compared to my tooth. Then I show her the print out and tell her what I think. She says, “Jennifer, I think you have just diagnosed yourself.” Yippeee!!!!!! Do something to take this tooth pain away!!!! So, she gives me a prescription for Tegretol and tells me to call her Monday and tell her how the pain is. I am not kidding when I say that I felt somewhat better by bedtime. By Monday my tooth pain was just about gone with an occasional shot of pain here and there, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
The next week I have my appointment with the neurologist. Literally, I walk into his office sit down and he says that I have MS, he wants me to get aonther MRI, start on Copaxone and go to Rochester to the MS clinic for a second opinion from one of his colleagues but he is sure that I have it.
WOW!!!!! I just had a headache. Now I have MS?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Where the hell did this come from? What the hell is it???
Well, god doesn’t give you more than you can handle so here I am. I better call and tell my mom.
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Hi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on having received such a quick MS diagnosis. Of course, having MS is not so fun but you bypassed the whole "limbo" thing.
Welcome to the MS Blogging Community. I see that you've already discovered some of my friends and favorite blogs. We are quite the varied group but humor is a common thread.
I'm not on Rebif (on Copaxone instead) but I do hope that the flu-like symptoms dissipate for you quickly. Are you pretreating with some tylenol or ibuprofen? Seems that works for many folk. Good luck.