Update on Jen
Copied from Jen's blog:
"The short version is that this doctor doesn't think that the brain lesion is what's making me ill. That means that he doesn't want to cut the back of my head off. Yet.
I have to go in at 6:45 in the morning on Sunday for more tests. He's casting his vote with MS. Many have traveled this road and failed but he thinks he'll be able to detect something the others haven't. I wish him the best of luck.
In the meantime he's treating me with a different nerve block (which is the first step in treating MS) with the hopes that it will control my tremors, headaches, seizures, and other assorted symptoms from hell."
Again I'll be praying for you Jen.
5 comments:
Me too.
I will also keep you in my prayers.
My mother and uncle both have MS. The pharmaceutical treatments, particularly the interferon beta blockers, are pretty rough because they supress the immune system. Natural approaches are preferable. Because so little is known about the disease, it is important not to get stuck on the idea that ONE treatment is the best.
I have never heard of MS patients having seizures... Definitely get a second, third, and fourth opinion!
Thanks everybody!!
marianita - I'm on my fourth opinion and I'll keep going till I find one that sounds right. The interferon beta blockers is what we're starting (for the second time) right now. The last time they started this therapy I got a nasty flu that followed me around for a couple of weeks. :(
The latest neurologist said that the seizures could be coming from the lesions on my brain. There's so much medical territory that the world still doesn't know about. It's kinda scary when you stop and realize that 99% of medicine is guessing (and the other 1% is luck.)
How are your mother and uncle doing with the disease? I'm interested in hearing stories of people's progression with MS.
Sorry I hijacked your comment section RT.
:)
Well, as a *hopeful* future doctor, it's scary to think that medicine is 99% guessing and the other 1% luck...
My mother is doing great. She was diagnosed 5 years ago, at the ripe young age of 42. At the time, she had been exposed to the hot weather every day while taking my little brother to swimming lessons, which aggravates the condition. She had facial paralysis and constant fatigue. They started her on copaxone and she did it for a little over a year, but it caused her muscles to atrophy and she decided to stop taking it. Now she just avoids being in the sun for too long, she eats plenty of salmon, and is sure to take in a lot of B12. She has not had an attack in years.
My uncle, on the other hand, needs a cane and is taking IFN beta. He was also diagnosed at about the same time, and he's one year older than my mom. He, however, lives in Lebanon. It is not an easy life and I believe outside factors such as stress and depression exacerbated his condition.
I would like to talk to you about this more (if that's ok with you) without further hijacking RT's comment box. You can email me at maryana29@hotmail.com
Everybody is welcome to talk about whatever they want on my blog. Especially people I place value in and subjects as important as this one.
*whispers* Not a lot of people know this but there is no limit to the size or amount of comments you can make. At least as far as I know but lets just keep this our little secret ;)
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