I am Lucky?

Hi Cujomom,
Sounds like you've been doing well for many years. That's awesome. I'm turning 45 this year and sometimes I wonder if what I'm experiencing is just normal pre-menopause stuff or MS stuff. It seems like MS is more likely in my case, however getting hot at night, that must be hormones. With the bladder urgency and diarrhea, I would wonder if it is MS as well. I hope that your MRI helps to reveal what might be going on.
Good luck,
Lisa

Hi: I was diagnosed at 39 years of age and I am now 51. I almost died 7 years ago from a UTI that I didn't know I had and it backed up into my kidneys and almost caused complete organ failure.

To make a long story short, bladder urgency and diarrhea are NORMAL for MS. I have to utilize intermittent catheters every day for bladder to empty completely. Never had the diarrhea but bowel problems are also NORMAL.

Try going to the bathroom several times per day. You may need to see a Urologist to see if everything is OK. Sometimes with MS the bladder muscle starts to weaken and that causes urgency problems, etc. Keep your chin up. Perimenopause sucks. I have one (1) more month to go to reach "menopause" but hot flashes will probably go on for another 9 years or so.

I stopped taking Copaxone years ago and DO NOT take any DMD's and I feel better for it. Hated injecting everyday and also my skin started breaking down on my hands. They want me to take something else but my health insurance does not cover it at all -- I still work every day and my muscle relaxers and pain medication are more important to me than taking stuff that they have NO IDEA how it works. Read the insert sometime on the medication. They only studied 2000 people or so (when I stopped taking it) and there are millions of MS patients in the US alone. When (if) I ever get to Medicare/Medicaid I might go back on something.

I have had only two (2) relapses in 15 years -- and my neurologist classifies me as "MS Stable" if there is such a thing. I thank God every day for that.

Hopefully your MRI will show something -- HANG IN THERE!

I am glad that I'm not alone in the "luck" department. Few of us have such a quick definative answer to the symptoms that eventually get a name MS. Just like no two people are the same, so it goes with MS. Some people go years seeking answers to thier symptoms. MS looks like a lot of different diseases depending who is doing the looking. MS seems to "customize" or taylor the misery so getting a quick and accurate diagnosis appears to be "luck of the draw".

I had seen an HMD for cronic fatige and was awaiting results of blood work when my speech started to slur so I sounded drunk. By Thursday morning my boss told me to go back to the doctor or ER or work someplace else. I chose door number 2 and went to the ER. They did an MRI and the radiologist said he believed the bright spots he saw could be MS. The lucky streak continued when they said there was a nuerologist in the building so after his rounds he stopped in and agreed with the radiologist. Next stop, lumbar puncture. That was quick and painfull. I had the results the following morning, I stayed until Saturday morning, and was back working, my speech back to normal.

If that's not "luck", it must certainly be a record for timely diagnosis. I should know a little about "luck". Liveing in Reno Nevada my dad was a professional gambler I doubt he'd take odds on this one. I've seen luck, we've both been lucky.