I’ve been struggling with neurological symptoms on/off for about ten years, which have intensified radically over the last year. Ten years ago, they found 2 lesions in the frontal lobe, and more recent scans show about 20 lesions throughout the brain. I have been fighting for some kind of diagnosis, but to me the symptoms fit MS perfectly.
Early symptoms were mostly dizziness, pain, and mild cognitive issues. After months of testing with no diagnosis, I got fed up and wrote it off to stress. It came and went over the years, but was rarely debilitating.
Fast forward to last July, when I was working under extreme stress. I ended up in the ER with my entire right side numb and tingling. After ruling out a stroke, they dismissed it as anxiety.
I requested an MRI from my primary care doc (and had to fight for it) and they discovered the 20+ lesions. That was in addition to numbness and spasms in my legs, headaches, shooting nerve pain in the legs, dizziness, blurred vision, spots in vision, frequent night urination, and severe fatigue and cognitive issues.
Despite all of those symptoms and scans, two neurologists simply dismissed the diagnosis. They also didn’t give me any other possible diagnosis - just treated me like I’m dramatic.
They have ruled out Lyme disease, sleep apnea, thyroid disorders, and everything else they could think of!
It has gotten so bad, muscle cramps in my legs have made it difficult to walk and fatigue has forced me to leave work several times.
I don’t want a diagnosis of MS. But, it fits. My mother also suffered from the disorder and I’m watching my symptoms mimic hers.
How do I get doctors to take me seriously? I feel like I have to decline to the point I’m hospitalized before they will listen.