Neuro - MRI - Neuro

Neurologist. Do you think that word is frightening? I definitely did. This meant that something was wrong with my brain/spinal cord.

My referral from the ER Irish doc was swimming in a massive pile of referrals and I was to wait patiently for an appointment. I waited about a week before I got a call from the neurologist himself, asking if I could make it that day to come and see him. I left work abruptly and went to the hospital for my last minute appointment.

My personal highlight was that I hadn't weighed myself for a while (a few days) and I was weighed before I saw him but the nurse chick. YES! I have lost more weight. High fives.

Now, details of the appointment itself are much like the ones I had with doddle head doc and Irish. Poking. Prodding. Balance. Reflexes. And so on. Explaining my weirdo sensations. Dates of all these things occurring. You get the picture. So after all that stuff, he said that an MRI would be next, because he suspected that the myelin (I won't explain this - soz, but you will have to google it) on my brain/spinal cord might be damaged, which is in turn causing these foreign sensations. And being as naive as I was, I thought to myself, "Oh okay, cool. Then we can just fix it. Pop a few pills and it will all be okay." Yeah, no. In retrospect he basically, then and there, suspected I had MS without saying those two words directly to me...Multiple Sclerosis.

Now if I had remembered the word, 'myelin', I would have googled it as soon as I got home. But the only part of the word I could remember was the 'm'.

So an MRI was booked for about a week later. I got some Valium for the 'scared of small spaces' thing that I have going, and I really just needed it to chill out a bit. You must remember, that I was alone in D-Town. M had just left for O/S the week before and would be gone for months. I am at the top of Australia, with not that many close friends nearby. No family. And the school term/year was almost at its end. It was not an ideal situation to be dealing with 'what ifs' alone.

I was keeping M and family, and some close friends informed. My bestie Kirby (K - I miss you) made me feel calmer. "It will be something so boring like a stupid pinched nerve", she said. Oh man. I really hoped that that was what it was. But unfortunately, as some of you may have figured out, positive thinking does not always work. At least, not when it comes to medical things. Although I know people might disagree, but, well, I won't go there.

By this time, I had real hardcore tingling numb feelings in my left pinky that went up my arm ending at my elbow (I still have that today - just not as intense). The right part of my back felt odd too. Numb, but no tingles. I would put roll-on deodorant on and it felt colder under my right arm than my left. Shaving my legs felt odd too! Left knee was still a bit floppy. And I was still praising the invention of handrails along side stair cases.

The MRI was fine. I got a cab to and from the hospital as I was advised not to drive while under the influence of Valium. Fair enough. While I was getting the MRI, I imagined that I was listening to dance music.

A week later, or there abouts, I went to see the neurologist for the 'results' of my MRI. Pooing pants. Very nervous. What ifs were going off in my head. But on the same note, I just wanted to know what the hell was up. Knowledge is power, right?

Blah blah. Small talk. Yadda yadda.

The neuro put the scans of my brain up on the computer screen. Eww. I don't like this. But at least I know I have one, right? It was a bit blurry. AGAIN Sascha. Stop. YOU are NOT a medical professional. Fumbling words were falling from neuro's mouth. "These are images of your brain as if it were being sliced blah blah". Yeah okay, I get spatial shit - I am an Art Teacher! But just don't tell me you need to actually slice at my brain though, alright? He was so slow to tell me things. Well, that's how it felt. Then he said, "It was what I suspected. The fatty tissue, myelin is damaged. This means it's Multiple Sclerosis. Have you heard of Multiple Sclerosis?".

I said, "The MS Readathon, yes" (followed by a nervous laugh).