15 replies to this topic

[meshell]

Hi, I'm Michelle, I am a mother to 5 amazing children and I am fortunate to have a extremely tolerant and caring husband.

I wanted to know if this is the right place for me and to hopefully get to talk to people who know what I'm going through.

6 months ago I went to bed and woke up unable to move and with extreme neck pain. Over the week following I regained complete use of my legs and right arm, I visited the dr many times that first week and was told at first it was probably a trapped nerve and given ibruprofen, then they tried diazapam, then someone said they thought it was a slipped disc and put me on tramadol, I have been taking the maximum dose since then but the relief is fairly minimal. I was put forward for an MRI which I was told could take upto 16 weeks, so after spending days crying with pain I went back and saw a different doctor, who sent me straight to A&E. This was 2 weeks after the problem started. After being seen by many different nurses/doctors they seemed to not listen to the fact that my neck was the main problem. They said the loss of sensation and mobility in my left arm and my neck could point to a stroke. I was told a neurologist would be along to see me. After x-rays and a CT scan of my brain (still not looking at my neck) they said the brain was fine and there was no evidence of a stroke. A week later I had an MRI scan, which I assumed was looking at my neck/brain etc, this came back as normal. The consultant I had assumed to be the neurologist turned out to be a specialist in diabetes/endocrinology and he had requested that the MRI look only at the main artery to the brain. I was referred back to my GP with recommendation to see a rheumatologist and physiotherapist.

4 months after this started, still with no mobility in my left arm/hand and limited movement in my neck accompanied by constant pain (still not eased with tramadol and diclofenac) I was referred by my doctor to a neurologist who sent me for another MRI scan to look at my neck. She warned me that if it had been a slipped disc then it could have already healed and nothing would show on the MRI results.

It is now 2 months since I saw the neurologist, 3 weeks since the MRI and the result just came back last week as normal. My doctor has told me that the nerves that the arms and hands is in the cervical spine and the pain is pinpointed between C5-C7. I have just started taking Neurontin (gabapentin) alongside the tramadol and diclofenac, which is easing the pain a bit.

It still have no idea what is causing this pain and paralysis, or how it has happened.

Am I in the right place or shall I leave quietly by the back door?

Thank you for reading (if you made it this far to the end).

Michelle

[brookelynn628]

I'm sure one of the members of the lovely welcoming wagon will be along in just a bit, but they'll be sure to tell you that you're more than welcome to be here! This is a great place to get information - no matter what your diagnosis, the experiences of the those on this site will be invaluable to you. I have found this a great forum to use in getting basic information, share stories and ideas, and people are very open to sharing what they know, and offering a shoulder, a listening ear, or encouragement to help you get the care and answers your need. Tell us where you are though - you never know who might be in your area and able to give really specific help.

I'm sorry you're in so much pain, and I hope that others with conditions similar to your own can provide advice and support to help you get on the road to feeling much better!

[Tarkus]

Welcome, yes you belong and you matter to all of us here.

I'm never really happy when I welcome people to this type of site, but what the hell we are all in it together !

Regards,
Alan

[juless]

Of course you're in the right place and welcome you'll find lots of good advice here.

[itsjustme]

Hi Meshell and welcome!

I know that it is hard to understand why the doctors look at what they do sometimes. In my case I was so convinced that I had MS and then one morning I got out of bed and before the day was over I was paralyzed at the T2 level due to a thing on my spine called an AVM that swelled up like an aneurism but thankfully didn't burst. I had one doctor before that day tell me that I needed an MRI of my spine but I put that one off in the process of making an appointment to get an MRI of my brain to try to rule in or out the MS. Big mistake.

However with that said if you don't feel like your doctors are getting to the bottom of the problem by all means get a second and even a third opinion if you can. Just keep on till you get someone to listen.

In the meantime, you'll find lots of friends and support here on the forum!

[Joed]

Welcome, Meshell!

I hope you'll find these forums a source of great support.

[meshell]

Hi,

Thank you all for your kind words. I know that compared to others on here my problem is relatively minor, but it has made a large impact on my life. It is nice to know there are people out there who are willing to listen.

I'm waiting for the neurologist to write to my GP with suggestions of what might be wrong with me. SCI may be on that list or it may not, we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks again for all your support and kindness.

Michelle

[Lee]

Hi meshell and welcome. This site is great becauce no one judges anyone and we are hear to listen to other peoples problems and nothing seems taboo which makes this site unique i think. Dont be shy and ask away. Ive been shocked aswell as relieved to some of the questions on here and was well chuffed when i found the site or shall i say Simon pointed me too it, lol, cheers Simon.

cheers lee

[htwhlz97]

Welcome aboard! glad your here with us.

[Tarkus]

meshell,

Here is another really good site for SCI questions.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/index.php

Regards,
Alan

[DaveP]

Hi Michelle

I'd make an appointment, right away, with someone like http://www.physability-uk.com/ and see what they say. These are experts on exercise therapy and specialists in spinal injuries and paralysis, so they may be able to shead some light on your situation.

Don't delay, as the longer you leave it, the more the nerves will be damaged (if it is a spinal injury, of course) and the less chance you have of recovering anything. If these guys are too far from you, ask them who they can suggest nearer to you.

The only place I know of personally is http://www.theramax.info, as I helped set that up and recently had my girlfriend use their services which helped her from preventing ending up with a paralysed leg due to a trapped nerve in her lower back.

Don't delay!

[meshell]

Thank you very much for that, I have registered on the forum that was suggested, I have also contacted the physiability website, fingers x they can help me.

Thanks again for your help

[Batman47]

I'm depressed because I didn't know about this site most my adult life. Now that I'm her, I'm happy as a pussycat after a bowl of milk playing his guitar in his up side down house while his buddy listens in.

Edited by Batman47, 08 December 2006 - 05:17 AM.

[juls]

Welcome Batman47 and Meshell it's great to 'see' more new faces

I also wish I had known about the forum a long time ago..but i'm so thankful that I know about it now.

I love your pictures Batman47....I looked up the pics of your dogs as well.....they are sooo beautiful

[meshell]

Hi Everyone,

I wondered if any one had heard of what I'm about to say, I spoke to my doctor today, who agrees that my condition is caused by something impeding my spinal cord, she thinks the verterbraes are moving in and at so when they push in it causes inflammation around my spine and pushes on the cord and then it moves back out, so in doing so has caused nerve damage hence the paralysis, she says apart from pain relief and physio she doesn't think anything else can be done hopefully the nerves will work again in time if the inlammation and movement stop.

She put me on neurontin just over a week ago, so far i have had two days of very small amount of pain, but my neck is very itchy?! and the tablets make me extremely tired which doesn't help with 5 children!

Hope you are all ok, nearly christmas! what are your plans? I'm getting spoiled this year first time I won't have to cook, feet up and a nice sleep after dinner I think.

[rkzenrage]

Welcome!

Coming from someone who has always felt like an outsider, this site is awesome...

No one's pain is less than anyone else's. No one's is trivial in any way.