Friend2U

Hi guys, I don't have MS, but my husband does. He was diagnosed in 04-05. He is on Rebif. We were in the Military and they kept thinking he was lying because his symptoms were so bad (Numbness in both feet and hands, pain in back, Migraines, swaggering gate). They attributed it to a back problem. They gave him the choice of having surgery on his back or opting out of the Military, so we ended up doing surgery on his back (thinking it was a back problem). The spine didn't fuse and the Dr. clipped a nerve and caused a rare nerve disease in his foot. (RSD) They Medically retired him, then months later he went blind in one eye. They did an MRI and he had over 25 lesions on his brain. The IV Steroids got his vision back, but he is in so much pain from the failed spinal fusion and nerve disease, he is miserable. His last MRI showed that the lesions had almost all gone away . . . the Dr. seemed amazed. He has developed a couple more lesions on his spine, but his brain no longer looks like a glow stick!

It is really nice to know that you guys are doing so well with LapBand and living with MS to boot! I can only imagine how strong you all are.

Wendy,

Oh my gosh...bless your hubby's heart. He has been through so much!!! I'm glad he got his vision back. But, why oh why, did they not listen to and pay attention better to his symptoms. A brain scan back then could have told them so much.

Having said that, I went for years with docs blaming a lot of mine on my back. Which I did have surgery for a ruptured disc. So that was legit. But we just trust the doctors, don't we.

I"m sorry your husband is going through this. My thoughts are with you both.

~Friend

A lumbar puncture is the next step if the doctor thinks he needs to. I had a vision test and a MRI of my neck also and they were ok. I have an appointment in July and he told me he will do another MRI of my brain to see if there are any changes. I think my age is one reason he is reluctant to say it is MS as I am 62. Most cases I have heard of are diagnosed much earlier--it is all so confusing.

Jill,

I sure hope you get some answers soon. We all just want to feel well, don't we, no matter how old we are!

You take care!

Friend

Tess,

That is great. I hope it works out for you and you feel like being involved with the bikethon next time. Thanks for the weblink! It just takes so many people to make an impact. I had friend who did the ms walk this year. We will be even more involved next time.

Take Care,

Friend

Hi Everyone, I was diagnosed with MS 1 1/2 years ago. I am on Copaxone which is like getting a bee sting every morning. My MS doctor helped me get the approval for the surgery from my insurance.

I am so glad I got this lapband. I feel better already. More energy. More mobility. Can't wait until the next 20 pounds comes off!

It is nice to know there are others out there who share some of the same emotions. It will be great to have someone to go through this journey with me.

Bobbie

That is GREAT that your ms doc helped with the insurance. I ended up just doing self-pay. It would have been great to have insuranc pay though. So glad it worked out well for you in that way.

It's great to hear from you. I look forward to getting to know more about you. I'm happy for your weight loss. You are off to a great start!:thumbs_up:

Like I said earlier, I haven't been officially diagnosed with MS but I did have an MRI and there were a bunch of "white spots" all over my brain. My other symptons are fatigue and I have a terrible time getting to sleep as my arms and legs just won't relax and I seem to have to keep moving them. sometime for hours and hours. I also have a hard time putting one leg in front of the other. I feel like I need to have someone push me along when I walk. This doesn't happen all the time but often. I also have recently not dealt with hot weather very well and I always used to say "I love hot weather"--now I really don't like it as much. I sure hope I don't have MS but I don't know if the alternative is much better. I just had my lapband on June 10th and have lost 12 lbs--the MS/stroke possiblity was the deciding factor for me to want to have the lapband. Plus I do have diabetes and high blood pressure and take way too much medicine. Thanks to everyone who has responded. I have really learned a lot.

Just curious if they have done or plan to do a lumbar puncture. That was the next step for me after the multiple white spots showed up. Seems the LP was the confirmation.

I surely hope it is not ms for you, but you know that something is going on and I'm sure ready to find out what it is.

You made a good choice to have the lapband. I am happy for you and that your weight loss is going great. It is going to be a big help. feel so much better, easier to get around, after losing over 120 pounds. It will all fall off for you slowly and surely,,,,the healthy way!!!!

So glad to hear more from you. Keep sharing! I love this network!:thumbs_up:

I did the same thing. Keep going back for more fills until you reach the restriction that YOU need. It is different for everyone.

HANG IN THERE!!!!

Hugs,

Friend

Well, I don't know much...but I do know that I was 200 before I gained to 295. And I'm convinced I would have continued to go up had I not had the surgery.

So I guess I think if we have a weight gain problem for whatever reason, it is the same problem no matter at 200 or 300 pounds. And if lap band surgery is the solution...why shouldn't it be a solution at 200 as opposed to 300.

Now having said that, IDEALLY, yes we would have all stopped gaining weight before 200, exercised more, and just did it on our own. But we didn't....because we couldn't.

So I try not to be too judgmental for folks who decide to take care of their "same" problem at an earlier stage than I did. I just about died waiting too long. I wouldn't put that off on anyone.

Best wishes!

Yes, Tess...thank God for air conditioning!!! That is great that you have some input about your schedule. You have been there for long enough, I"m sure you are well respected and hopefully they are willing to work with you.

My school has been very understanding. I have one more year until I can retire with 25 years. They are letting me work flexible hours, some from home using my computer. I'm actually the reading specialist, I do mostly training for teachers, test data, etc. They are helping me get to my retirement without having to go the disability route. I"m just not able to teach full time in a classroom anymore. I REALLY miss it though. But I am thankful. I've been at the same elementary school for all my teaching career.

THis last setback really caused me to not be able to walk. REally hit my left side from head to toe worse than usual. Whole body is still very weak, but can not walk. the steroids really helped.

The doctor was trying to avoid the use of steroids with me, because it can reactivate some hystoplasmosis I had occur in my eye when I was a teenager. So I have center vision in only one eye.

But things could be a lot worse. It's just so scary to wake up one morning with complete loss of part of your bodily functions. I'm so use to thinking whatever is wrong, if I work hard enough I can get past it and recover. It's hard to accept I have not got the full control of this one. I"m sure you know what I mean.

Sorry for misspelling and typos. Some days just too much effort. YOu understand, I really do know better...ha!

Hugs,

Friend

I am happy that your friend in expecting. I hate to realize that had I known years ago about the ms, I might (probably) would not have had my last 2 of my 4 children. I think things work out for a reason. She has made the right choice. She has an entire life to live. It doesn't matter what the circumstances, life almost never turns out "exactly" like we have it planned in our minds. It is always different, not to say that it necessarily worse, sometimes parts are better.

I know what you mean about thinking you had had a stroke or strokes. Sounds familiar. Even though we weren't happy with the dx of ms, it sure did answer a lot of questions, didn't it?

That is great that you are a nurse. I admire that so much. I am a teacher. How are you feeling on the job, with the fatigue and all?

I'm glad you are doing okay on the Avonex. With the Beta, I'm doing great. I'm limited to shots only in my stomach right now, everyplace else hurts too bad. But the flu like symptoms have subsided completely. It's hard to tell yet if it's doing the job it's intended for. Time will tell.

I've been on steroids for just over a week for a recent exaserbation. They are really helping. IT's the first time I"ve taken prednizone. But I'm please with the results so far.

I hope we can talk again soon. It's sure nice to have something in common with someone. Thanks for that! :redface:

<u

Friend - I had my first "get your attention" symptoms in 1999. I woke up in the morning to get my kids ready for school and had numbness and tingling down the entire left side of my body, from my forehead to my toes. Also had weakness. I am a nurse and was afraid I was having a stroke. I went to the ER where I work, had a normal CT and was admitted for a few days, MRI"S, TEE, and the neurologist decided it was a two small strokes that showed up on my MRI. Ended up on blood thinners.

But kept having weird symptoms... dizziness, vision troubles, balance and weakness on the left side. After multiple conversations with my neurologist and a 2nd opinion at Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center for MS. They looked at my MRI's from my 1999 episode and saw multiple leisions... where my doctor only saw 2!!!! I finally received a diagnosis after a spinal tap and began taking avonex.

I'm sure I've had other symptoms prior but not enough to get my attention.

Side effects from the avonex are minimal for me. How about you? I have a friend that was taking betaseron but... she is off of it because she has decided to start a family and is expecting!! I am soo happy for her, I know it was a real struggle for her to make that decision, I'm so glad she is doing it!!!

Tess

At least we know we are NOT alone! I am on Betaseron. I am still RRMS but the doc chose the Beta because the relapses have been very active and close together. He is afraid it is closer to progressive. But still, I can't complain. Things could be much worse.

I think my first symptoms were actually 12-15 years ago. How long have you been having symptoms?

I am so happy your weight loss has helped you. Mine has too. I just feel like it was in my plan to have not found out about the ms until after the surgery. I really don't know if I would have done it, had I known, which would have been a huge mistake!

I look forward to getting to know you better, Tess! Thanks for responding!

~Friend

I haven't been offically diagnosed with MS--my doctor is saying it is MS or small strokes--both scare me. He won't rule out MS and I have had a bunch of tests. I will have another MRI of my brain in July. What symptoms did you have?

Thanks for responding. Sometimes a person can feel pretty lonely in this world so packed full of people living their day to day lives!!!! Just looking for someone similar to me! I truly hope you don't have ms, but if you are having symptoms then you are going through a lot of problems, be it labeled or not.

I was dx with ms in Dec. I thought I was just getting so unhealthy with a variety of different problems that had been going on for years. I found a new pcp and was determined to address every problem I had.... my "get healthy" mission. Why not, that's why I had the lap band!

Well...very long story, short, after a lengthy consultation with the new doc, she first did a brain scan.... and there they were, MULTIPLE lesions, each one responsible for a different ailment I had been experiencing! Whew! I was blown away. It hit me like a ton of bricks, out of the dark! Multiple Sclerosis.

So, I've dropped 120 pounds from the lap band, but dealing with the ms. I guess we can't have everything!

You asked about my sx. Over the years (off and on): sudden numbness over large parts of the body, back pain, headaches, loss of balance in the dark, pinching sensations (pin pricks), a variety of other little nuisances, muscle weakness, fatigue. What scares me the most, was both of my feet were so very numb and moving up through my ankles and calves. One of my pain doctors said I should be checked for diabetes...THAT SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR A NEW DOCTOR. Of course it wasn't diabetes, it was the ms.

In 2002, I quit work for a year, I felt that bad...didn't apply for assistance, just lived off savings. That's how bad I felt, just basically quit living. HELLO, PRIOR DOCTOR, WAS THAT NOT A RED FLAG!!! Was VERy depressed, was taking a lot of different medications, getting pain shots in my back, seeing a psycologist.

That's a little bit about me. Tell me about the symptoms you are experiencing and some more about yourself, your lapband, and you in general!

~Friend

Maybe not too common of a combination... Am I alone? I was diagnosed with MS after my lapband surgery. It's a lot to deal with.

...but had my lapband surgery 2 years ago on July 5th.

I've lost slowly, but fairly steadily. Gone from 295 to 170. Have other health concerns that have kept me from exercising much. I had felt bad for years, but was diagnosed with ms this past December.

I had to have gallbladder surgery a few months back, so got the fill removed from my band. Then gained about 10-15 pounds back. I recently got filled again. So hopefully will be back on track.

I look forward to finding some folks who are going through this same experience.:embaressed_smile: