March MS Awareness month

DISCLOSURE:

I want to fully disclose that if you find errors or typos, I can no longer type correctly. My fingers land on different letters, or I might have a tremor that affects what I try to type.

So..... I threw my dart at the target and unfortunately it landed in the......outer circle (not the bull’s-eye). My goal had been to write and post this blog monthly. Before MS, I probably could have achieved the goal. Unfortunately, now, I have learned that I may think I can do something, but it’s not the same way my thoughts imagined. This isn’t a FF time. I have done this with other things, but I guess I still have some learning to do.

What I wanted to talk about in this episode was my diagnosis with my MRI. It was shared with me by the neurologist that I have approximately 20 scattered lesions. The neurologist was not willing to say exactly what I could expect, and that makes sense. The NIH has posted that “The brain consists of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem.  Taking up the majority of the brain space is the cerebrum. The cerebrum is divided into the left and right hemispheres by a deep “fissure” through which the two hemispheres remain in contact and communication with one another.”  The cerebrum covers lobes which consist of:

FRONTAL LOBE    PARIETAL LOBE    OCCIPITAL LOBE    TEMPERAL LOBE

My MRI report found the following (remember I have approximately 20 scattered lesions):

FINDINGS:

VENTRICLES: Normal for age.

CEREBRUM: There are some scattered T2 hyperintensities within the periventricular and deep white matter bilaterally measuring up to about 6 mm in size some of which are pericallosal in distribution. Several of these are also seen in the corpus callosum. These appear stable in number, size and distribution when compared to prior. No focal enhancing lesions are seen to suggest an active process 

CEREBELLUM: Linear T2 lesion in the low LEFT cerebellum similar to prior 

BRAINSTEM: Mild patchy increased T2 signal within the LEFT pons, unchanged 

CALVARIUM: Normal for age. 

HEMORRHAGE: None detected. 

VASCULAR LESIONS: None identified. 

PITUITARY: Not enlarged. 

VISUALIZED SINUSES: Clear

ENHANCING LESIONS: None.

 OTHER: None.

Each lobe is “wrinkled” or bunched up.  As far as I am concerned, the bunching of the lobes can make it more difficult to know what each lesion is affecting.

As I looked at the different lobes and functions, I used both (before MS) left and right sides of the brain. I have highlighted different areas on the pictures I share:

Currently, I have many of the following symptoms (again I have highlighted areas):

       

BALANCE:

I have partial left sided paralysis. I look like a zombie when I walk. 

BEHAVIOR/EMOTIONS: 

I am now a crier when I didn’t used to be. I also experience depression & anxiety that I don’t understand.

BODY TEMPERATURE:

I often say my thermostat is broke, I have a difficult time maintaining a certain temperature.

ALERTNESS & SLEEP:

There are times when I can’t sleep. I may go near 24 hours without sleeping (then I crash).  I also experience moments when I don’t have any initiative (lassitude).  I “think” or I “want” to do certain things, but I just can’t get up off my arse to do them (a monthly blog would be one example). 

DIGESTION:

I have many problems with my digestive system. Examples include constipation, difficulty passing food from my stomach to my intestines and bloating. Have I had an ultrasound regarding this? No, I have not, I just know what I feel. 

SENSATION:

There are moments when anything touching my skin is uncomfortable. For example, clothing may hurt, discomfort of a certain skin area that I don’t understand, occasional itching in a certain areas which I can’t predict where it will happen.

Although I share pictures and describe symptoms, ​that I experience, it’s not ​"the whole picture". I don’t remember many things.  Examples of things that I don’t remember include skipping, riding a bike, walking normally or running. I will never say that MS is great. But I will always try to strive for the knowledge that I have gained “I have gratitude and I am thankful for the joys that I get to experience”