@Zak783 

Last reply

Zak783

Frightened..... not sure what to do.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping by registering on here that people will put my fears at ease. About 5 years ago I had tingling in my right hand on the tips of my fingers. I went and had nerve tests which showed nothing.... and over time it disappeared. Then about 18 months ago I had the same sensation in my right foot and again on the tips of my toes and down the sides. I put it down to the same issue with my fingers and thought it would pass after a few months. Then I had three bouts of blurred vision where I was just sat and all of a sudden a haze fell over me... of course you can imagine panic set in and at the time I never put the two things together, I mean who would?.... These bouts of blurred vision lasted from an hour up to four hours. Then about Two months ago I had another toe start with tingling. I finally plucked up the courage to tell my wife who is a nurse. I told her about the blurred vision and my toes. Lets say she was not best pleased with me... told me it could be something trivial and made an appointment at the doctors. I spoke to the doctor and told her my symptoms. She sat my on the edge of the bed with my feet dangling to check my reflexes. My left leg shot up in the air... but when she did my right leg she could not get a reaction at all. I can be honest and say I got a bit upset as she kept looking at me with a horrified look because she could not get any reflex. I asked if I should be worried and she said she wanted to send me for a nerve test. I have had the nerve test and they have come back fine. I'm going to the doctors in the morning and will have to go for an M.R.I..... my only worry is that I'm very claustrophobic so I know there's going to be an issue there... I have had this before where taking a sedative does not work. I'm really scared... every morning I wake up I wiggle my toes and they are still the same... I actually broke down in the car with my wife yesterday and said I was scared for the first time. It's not something I have ever admitted to before. Just hope someone can give me any advice. Thank you
@Stumbler

Hi @zak783 and welcome. Fear of the unknown is frightening, so you need to resolve this not knowing. I can understand why you've joined us as MS is just one possibility. But, diagnosing neurological problems is difficult. It's a case of eliminating possibilities to see what's left. It would be useful if you could keep a symptom diary, so that you can create a concise summary to pass to Consultants, etc.. The MRI scan will provide a great deal of information to help towards a diagnosis. Claustrophobia is a problem for many people. As you say, sedation is a possibility, but chat with your Doctor and the MRI operators about this. Mindfulness is possibly another way of dealing with this. Ultimately, it could be MS, but this is now a manageable condition, with a wide range of treatments available.

@merfield

I don't like having MRI scans either but if they are required I steel myself and imagine I'm walking along a beach, counting the different things I see washed up, and imagine the waves breaking, boats sailing by, who might be walking by - do they have a dog, what sort..... Or, I imagine walking out of the front door and down the road to the river etc etc. I've always had verbal contact with the person doing the scan with a buzzer in my hand ' just in case' - so far, I've stuck it out. In my experience each section of the scan takes anything from 3- 10 mins, with the person checking you're ok each time. Deep breathing helps....count to 4 breathing in, and to 5 breathing out. Tell yourself that in a while it will be over. RELAX, be CALM....you will be ok 😌....all the best - you can do this 👍🏻