The latest on my health and other sundries...

[caledesi]

As many of you know I have had health problems (big time).

See:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=105661

Don't you just love the word "sundries?" What the hell does that mean? LOL!

Very good news. We only have to pay $217 per month for COBRA. Yes, I am very happy about that.

I am going to the neuro on Monday, Aug 8th to find out more about what exactly is wrong with me. Last week was hell....numbness in my legs...could hardly walk...equilibrium was all off.

But today I feel good. My gait isn't that bad. My bloodwork came back and is negative for Lupus...good sign. I am hanging in, but am very concerned because I don't know how I am going to feel from one day to the next. Very disconcerting!

When I go to see the neuro, we will be discussing my tests (VER - visual evoked response...checking optic nerve damage and SSEP - somatic sensory evoked potentials...checking central nervous system response)...don't want to bore anyone...but we will see.

Wish me luck.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I wish you luck and good health

I'm glad you posted and VERY glad it isn't lupus...now for a definitive diagnosis or better yet... a complete resolution of symptoms. :loveya:

I HATE it when anything bad happens to ANY of us!!!

[caledesi]

2. Thank you NSMA, appreciate it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=105661

[XanaDUer]

3. Good luck from me!

Medical tests can be scary.

[radwriter0555]

4. Been to the chiropractor yet?

Dizzyness could be your neck verts crunched up, and the numbness a sciatica like contributor.

See if you can find one that does the Activator method. FAR less invasive.

I've had both those symptoms... both were crookedy back related.

[Raven]

5. I had many of your symtoms 3 years ago.

I began to have trouble walking, no balance, pins and needles in my legs...bad reflexes. I also had some serious depression which was new for me.I had all the tests, the nerve conductivity test, a muscle test, MRI's Catscans, blood tests for MS and heavy metals... then one very smart Doc gave be a blood test for Vitamin B-12 disorder and Bingo! This is a condition that used to be called Pernicious Anemia and was fatal in the early 1900's. It happens when your body cannot absorb Vitamin B-12 the normal way through food. Since B-12 is essential to your nervous system, it is the nervous system that starts to go to hell...thus the symtoms. The blood test for B-12 is not normally done, you have to ask for it or, as in my case, run across a very smart Doctor. It is actually two separate tests that are compared with eachother. I was given a week's worth of mega shots of B-12 and the symtoms began to clear up within a week! Now I give myself a B-12 shot once a month and I'm fine.

By the way, I was seeing the best specialists in Boston...everybody missed this except this one Doc who was a rheumatologist. The neurologist I saw told me I had lung cancer which had metastisized to my spine and that I would not survive...nice! It turned out that there was a spot on my lung the size of a pin prick (we all have dozens of those) and what he had seen on my spine was a bone spur.

This disorder affects about 1/3 of the population and is fairly common in women over 50. If you have it, you can't fix it with pills or food...you must take the shots. Sorry this was so long but I thought it was important that you know this if you didn't already. Good luck!