Tin Man..... Re: Newcomer

[Guest guest]

Hi :

I like your description of the MS-stiffness as The Tin Man! That is so true... I always called it 'The enstein Walk'.

Then when my leg is 'draggy' I call it The Igor Walk. LOL

Sharonhttp://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MSersHEALTH/This email is a natural hand made product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects. Subject: NewcomerTo:

MSersLife Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 2:02 PM

Hi!

I’m , and I’m

new to the list – and pretty new to the idea that I might have MS.

I have not seen a doctor since I was in the Air Force (1986, goodness I’m

getting old!), except for “spot repairs” like stitches and getting

my eye “rebuilt” a couple of years ago.

I am 51. Something has been a bit “off”

since my late twenties – loss of coordination, unexplained aches and

pains, memory “blips”, all things that come and go. Sometimes

worse than others. Then about 4 years ago I had what I think now was my

first really bad attack – for over a month I was in so much main I almost

couldn’t move, was “frozen up” like the Tin Man without his

oil can, staggered around like a drunk, couldn’t follow a conversation or

a show on TV, had to go “potty” what seemed like every hour on the

hour, all day and night. This roughly coincided with Lent, and we were

trying hard to be “vegan”, so I just put it down to the change of

diet. When all the symptoms went away (practically overnight) I was just

relieved and didn’t think any more about it. There were occasional recurrences

of weird stiffness or stumbling or whatever, nothing more than a day or

so.

The beginning of August this year, one day my right hip “gave

out” under me, and when I tried to walk there was a burning weak feeling

in the muscles on the front of that thigh. By the next day, all the muscle

spasms, weakness, etc were back, with very strong cramps in the back of my

right thigh and the top of my right foot. If I was still for more than a

couple of minutes everything “froze up”. Had all the same

symptoms as that first bad one, and added tripping over nothing with my

right foot, and a weird buzzy-tingly feeling all over. Was so exhausted

that I couldn’t do any chore all in one go – had to keep going to

lie down in the air conditioning…

This time we were NOT “fasting”, so I

didn’t understand what was going on – went online to AARP, WebMD, several

other “symptom checkers”, thinking there was some vitamin or

something I was short of. Two results kept coming up – a stroke (I

don’t think I had 2 just the same!) and MS. When I did a little

reading on MS, everything suddenly started to make sense… Talked to

a couple of RNs I know, and they think the same.

I’ve sent off paperwork to the VA to try and be able

to use the local VA clinic and hospital; I’m covered by TriCare (my

husband is retired USMC) but there’s no way we can afford co-pays on MRIs

and all the other testing required, not to mention meds. So now I’m

waiting to hear back, and happy to report that my symptoms are mostly gone

again-

Except the buzzy feeling, which is a little annoying but not too bad.

I found this group while searching out more

information – hearing other people’s actual stories and so on seems

more helpful to me than all the medical jargon. Hope you don’t mind

I’m here without a diagnosis or even a suspicious Doctor..

About me – have been married to Himself for 26+

years, have 2 grown children, 3 grandchildren, 10.5 housecats, 3 dogs,

and 10+ acres of Wyoming not far from Devil’s Tower. I like

reading, sewing, embroidery, knitting, cooking, gardening, so on, and I spend

way more time than I should hanging around on the Net.

Thanks for having me!

in WY

[Guest guest]

Hi, Sharon!

I’m doing a little “enstein” today – walking into

walls if I’m not careful! I think here shortly, when the last ‘gotta

do”s around the house are done, I’m going to sit down and do a bit

of knitting _ I actually did an entire watch cap for Himself yesterday (he

shaved his head a month or so ago, and says now he’s cold!) and I’m

working on some “5-hour baby sweaters” for a mother-and-baby clinic

in Romania. Hopefully it’s the thought that counts if they come out

a little bit odd looking. (Ooo! Igor-knitting! ;-) )

Newcomer

To: MSersLife

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 2:02 PM

Hi!

I’m , and

I’m new to the list – and pretty new to the idea that I might

have MS. I have not seen a doctor since I was in the Air Force (1986,

goodness I’m getting old!), except for “spot repairs” like

stitches and getting my eye “rebuilt” a couple of years ago.

I am 51. Something has been a bit

“off” since my late twenties – loss of coordination,

unexplained aches and pains, memory “blips”, all things that come

and go. Sometimes worse than others. Then about 4 years ago I had

what I think now was my first really bad attack – for over a month I

was in so much main I almost couldn’t move, was “frozen up”

like the Tin Man without his oil can, staggered around like a drunk,

couldn’t follow a conversation or a show on TV, had to go

“potty” what seemed like every hour on the hour, all day and

night. This roughly coincided with Lent, and we were trying hard

to be “vegan”, so I just put it down to the change of diet.

When all the symptoms went away (practically overnight) I was just relieved

and didn’t think any more about it. There were occasional

recurrences of weird stiffness or stumbling or whatever, nothing more

than a day or so.

The beginning of August this year, one day my right hip

“gave out” under me, and when I tried to walk there was a burning

weak feeling in the muscles on the front of that thigh. By the next

day, all the muscle spasms, weakness, etc were back, with very strong cramps

in the back of my right thigh and the top of my right foot. If I was

still for more than a couple of minutes everything “froze

up”. Had all the same symptoms as that first bad one, and

added tripping over nothing with my right foot, and a weird buzzy-tingly

feeling all over. Was so exhausted that I couldn’t do any chore

all in one go – had to keep going to lie down in the air

conditioning…

This time we were NOT “fasting”, so I

didn’t understand what was going on – went online to AARP, WebMD,

several other “symptom checkers”, thinking there was some vitamin

or something I was short of. Two results kept coming up – a

stroke (I don’t think I had 2 just the same!) and MS. When I did

a little reading on MS, everything suddenly started to make

sense… Talked to a couple of RNs I know, and they think the same.

I’ve sent off paperwork to the VA to try and be

able to use the local VA clinic and hospital; I’m covered by TriCare

(my husband is retired USMC) but there’s no way we can afford co-pays

on MRIs and all the other testing required, not to mention meds. So now

I’m waiting to hear back, and happy to report that my symptoms are

mostly gone again-

Except the buzzy feeling, which is a little annoying but not too bad.

I found this group while searching out more

information – hearing other people’s actual stories and so on

seems more helpful to me than all the medical jargon. Hope you

don’t mind I’m here without a diagnosis or even a suspicious

Doctor..

About me – have been married to Himself for 26+

years, have 2 grown children, 3 grandchildren, 10.5 housecats, 3 dogs,

and 10+ acres of Wyoming not far from Devil’s Tower. I like

reading, sewing, embroidery, knitting, cooking, gardening, so on, and I spend

way more time than I should hanging around on the Net.

Thanks for having me!

in WY

[Guest guest]

5 hour sweaters? How impressive! I've always wished I could knit, but I just never could learn. I can crochet but I get bored with it really fast My balance has been off more than usual today, which made my walk up to the well this afternoon a little too exciting. lolMS brings so many things to our lives! Igor, enstein, Tin Man..... Sharonhttp://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MSersHEALTH/This email is a natural hand made product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.

From: A Thallas

Jr

Subject: Newcomer

To: MSersLife

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 2:02 PM

Hi!

I’m , and

I’m new to the list – and pretty new to the idea that I might

have MS. I have not seen a doctor since I was in the Air Force (1986,

goodness I’m getting old!), except for “spot repairs” like

stitches and getting my eye “rebuilt” a couple of years ago.

I am 51. Something has been a bit

“off” since my late twenties – loss of coordination,

unexplained aches and pains, memory “blips”, all things that come

and go. Sometimes worse than others. Then about 4 years ago I had

what I think now was my first really bad attack – for over a month I

was in so much main I almost couldn’t move, was “frozen up”

like the Tin Man without his oil can, staggered around like a drunk,

couldn’t follow a conversation or a show on TV, had to go

“potty” what seemed like every hour on the hour, all day and

night. This roughly coincided with Lent, and we were trying hard

to be “vegan”, so I just put it down to the change of diet.

When all the symptoms went away (practically overnight) I was just relieved

and didn’t think any more about it. There were occasional

recurrences of weird stiffness or stumbling or whatever, nothing more

than a day or so.

The beginning of August this year, one day my right hip

“gave out” under me, and when I tried to walk there was a burning

weak feeling in the muscles on the front of that thigh. By the next

day, all the muscle spasms, weakness, etc were back, with very strong cramps

in the back of my right thigh and the top of my right foot. If I was

still for more than a couple of minutes everything “froze

up”. Had all the same symptoms as that first bad one, and

added tripping over nothing with my right foot, and a weird buzzy-tingly

feeling all over. Was so exhausted that I couldn’t do any chore

all in one go – had to keep going to lie down in the air

conditioning…

This time we were NOT “fasting”, so I

didn’t understand what was going on – went online to AARP, WebMD,

several other “symptom checkers”, thinking there was some vitamin

or something I was short of. Two results kept coming up – a

stroke (I don’t think I had 2 just the same!) and MS. When I did

a little reading on MS, everything suddenly started to make

sense… Talked to a couple of RNs I know, and they think the same.

I’ve sent off paperwork to the VA to try and be

able to use the local VA clinic and hospital; I’m covered by TriCare

(my husband is retired USMC) but there’s no way we can afford co-pays

on MRIs and all the other testing required, not to mention meds. So now

I’m waiting to hear back, and happy to report that my symptoms are

mostly gone again-

Except the buzzy feeling, which is a little annoying but not too bad.

I found this group while searching out more

information – hearing other people’s actual stories and so on

seems more helpful to me than all the medical jargon. Hope you

don’t mind I’m here without a diagnosis or even a suspicious

Doctor..

About me – have been married to Himself for 26+

years, have 2 grown children, 3 grandchildren, 10.5 housecats, 3 dogs,

and 10+ acres of Wyoming not far from Devil’s Tower. I like

reading, sewing, embroidery, knitting, cooking, gardening, so on, and I spend

way more time than I should hanging around on the Net.

Thanks for having me!

in WY

[Guest guest]

Well, the pattern is CALLED a "5 hour baby sweater". When I do it is more like a 2-3 evening-baby-sweater-if-I-don't-mess-up-and-have-to-start-over. <G> But it's for a good cause, so I try not to cuss too much.

I decided to sit down for the day after I ran into the same doorframe for the third time - gonna put something in the oven for supper and then get to knitting.

Hope you're more "balanced" tomorrow...

NewcomerTo: MSersLife Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 2:02 PM

Hi!

I’m , and I’m new to the list – and pretty new to the idea that I might have MS. I have not seen a doctor since I was in the Air Force (1986, goodness I’m getting old!), except for “spot repairs” like stitches and getting my eye “rebuilt” a couple of years ago.

I am 51. Something has been a bit “off” since my late twenties – loss of coordination, unexplained aches and pains, memory “blips”, all things that come and go. Sometimes worse than others. Then about 4 years ago I had what I think now was my first really bad attack – for over a month I was in so much main I almost couldn’t move, was “frozen up” like the Tin Man without his oil can, staggered around like a drunk, couldn’t follow a conversation or a show on TV, had to go “potty” what seemed like every hour on the hour, all day and night. This roughly coincided with Lent, and we were trying hard to be “vegan”, so I just put it down to the change of diet. When all the symptoms went away (practically overnight) I was just relieved and didn’t think any more about it. There were occasional recurrences of weird stiffness or stumbling or whatever, nothing more than a day or so.

The beginning of August this year, one day my right hip “gave out” under me, and when I tried to walk there was a burning weak feeling in the muscles on the front of that thigh. By the next day, all the muscle spasms, weakness, etc were back, with very strong cramps in the back of my right thigh and the top of my right foot. If I was still for more than a couple of minutes everything “froze up”. Had all the same symptoms as that first bad one, and added tripping over nothing with my right foot, and a weird buzzy-tingly feeling all over. Was so exhausted that I couldn’t do any chore all in one go – had to keep going to lie down in the air conditioning…

This time we were NOT “fasting”, so I didn’t understand what was going on – went online to AARP, WebMD, several other “symptom checkers”, thinking there was some vitamin or something I was short of. Two results kept coming up – a stroke (I don’t think I had 2 just the same!) and MS. When I did a little reading on MS, everything suddenly started to make sense… Talked to a couple of RNs I know, and they think the same.

I’ve sent off paperwork to the VA to try and be able to use the local VA clinic and hospital; I’m covered by TriCare (my husband is retired USMC) but there’s no way we can afford co-pays on MRIs and all the other testing required, not to mention meds. So now I’m waiting to hear back, and happy to report that my symptoms are mostly gone again-

Except the buzzy feeling, which is a little annoying but not too bad.

I found this group while searching out more information – hearing other people’s actual stories and so on seems more helpful to me than all the medical jargon. Hope you don’t mind I’m here without a diagnosis or even a suspicious Doctor..

About me – have been married to Himself for 26+ years, have 2 grown children, 3 grandchildren, 10.5 housecats, 3 dogs, and 10+ acres of Wyoming not far from Devil’s Tower. I like reading, sewing, embroidery, knitting, cooking, gardening, so on, and I spend way more time than I should hanging around on the Net.

Thanks for having me!

in WY