My 10 year anniversary

[Howie]

July 2nd, 1998, I noticed my eyes felt strange in a nondescript way. It hurt when I rolled my eyes.

By the next day, I was starting to feel dizzy, and my vision was starting to double. I was about to take a weeks vacation from work anyway. So I had the weekend to get better before I was going to go to the beach.

All weekend I put eye drops in my eye, convinced I had just gotten something in my eye because that's how it felt.

Monday the vision was worse, so I called an eye doctor in the Yellow Pages simply because I knew where her office was. I thought "she can get whatever is in my eye out, and I can still head for the beach.

I called and they said come right in. Fortunate for me, but totally unplanned, she was a Neuro-Ophthalmologist.

She did her exam, and wanted me to get an MRI. I asked her what we were looking for with an MRI, and she name several things, but when she mentioned "brain tumor", that's about all I heard her mention, although I'm sure MS was also named.

The MRI was scheduled for the 9th.

That was the only MRI I've ever had. It was an interesting experience for someone who had been a picture of health all his life. I had never even broken a bone.

The next day, July 10, 1998, I met her at her office. She sat down with me and informed me I had MS. I was so relieved it wasn't a brain tumor, I smiled and thanked her.

So today is my MS diagnosis anniversary. Everything in my life has changed since then, but I still walk, still drive, and am doing pretty darn good all things considered.

I know some of you are in limbo, and some have been for a long time. I'm just glad that my diagnosis was fast. For me, and I'm sure for each of you, it would be so hard to know something is wrong, but not have a name for it.

I hope you each can find a diagnosis soon, and I hope my little story may have helped someone.

Take care all! :)

[Whisper]

Hi Howie,

Thanks for your story. I have been afflicted since around the same time as you (April '98) but unlike you, I do not have a dx. It's been a long and frustrating road, I can tell you.

There are days that I'm almost 'positive' it's MS....then there are days when I'm 'certain' it's Lupus! And there are days (very few) that I think I imagined the whole thing! LOL But, no matter what ails me (dx or not)...it SUCKS.

The reason not having a name for it sucks so bad is because I can't get any treatment. And to be honest, in the past 5 years or more, no doctor is even interested in finding out what my 'dx' should be. No tests to speak of etc.

Granted, I'm not as bad now as I was in '98-2003. I am in no way 'better' but I am better than I was! I'll take it! Believe me, I do not want to go back there.

I appreciate you and all the other MSers on here. You have all been very supportive of us "limbolanders".

I am like you in that we (doctors and myself) thought I might have a brain tumour. So, when MS or Lupus was mentioned as well as Porphyria, I was thrilled!!! (Sadly) But now it's 10 years later and I still don't know what the problem is...but I'm guessing NOT a tumour, since I'm still here and have since somewhat improved. :p

Again, thank you for your story. I am sorry you have MS, but delighted to learn that you are managing well. That gives us all hope.

Lorraine:)

[Aiko]

Go Howie!

Your upbeat point-of-view has always added to this forum and may have made your MS journey all the more manageable - kudos!

Live long and prosper

*banjo

Aiko

[Jules A]

Happy Anniversary, I guess. :confused:

Thank you for sharing your story and I hope you have many, many more good years. Jules

[MS w/MS]

Don't have much of a story, but I too was diagnosised 10 years ago this week. I had a shooting pain/numbness in right leg that sent me to the doctor. An x-ray and mri later got the news. Know that I think about, I'm getting myself a cake! mmmm cake!

[nuthatch]

Howie,
Here's celebrating still walking, talking, seeing, and "doing pretty darn good".
I'm only one year behind you, just not as good, but still kickin'.
Enjoy your cake!
http://heavenlydelightcakes.com/gallery/Special%20Occassions/09%2001%2007%20Sponge%20Bob.JPG

Joan
P.S. Regards to Sven . . . miss that dude!

[nuthatch]

Here's one for you, MS w/MS. Hope you like chocolate, I do!
http://www.cakesunlimited.net/thumbnails/Choc%2082.JPG

[Virginia]

Hi Howie,

Thanks for sharing your anniversary story! I am about two years behind you, however my symptoms date waaaaay back. I didn't have a Doctor astute enough to recognize that I needed a Neurologist. Finally, I wised up after many years and took myself to one - then I got a very fast diagnosis.

I am glad you are still able to do the things you are doing. I hope you have many more years of being as stable, with your MS, as you are right now.

Virginia

[starfish]

Happy Anniversary!! Glad to hear you are doing so well so far. It was good to hear your story. I have only had a one year anniversary, but I should be happy with how well things are so far.

Hope your good health continues.

[Howie]

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes!

I wish there was some magic trick to doing as well as I am I could share with everyone. Staying positive maybe. But I will share some of that cake Nuthatch brought.

Now that Sven has returned to Sweden, I rely on my newest cat Sam to do things for me. She is very talented, and cutting cake won't be a problem for her.

Now, what to drink.....what to drink....hic! Well, something will come to mind. :)


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[sixtieschick]

Hi Howie:) Hope you continue to do well.

[nuthatch]

A cat with a knife?!! :eek: Just what are you raising there?
http://www.zaroio.com.br/i/o/200708160358584.jpg

[lady_express_44]

Awe, Howie . . . you know you just keep those myelin destroying cells so pickled, they can't think straight enough to attack your body.*ack

*beer Cheers

Cherie

[Jules A]

Awe, Howie . . . you know you just keep those myelin destroying cells so pickled, they can't think straight enough to attack your body.*ack

*beer Cheers

Cherie

Now that is a "MS cure" that I would love to try out, lol.

[Howie]

Thanks Sixtieschick! :)

Nuthatch, what a great picture! LOL!!!

Hi Cherie...hic...there goes another myelin killer! :)


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[Lady]

Howie, it is great that you doing so well.:)

Happy Anniversary, even if it is for a disease no one ever wants to have. But you made 10 years and are still going strong.:):):)

I love the Sponge Bob cake nuthatch made for you, it is perfect.
Lady (SB's space buddy)

[Cherie]

My DOD (date of Diagnosis) was December 8 1994. We went straight from 2 hours at the MS clinic to David's Realtor's association holiday party and the first person I saw as I walked in the door was Jerry. Jerry had owned his own Realty and construction company and 2 years before had been diagnosed with MS and was at the party in a wheelchair. That's the future Dave and I both saw for me in that moment.

Fortunately, although there have been wheelchair times, exercise, a well balanced diet, reduction of stress and an attitude ajustment (or rather many) has me doing pretty well. This place helped me get through some rough times as well.

Whisper,
I was in limbo and intermittantly affected for 19 years prior to the diagnosis. No one had ever done an MRI till I went to the eye doc for a blind spot that wouldn't go away this time (at least the 5th or 6th time this had happened over the years and the first time it did not come back).

[paj]

Hey Howie,

Want to say Happy Anniversary, but that doesn't quite fly. Thinking of you. Funny how we have these milestones.......

To many more decades of "reasonable" or dealable MS for you......

I hope that comes out alright :confused:
paj

[Howie]

Lady........wait a minute......I know who you are! You're really..................... :p

Hi Cherie! :)

Paj, just spit it out.......OH...not on my clean shirt!!! :) Good to see you.


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[renee]

Howie, what nice bon bons and photos of antiterrorist (or terrorist) anniversary kitties.

I will not be opening any bottles for you because i've got one too many daily drinkers in my life.
But.... I offer anniversary greetings and the news that there is life after MS.

Yesterday, year 12 into the MS party I got hit on- middle aged, wheelchair and all!
Not worth following up but sweeeet anyway.

Party hearty, dude!

[Howie]

Hey baby....where's the fire?

Darn Renee, there you go getting hit on again......you hottie!!! :)


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[euphoniaa]

July 2nd, 1998, I noticed my eyes felt strange in a nondescript way. It hurt when I rolled my eyes.

By the next day, I was starting to feel dizzy, and my vision was starting to double. I was about to take a weeks vacation from work anyway. So I had the weekend to get better before I was going to go to the beach.

All weekend I put eye drops in my eye, convinced I had just gotten something in my eye because that's how it felt.

Monday the vision was worse, so I called an eye doctor in the Yellow Pages simply because I knew where her office was. I thought "she can get whatever is in my eye out, and I can still head for the beach.

Take care all! :)

Congrats, Howie!

My own 5-year dx anniversary is coming up this month, but I like to celebrate it twice – both the 1st overnight MS dx from a specialist, and the 2nd MS dx 3 months later, from a neurologist who said it wasn't MS until she said it was MS.

But…I had an eye thing this winter similar to yours that has me wondering if, instead of having MS, I may actually be a princess instead. :) I described to my ophthalmologist that I felt like there were 3 different things in my eye – a fuzzy glob, something sharp like an eyelash, and some kinda chunk. And the doc pulled out…a ball of fuzz, a thread, and a chunk of something (true!) -- a la The Princess and the Pea story. My eye problem had nothing to do with MS. That got me to thinking that maybe I'm really of royal blood, but was kidnapped from my palace at birth and taken to live in a wretched hovel, where I grew up teased by evil stepsisters, who ignored my special royal sensitivity and forced me to toil away in obscurity for years...

Or…maybe I just have MS. :)

Glad you're doing great!

[Howie]

I think I have the same thing tonight. There seems to be a lump under my pillow. I don't know what....oh darn....it was Sam, one of my cats.

Nevermind. :)


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[ewizabeth]

What an anniversary eh Howie? But I'm glad you're still doing well in spite of the MS. :)

I had my DX 5th anniversary in January, and I'm still kicking. Just turned 50 in April, and I intend to celebrate my 100th in 2058. :cool:

[Howie]

50? You young whipper snapper! Keep that attitude! I'll be the old 104 year old guy when you reach 100! :)


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[ewizabeth]

Ok Howie, it's a date. :D BTW, my dear old Dad wanted to live to be 100 but he died at 92. If I live to 100, he'll be singing Happy Birthday from up above. :D

[Howie]

92, WOW!!! It's not 100, but that is a LONG life and I'm sure he saw and did SO much in those years.

I think in my family, my grandmother lived the longest. She was 82 and sharp as a tack. She taught piano almost until she died, and when she died, it was sudden with no long hospital stays or suffering.

That's how I would want to go.


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[agate]

I think it would be edifying if you'd post your MRI report--you know, the 10-year-old one?:D

[Howie]

LOL!!!! That old thing! I hardly ever post it. I wonder if I still have it? :p


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[BJF]

mine was my eyes first too, but my eye doctor didn't have a clue what was going on. how lucky to have an MRI on the first trip out.

he, further down the pike, was the first to say "MS" after I told him i could not see after i took a bath. "That's impossible, unless you have MS. It's not in your family, is it?" Yeh, 4, 3 of them dead. he almost fell out of his chair,

BUT
he did not even send me to a neuro. so i went undxd way too long.



to anyone new, i am not, even though it says so--you can't believe everything you read----this guy got me through so many things for so many years

and then this "Howie" was really "Howard" in disguise.


Here's to you!


b

[Howie]

Thanks Barbara! :)

Did you know there is no MS anywhere on either side of my family. I'm the only one and it would please me no end if it stays that way.


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[Mariel]

I too got a diagnosis because of an eye problem, but my eye problem was far from my first neurological problem. When I got double vision,droopy lid, blind spot, and so forth, I was given a Visiual Evoked Response and then an MRI. That showed the brain scars. But as I say, that was many years after my first neurological symptoms.

My MS neuro was a neuro-opthalmologist. I no longer go to neuros, as now I am more busy with hematologists for my other problems, Porph and ET. I like that ET dx, don't you, Howie?
It sounds like Outer Space disease. But I don't remember alien sources.

[Howie]

Hi Mariel. :) I had symptoms before I ever went to a doctor because of the eye problem. I remember I had a numb spot on my face once, but just figured I had bumped it while crawling under my car working on it.

Another time, I noticed both pupils were not the same size one day, but thought nothing much of it as they were normal the next time I thought of looking a few days later.

It was only "after the fact" I began to recall odd things that had happened earlier, before my Dx, that were probably MS.

Oh, and Mariel..........phone home. :)


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[ewizabeth]

92, WOW!!! It's not 100, but that is a LONG life and I'm sure he saw and did SO much in those years.

I think in my family, my grandmother lived the longest. She was 82 and sharp as a tack. She taught piano almost until she died, and when she died, it was sudden with no long hospital stays or suffering.

That's how I would want to go.


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Well maybe your car hobby will be like your grandmother teaching piano. Keep your mind sharp and busy to keep going. :) And I agree, it's best to go suddenly.

My Dad had a landscaping business until his late 80's, but ended when he couldn't drive any longer. Even after he retired though, he'd do things like shovel the snow off the roof in winter. :cool: (We had to hide the ladder eventually.) I want to be one of those who sneaks outside and starts snow shoveling when I'm in my 90's. :D

[Howie]

You can come and shovel snow off my roof. I'm one of those people that is not a fan of heights. I'm good for a few feet, like a step ladder, but past that makes me VERY nervous. :)


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