NURSES WITH MS

[purplesdk]

Was diagnosed in Oct 2014 with MS. Was wondering how many of you fellow nurses have been diagnosed with MS?

[Nicolamp]

Me too. I was diagnosed in August '14. I have had symptoms for years and even though I saw a neurologist 2 years before, he told me I definitely didn't have ms.

[Ayleiah]

I am 46, almost finished nursing school. I was first dx'd with RRMS at 13 ( I wasn't told) and at 19/20 it was confirmed. I have a theory about MS that most wouldn't agree with but here it goes. I had a aggressive pituitary tumor removed in '93, and ended up with a serious csf leak ... long story short... 17 brain surgeries later including vp shunts for acquired hydrocephalus and shunt revisions many attempted surgeries to seal the cranial leaks I had several MS exacerbation's. I would worry that I would end up in a wheel chair or worse. I had a exacerbation after my 5th brain surgery that took my ability to walk, talk and breathe on my own. The tremors were so bad that I couldn't brush my teeth. I was in the hospital during all of this, my sister was the only one who could understand my speech, I asked for a priest... That night my husband was called by the hospital at 3:00AM to come and say good bye because they didn't think I would make it until the morning. I remember him begging me not to go, the next morning my sister came to the hospital and said to me "Connie I think your having an MS attack", because I had just gotten out of brain surgery I thought something happened during the surgery. I was on a different floor of the hospital than I was with the surgery so for some reason they didn't know I had MS.... later that morning, the doctor came in,and confirmed that I was having a MS exacerbation... I said to my sister in a normal voice ..." I can beat that!"... I spoke normally before the solumedrol was started which has led me to believe that we can control so much of our disease progression with our mental out look. I have had 2 bouts of O.N. since 1995 and I am doing very well. When I go to the hospital for anything I often forget to tell them about my MS diagnosis. I have some residual damage in my left eye and I have some foot drop. I am not on any MS meds however I am on Humatrope (growth hormone) and a tiny amount of testosterone (female dose) because I am Panhypopituitary I do believe it is helping me with the MS part of my life. I stay positive, I don't focus on any MS symptoms and if I get any I put it in my mind that this is my life, I'm going to live it and nothing is going to take it from me. I am also on 4000 units of vitamin D. Most people with MS are low in both vitamin D and Growth hormone. I am considered SPMS and I am not progressing.