Living with MS for over a year and didn't know.

I will never forget, July 24th, 2003, my 40th birthday. I was in the shower and when I went to get out of the shower, the room started spinning so fast, it took me to my knees. I was hollaring my fiance's name, who was sleeping in the bedroom across the hall and he didn't hear me. So, I crawled into the bedroom, still soaking wet, and said, sweetie something is wrong with me, I'm dizzy and the room won't stop spinning. He, being half asleep said, just come and lay down for a little bit and maybe it will go away. So I did, laid in bed all wet and so afraid.

I had been going to my family physician and our local pain clinic, getting treated for degenerative disc disease in my lower back. I went through about 3 series of 3 epidurals and also a series of 3 nerve block surgeries for my back problems. So, I made an appointment with my family physician as soon as I could and requested another MRI of my back, she was thinking that maybe a disc slipped or ruptured.

My results came back the same as before. I was working full-time as the Acct. Office Manager at our local Wal-Mart, a very stressful, but challenging job. Every day I would go to work saying that "I know my body and I know something is wrong". But, they weren't finding anything. So, I made an appt. to see one of the best back surgeons from a city about 30 minutes away. He had a 5 month waiting list, but I made an appt. anyways. By this time, I'm having tingling down my legs and having difficulty urinating.

I remember just crying all the time, I was losing weight and nobody could tell me what was wrong with me. So, it got to the point where I had to take a medical leave of absence at work. This went on until Sept. 27th, 2004. Finally, my appt. with my back surgeon that I heard so many great things about from Omni Care in Canton, Ohio. He took a look at my most recent MRI and told me good news and bad news. The good news was, I didn't need back surgery. The bad news was he saw some spots on my spinal cord that is alot of the times associated with Multiple Sclerosis. But, he ordered an MRI of my brain and spinal cord, and then came the spinal tap. He made an appt. with a neurologist and then came the confirmation...Yes, you have MS.

My life has been forever changed!! Thanks for reading my story. It's been 8 1/2 yrs later, my MS has progressed to progressive and I have been in a wheelchair for almost 5 yrs. now. but, I still feel blessed each and every day.

Sincerely,
Kathy Newsome