Ok, maybe I'm a little scared

Today, like most other Mondays, I boarded a plane from home to Philadelphia (Jersey, final destination). I had a layover in Detroit. I called my dad. I told him how I was feeling and he too suggested maybe I seek medical attention. At that point, I knew I needed to go to the hospital.


It's been a full day and I'm still numb. Not to the point of my body feeling 'dead' but just numb. There's no other way to describe it. I've talked to a couple people, nurses included that have encouraged me to go to the Emergency Room to get checked. So maybe I should have done that last night. It's kinda sad but my reason for not going was because I knew I needed to go to work this morning. :-/ #dedication


Even after being told I need to get checked, I still was slightly hesitant. Each person that I spoke too told me that i need to get an MRI done and because it's on the left side, most ER's will quickly make that happen.

So I landed in Philly, made the trek up to Jersey and headed straight to the Emergency Room. I told them my symptoms and they immediately sent me to triage. I'd walked into a busy ER at 5:30 and was already in a room by 6:00. "The left side" gets them every time. They were fearful i'd had a stroke.

I was nervous. Didn't know what to think. Wasn't sure what was about to happen. The nurse told me they'd do an MRI and that's what they did. Wheeled me back to Radiology and completed an MRI of my neck and spine. A procedure I'd had done a number of times, since I have a history of migraines.

I waited. and waited. I sat there for a few hours though. Actually it was about midnight before I finally got to the hometel. I'd had an MRI done, bloodwork and all. I was still numb. So what could it be? Finally the nurse came in to tell me I could g. Here's what the doctor's report says....

I'd been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

There are at least 6 discrete multiple short segment T2/STIR hyperintense intramedullary lesions throughout the cervical cord, the largest of which demonstrates peripheral nodular enhancement at the C4-C5 on the left dorsolaterally, measuring 10x5x5mm (measuring up to 1cm suggesting active demyelination on the setting of MS). Additional smaller short segment lesions are seen at C2 on the left dorsolateral cord, right C4 dorsolateral cord, right C5 ventrolateral cord, right C5-C6 dorsolateral cord. Aside from the focal C5-C6 disc protrusion indenting the ventral thecal sac, there's no disc herniation.

Dx1: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Lesion
Dx2: Multiple Sclerosis

Oh dear... He gave me a brief synopsis of what they found but that the Neurologist would need to see me to explain in more detail. What he said, shocked me. Not because of the severity of it but because I didn't know much about it. I didn't know what to think. That's not a good thing is it? I did a little research on MS tonight. Not much.The leaflet he had statistics on it. That's what scared me. Let's just say, I'm going to sleep not in the best of moods. Tomorrow will be better. I need to schedule an appointment with the suggest Doctor in the morning.