In the Beginning

Since I'm deep into the clinical trial, I am trying to back track to the beginning of things to catch everyone up to speed.

My migraines started about 5 years ago in my last year in the service. I don't know if this is related or not, but I had never had migraines before and have had them on and off since. I was feeling really nauseated with the migraines and when I had to go to the doctor about it, they gave me 800 mlg IBProfien and Phenegen and a quarters slip and sent me home. That was pretty how I delt with it for then next 4 years.

NOTE: Taking a half or a 1/4 of Phenegen will give you the nasuea supressing effect without knocking you out cold.

Last summer I started having facial numbness. It started out around my eye area and then progressed to my forhead and then consumming most of the side of my head minus my mouth and down. Not having insurance at that moment, I WebMD myself and the only thing that came close to it was Bells Palsy. It said it lasts on average of a month. I gave myself a month and then I would go pay for a doctor. My husband was great, massaging my face during this month because thats what the computer said would help. It DID go away after a month so I thought nothing of it.

6 months later, I picked up a job. Keep in mind I was in school full time as well. So I was going to work from 9-5 and then to school 6-9ish 3 nights a week. This proved to be just to much for me. My migraines came back with a vengence until I almost passed out at work. This time I did have insurance so I went to the doctor. He started giving me treatment for migraines. He gave me Topamax and Frova. The Frova seems to work, but you have to catch it as soon as you are getting a migraine or it is worthless. If you are busy and cant get to it in time its far to expensive to bother with. Plus my migraines were far to frequent. The topamax did cut down on the severity a bit, although I would still have some woppers. It also cut down on the frequency but not by much.

Needless to say I had to quit my job. I applied for some desk jobs for the state since I get preferance because Im a veteran. That never panned out despite being 2nd on the list for the state with my scores because the state is broke. They are actually laying off people and trying to get people to retire. So hiring is suspended indefinately.

My dosage of topmax, kept getting increased till I could barely concentrate on anything. I went to my doctor for a change in meds, becaue the Topamax was just not working. He decided to opt for an anti-depresant called Selexa. He had me taking both since he wanted to wean me off of the Topamax. The first day was odd, but that was to be expected. The next day was worse, and the third day I could barely walk and almost fell off the toliet just trying to go to the bathroom. My husband had to help me back to bed. Luckily I have my trusty phengen to save me. I went cold turkey on both meds because I was one step away from going to the emergency room in misery.

That is when then facial numbness started coming back. I thought oh no not this again. How annoying. This time it incorporated my mouth which made eating difficult because it totally ruin the taste of everything and my vision which made driving scary and in retrospect was probably a bad idea. But I didnt have much of a choice. Which is why Im moving back to Mississippi near my family so there is someone there to drive me when I have to go somewhere and my husband cant take off for a week to help me.

It also spread to my leg which was acward. I had to put forth effort to walk without look drunk. I made it through class although I couldnt look at the teacher often because the vision thing was totally tripping when I tried to focus on anything. My handwriting was even off. I had no problem in my hands, its just amazing how many things rely on your vision.

I was expecting some withdrawl symptoms from going cold turkey, so I gave it a week or so about close to 2 by the time I got in to see the doc. I just wanted to know how long these withdrawl symptoms were going to last. He wanted me to see an eye doctor and have an MRI. Well the eye doctor said he wanted an MRI too. The MRI took weeks for the insurance to approve so about the time I went in for the MRI I was almost symptom free. I thought way to be on the ball docs.

The MRI took forever and was completely boring. We left the hostpital and went to get something to eat at the Arby's. While at there I got a call from my doctor's office asking me to come in to the office. So after we ate we stopped by their office. I thought it was just to go over the results and send me on my way. Well we went over the results and he said that I have MS. He was not that blunt about it, I just shortening the conversation. lol. That was the first of the 2 times Ive cried since Ive been diagnosed.

That was Feb 08.