It was 2011. A Monday. The phone rang at work. It was James, the PA that worked with my doctor. He was calling with the results of my MRI taken on 11/11/11.

“L, they say it is MS.”

What? MS? As in Multiple Sclerosis? That MS?

I hung up the phone and stepped away from the front desk, walk down the hall into an unused back room. And cried. I couldn’t believe those words were directed at me. MS. Did they have the right chart? My husband was diagnosed with MS 10 years prior. Are they SURE I have MS too? What are the odds?

I was 45. I had awakened on Halloween morning 2011 and my left arm was numb. My natural thought was that I had slept wrong. Two days later my arm was still numb and I realized the numbness was in my shoulder, neck and face, as well. My husband asked me how long I was going to let that go on. He thought maybe I should get it checked.

An MRI was ordered and revealed that I had two discs pressing on my spinal cord. Surgery was schedule for December 13, 2011 to have those discs removed and the vertebra fused.

I worked for an oral surgeon at the time. Preparations were made for me to take the time off for surgery. He casually mentioned to his family the symptoms I was having and that I would need surgery. One of his family members asked if a brain scan had been done at the time of the MRI. I thought that was an odd question and let my boss know immediately that I indeed have a brain and did not need an MRI to prove it. 🙂 He explained that facial symptoms are usually more cranial related.

My question to the surgeon’s PA was if he thought it would be unreasonable to have an MRI due to the symptoms of facial numbness. He did not think it was unreasonable at all and ordered the MRI immediately, not emergently, but more out of a need to have peace of mind sooner than later. The MRI was scheduled on 11/11/11. MS.

My neck surgery which was scheduled for 12/13/2011 was canceled and an appointment was made with a neurologist, almost five hours from my location. I knew somewhat of the neurologists in town. There were three. Their reputations are less than stellar.

Thus began my MS journey.

My next post will be about my MS treatment.