For the past several months, I've had facial numbness in addition to the
regular side effects of my myelitis. They did another MRI of the
cervical spine, where the myelitis is, and found only that the myelitis
was shrinking. Since I had a biopsy of that site, my neurologist told
me that the facial numbness was probably just some pulling on the bottom
part of my brain from the scar tissue. I wasn't really comfortable with
that explanation, so I talked the doctors into doing an MRI of my brain.
Just got the radiologists report yesterday - they found two lesions in
my brain, and now suspect MS. One I first got sick, they did a lumbar
puncture to rule out MS, and the fluid was clear. Now they want to do
another one. Can't tell you how much I hate spinal taps.
Has this, or anything similar happened to any of you? The myelitis was
bad enough, especially since the after effects of the myelitis and
associated biopsy look like they are permanent (the onset and biopsy
were in '94). Not that we are talking anything as horrendous as some of
you have experienced, but definitely uncomfortable and often painful. I
have accepted that the symptoms are worse sometimes than others,
especially when I am over tired. But the MS thing really is wigging me
out - the idea that this can happen at anytime, anywhere in my brain or
spine has got me pretty scared. My next move is to check the MS web
sites and try to get more info......