Recently I have developed tingling and numbness in my hands, and sometimes a feeling of goose bumps on left leg. Since I had the same feeling in my hands ten years ago, and was given the diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I wore at the time braces, and it literally disappeared for many years. Then in July I had sudden hearing loss in one ear (overnight), and ENT specialist ordered brain MRI because he could not find any obvious cause. My hearing literally came back within ten days. In the meantime, MRI results came and the doctor informed me they were normal, and that was it.
Now, after tingling and numbness in my hands was very uncomfortable ( but the same as ten years ago), I decided to see why it came back and made appointment with a neurologist That appointment was yesterday afternoon. Since I had fresh brain MRI I took it with me. To make it shorter: the neurologist told me that she looked at it and thought the white matter abnormalities, labeled in the report "unspecific chronic microvascular changes", are typical for aging ( I am 58 year old female), but added she thought there were too many in her opinion, for my age. Then she said: I want you to have spine MRI, so I can rule out some things. I asked what is it she may be looking for, and she responded :Your worst case scenario is MS, but I really just want to rule out, and I am not saying you have have it.
I had cold shower feeling all over me. I said: Oh God, that is not what I expected, and she responded : What did you expect? I thought her question was crude and inappropriate, at best. When I said that my ENT called in July to inform me that my brain MRI was normal, she said: I do not think anybody looked at your brain MRI. I was in total shock.
And then , when I asked if her assistant who took all my info before I saw her, told her that I had this same feeling ten years ago and it passed for many tears, she looked little surprised and did not say anything. She however, decided then to squeeze me that day for special test for my arms nerves, EMG. I waited until the last patient left, and the test ( pretty uncomfortable and involving electro shocks and a needle) was done, the needle part by the doctor herself. While she was doing it, I said, I hope I have carpal tunnel, and she responded : Me too.
Then she finished, and took me to her office and said: Well you have bad carpal tunnel in both hands/arms, worse in left one. I am not worried any more, but, I still want you to have spine MRI and vitamin tests, because that is how I do things and want to be sure (?!) I thought I was going to faint! She sao how I looked and repeated: I am not that concerned any more.
ANyway, I left pretty happy, because that obviously explains my symptoms. But, during the night my fears came back, and: my legs started twitching and I had bad cramp in my right calf. Obviously at this point I have no idea if my mind and fear were doing this to me, but I barely slept. This morning I started thinking that my hearing loss in July was actually caused by the onset of MS too. However, I still do not believe that my ( very good) ENT would not even look at my MRI results and tell me it was normal without looking at it!!! I mean, which doctor in the US does that, it is a call for malpractice law suit!
I know this is awfully long post, but my deepest thanks to all who have patience to read it and offer some comfort and piece of advice. Deep inside I tend to think that the neurologist yesterday was at the end too proud to tell me that I actually do not have to have another MRI because she jumped the gun. But, what if she is right. I think somehow I am too old for MS, and what are the chances that i have MS onset but also severe bilateral Carpal Tunnel syndrome? But - how can a person be sure. And if I do not do spine MRI, knowing myself, I will never stop thinking about it, and would probably develop new symptoms ( like last night), because I have been able to produce many symptoms with my mind, for many years.Again, thank you all for your insight.
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