True : Not always MS

When you have MS, it is very easy to assume that every health problem is an MS problem. With such a long list of often vague MS symptoms, it is hard not to.

Even deciding when it is time to call the doctor about a symptom can be difficult. I find that even doctors are willing to assign blame to MS without much thought to other possibilities.

Just another reason whey we have to stay aware of our own bodies and be our own advocates.

AG, can I just call you AG?

So good to hear about the Xanax, whoo hooo!

I also agree that it is so hard to be so intune with our bodies, and know how MS affects us intimately, to be able to distinguish between MS and not MS.  That's true when MS itself is so ripe with unknowns and elusive symptoms.

Recently, I was discussing a recent development which showed up in my bloodwork with someone online who has MS and is also a trained nurse.  Even her response, when I asked what she knew about the abnormality, was frustrating to me.  She basically second guessed my PCP (who learned to listen to me years ago), gave fearful warnings against the corrective approach we were taking, and asked if I had seen an endocrinologist for a specialist opinion.

To be honest, I've got the neurologist, the rheumatologist, the psychiatrist, the opthamologist, the podiatrist, and the best PCP who has taken over gyn-duties.  They each are wonderful about communicating by providing written reports to each other after visits.  One time the rheumo even commented to me that she read in my neuro's note that he had given me samples of Provigil last time I saw him.  I think my back is covered.

But that doesn't mean that I can't be my own advocate, learn as much as I can about how the body functions and misfunctions, and express my concerns to my health care team.  Often I may be in the rheumo's office and explain something new or different going on and she can let me know if she has ideas to explore or if she thinks that it's something the neuro or PCP should know about.

And my MS nurse's mantra is that "not everything is MS, although MS may affect everything."

thanks for your post.  Now that I've droned on, maybe this should be my next sharepost, ya think?

P.S. I personally like the sharepost format (just because I come from the blogging angle).  But what I'm wondering is now that there's a greater number of folks getting involved, if the question/answer section couldn't be seen more as a forum with responses to each other.  Honestly I don't know.  I'm still getting used to this format.

I thank you for your insight and input which then gave me something to think about.