January of 2017 I felt a slight tingle next to the corner of my eye. A week later the tingle went from my eye to my nose. A week after that it went from my eye to my nose to the corner of my mouth. A week after that whenever I would feel the tingle my right arm and leg would have trouble with whatever it might be doing at the time...whether it be walking or writing. I went to the Navy doctor and for a month they tried to give me sinus medication. I asked whether my sinuses would affect the ability of my arm and leg to function but I was told that I had to "go through the process". I fought my way to see another provider,begged for an ASAP MRI and awaited the news. I went to see my neurologist who informed me that indeed there was something abnormal about my brain scan and that I would need to have a gamut of tests run and another MRI done on my spine. I was on pins and needles waiting for the call as to what was found. The first call I got was to let me know that I did not have cancer. That being my biggest fear because of my father passing from Leukemia and having a newborn that I did not want to grow up without a mother.
(I mean just look at that kid!)
The news provided a little relief but what was it if not cancer? My final diagnosis was Clinically Isolated Syndrome or (CIS). A one time attack of my immune system on my nervous system. The final result being an 80% chance of an MS diagnosis in the future.
This led me to do some research on MS and its affects on women in the military.
What I found was mind blowing:
|-The remarkably high rate in females puzzles Wallin and his VA colleagues perhaps as much as the overall high rates among U.S. veterans. “What’s contributing to the development of MS in females at more than three times the rate of males, across all service branches? That result is consistent with multiple studies in multiple continents that show women are increasingly developing MS at higher rates than men over the last 100 years,” he asked The overall incidence rate may have risen because of increased surveillance, the use of magnetic resonance imaging to definitively diagnose MS and greater awareness of the disease as therapeutic agents have emerged, Wallin said.
But, “the increase in women can’t be explained by technology alone,” he said. With growing numbers of women veterans, the VA has a keen interest in finding out exactly what does explain the much higher rates of MS in women
-|
So in everything I have seen (and correct me if you have some better information) the overwhelming consensus is that at some point we are exposed to some viral infection and our bodies cannot handle it. I personally believe that the incidence is rising because we are forced to take more immunization shots. I was forced to take so many shots (even ANTHRAX) which was eventually discontinued. I personally feel like this happened because of exposure to my daughters coxsackie virus. I tend to get sick even looking at the word flu. When my daughter caught the virus my whole family was sick with it (even my husband who does not ever get sick) and I was perfectly fine. It also coincided with the beginning of the tingles and motor function problems. But coincidentally it also developed around the time I received the flu shot. Because both happened within the same proximity I cant determine with certainty (although my heart tells me it was from my daughter).
Needless to say this was lifechanging. I constantly worry that I will have another flare and get the dreaded diagnosis. Recently I have changed my outlook and I just praise God for any time I have. I have become stronger seeing others that keep positive in worse situations than mine.
This video I found sets that perspective.