So What Is Wrong With Me? Posted: 03-12-06 07:46am
I am 48 and I have a variety of symptoms
which sound very much like cadasil and/or
transient ischemic attacks; however, one
of my doctors also suspects an aneurysm.
My spine surgeon says the symptoms can
only be caused by a problem in the brain.
My neurologist ordered mris of the brain
(with/without dye), mras (intra and
extra-cranial), echo-cardiogram, etc.,
which were conducted 10 days ago. I have
yet to hear the results of any of these
tests, though.
One of my little sisters is a nurse and
she says these symptoms can also be due to
spinal injury. Haven't found anything on
the internet to support that, though. I
have had spine problems for 33 years, have
had 10 vertebrae broken, have had 4
operations, now have parts from other
skeletons, artificial pillow discs and a
metal bracket holding me together.
Symptoms include: recurrant loss of
control of arm and/or leg (used to be
strictly right side but haven't been able
to use left arm now for 4 days). Painful
tingling like the sensation of hitting
"funny bone" throughout length of arm and
hand (this is like a moderate occurrence
of reflex sympathetic dystrophy - which I
have had in my right leg for about 10
years). Loss of balance. Inability to
walk without support (have walker and
wheelchair). Clumsiness. Loss of vision
in left eye - see everything in gray tones
now with that eye. Migraines - several
times a week, usually after loss of
vision. Forgetfulness. Sometimes I can
talk to a person and forget the person's
name and the content of the conversation
within 20 minutes. Mood changes - my wife
claims that i'm moody, irritable, etc.;
much more so now than 4 years ago. I
don't know, because I don't remember much
that happened 4 years ago.
I have been in a number of hospitals,
emergency rooms, etc.; over the last 4
years - primarily due to back pain, but
sometimes the back pain was after a fall
when I lost control of my leg (once going
up a stair and fell to bottom). My
neurologist couldn't believe the doctors
who saw me never considered stroke after a
fall or loss of limb control.
Once was admitted with chest pain -
shortly after an abnormal ekg, abnormal
stress test, but ok cardiac cath. I have
already had two heart attacks, my brother
died of his second one last year and
another brother had a triple bypass last
year. Both of my grandfathers and one
grandmother died of heart attacks too.
Good thing to know - for all of you out
there - is that social security says "your
physical health problems limit you to
sedentary work that involves mostly
sitting. We realize that your condition
prevents you from doing your past jobs, if
any, but it does not prevent you from
doing other work which is less physically
demanding." therefore - i'm not
"disabled" enough to collect disability.
The difficulty, of course, is in finding
an employer who is insane enough to hire
someone with my medical liabilities.
Note the "if any" discussing previous
employment. This after 30 years of
paying into ss through a variety of jobs -
they don't even bother to read the
application.
From what I read, cadasil isn't treatable
and tias are just the forerunner to the
one that either paralyzes or kills me.
Aneurysms don't sound so great either.
Could my symptoms have any other root
cause(s)?
