Neurology Appt | Arthritis Information
The LONGEST appointment EVER! My appt was at 9:45... I sat in the waiting room for over an hour and then another 30 mins in a room waiting for him. In all I got home around 2:45. And this guy was in town 7 mins from us!
So... it has been determined that I might not have had a stroke, he says he is not completely sure yet, has to rule things out. But he still could not answer why my face was numb and having sharp shooting pains in that area.
He done a nerve test on me. Which is a tazer and needles! Dude was zapping me! I NEVER want to do that again. He asked me if I had a problem with needles. I started to say yes, and then I said I am fine with them. The he pulled out this BIG LONG needle! He looked at me and asked me if I was going to be ok. I said yeah, but I do not like needles. He said well too late now. SO he jabbed me and it my thigh bone one time, it made me jerk and try to get away. He said sorry. My thigh is all sore now.
I am going to have all kinds of bruises from when he was tazering me. He done my right calf and I did not feel it, and he thought something, then I told him I could feel it but it was VERY faint. Then he moved on to another area.
You should have seen his face when he had me squeeze his hand as hard as I could. It was a way better reaction than the physical therapy dude gave.
All in all... he has decided that I have a lot of nerve damage. He said hands and arms have the worse nerve damage. My legs were not as bad as he thought they were going to be, but still were not in good standing. He says he feels I have a pinched nerve some where. and I am being sent off for a MRI of my L-spine & C-spine.
I told him about how my legs shake uncontrollably when I bend over a lot. He said that was not good. Already knew that... DUH!
He suggested to my GP that I have a TEE & Corodid Ultra-sound. Now, that has been bumped to just a TEE. Already had the Corodid. Not sure if I spelled that right.
He says I have little to no muscle in my hands. I asked how he knew that, he showed me. I told him they have been like that ever since I was a kid. He said he was not surprised since I had JRA. I also told him about my scoliosis, he said he already figured that since I had RA for so long and by the way I was sitting.
Oh and he told me why my spine & right hip hurt more when the Remicade wears off, because of the RA in my spine and the inflammation is pressing on my spinal cord and then the pinched nerve I have is getting pressed on by the inflammation.
He said if my RA was controlled I would not have as much pain in my back and right hip. I told him "I knew it was not fibro!" He said nope not fibro.
So there you have it.
Yikes I got nervous just reading about the needles!
Is the nerve damage from your RA? No stroke would be a good thing.... Is that what the Tee test is for?
I would treat myself to something extra special tonight after having endured that appointment!
wanttobeRAfree2008-07-01 16:59:32WOW! Hate those needles that the neurologist use. Everything he said sounds reasonable. I'm glad that they're going to do more tests regarding your face and I'm really happy to hear that he thinks it's not from a stroke. Sounds like we have some of the same spine damage. Even though I'm in clinical remission I still have back pain from prior damage. So don't expect it to all go away if you achieve remission. You've had many years for damage to set in. We win some and lose some, sucks! I'm really proud of you facing those needles and not running away in panic. He won't be able to use his hand for weeks because you probably damaged it.I've been through all those test too....not too fun; but it's good to get official word on your problems.
Hang in there Joonie.
I hate that nerve testing, and just like you will never have it again. "Listening to my muscle". Ha. Sounds like a very good appointment with the doctor, as he gave you alot of information. And he sounds like a straight shooter. Arnica for the bruising :) CathyI'm so sorry! I had two tests done--one was with needles, which actually didn't bother me, but the other involved a zappy thing, and it hurt so bad it made me cry (right after I'd done so well with the needles). It sucks! My results were all normal though. Hope you get some more answers!
a TEE is Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram it is where they run a scope down your throat to your heart and get a view of the heart from the backside.
Yeah... he suggested the TEE to my GP since my pulse was 121 and my BP was normal.
I am going to have to re-schedule my MRI because, as hubby pointed out to me, that is the same day as my Remicade infusion and well... I choose Remicade over the MRI.
Well... I am going to go lay down my back hurts and I do not want another repeat of last night/early this morning... my rib cage felt like something was constricting around it and it was VERY painful and hurt no matter what I done. I took 2 ultracets and about an hour later it eased off enough for me to go to sleep.
Oh KatieG! There was the behind the knee zap that made me tear up and cuss. YEP! The others were not as bad and some I did not even feel really. It was weird to go from a little zap and then all of a sudden I felt like I was being electricuted!
I bet he is in cahoots with the ghost and the alien that are hiding out in my closet.
Oh and he asked if I have fallen since the "stroke", and told him twice. Then he said try not to fall anymore. I was like "That has always been the plan even when I did fall."
Sounds like the zapping I got a few years ago when I was tested for carpal-but yours sounds much more painful. Hope you heal up soon. Doctors are sometimes just a bit too sadistic.
oh joonie.. I know of those horrible tests!! I was just talking with owiemom in PM about the PN she and I have due to the RA. Did they say anything about peripheral neuropathy? I was told it could be caused by RA and inflammation pinching nerves..
Hope you had a good night after such a rough day...
glad there was no stroke!!
Joonie - I'm right there with you on the needle thing. I about passed out when I saw the size of the needle they used to aspirate the abscess on my back. They numbed it, but not entirely so I could feel it if they were in the wrong place. One time the doc went in and I could feel the nerve pain from my back into my groin and down the front of my thigh. OUCH!
You sound like you have some of the same problems I was having before I had my back surgery. The herniated disc was pinching my sciatic nerve which caused severe numbness on the front of my shin. I hope they figure out what's wrong soon so you can get some relief!
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