Ok, so we've seen a lot of weird stuff through the years of my wife's MS. She has lost control of her throat and couldn't swallow, lost color and complete eyesight, felt weird pains and tingling, been numb all over or just in little spots, felt like her nerves were on fire, and a whole slew of other symptoms. This past week we were introduced to a couple of new ones for us. Now, we have been under a lot of stress lately. Life changes are happening and we are stressing, and hopefully we will have some kind of direction soon.
With all of the stress, I expect my wife to have issues. This time is no different, and she is having some weird stuff going on. The other day she woke up and had a pain shooting from her chest to the middle of her stomach. It was a piercing pain that would let up for awhile, and then come on full force. The pain stopped her in her tracks, and she wasn't able to do anything that day, but try to get in a position to stop the pain. This lasted a full day and even caused her discomfort when she was trying to go to bed. After a full night of sleep, the pain was gone, and there were no signs it had ever happened.
If it would have stopped there, I wouldn't have thought a whole lot about it. A few days later, she began to have severe stomach pain. If she laid completely still, the pain would subside for a bit, but as soon as she moved the pain would hit full blast and she would be bent over in agony. Again, the pain went all day and didn't subside until a full night of rest. The next day, the pain was gone, and her stomach was sore but it wasn't anything major.
On top of those issues, she has had shoulder issues for the past couple of weeks. Her shoulder catches when she raises it and she isn't able to raise her arm fully over her head. I know this, and maybe the other symptoms, are not all MS, but I do know that the stress the MS puts on the body seems to fatigue it to the point where she is more susceptible to other issues. This catch in her shoulder has been going on for awhile, and we are going to see the Chiropractor today to see if he can help.
It seems like through the years of writing this blog, I have repeated the mantra of stress and MS more than I would like. It truly amazes me how stress impacts the body, and how MS just magnifies that. We hope to find out some very important news over the next few days about our future, which should help to alleviate some of the stress, but until then we have to find ways to relax. Tonight we are going on a date, to relax and spend time just enjoying each other. It almost scares me to think of all the weird ways MS affects the body, and I would just as soon not find out. Stress, please go away!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
13 comments:
Thanks Cory for your blog. It made me cry but gave me hope too.
I have a wife with MS and we've been married for nearly 11 years and I struggle with the who/why/what/when of the disease. My wife and I take each day at a time and hope (and pray) for the best in the days to come.
Thank you Cory, Yes, stress is a huge factor in my wife's MS, too. Sounds like you all have been having a difficult time lately. God bless you.
Thanks Cory for sharing your personal story with the world. It makes me feel like there is someone out there I can identify with.
My girlfriend has relapsing remitting MS and we've been dating for a year now and the biggest symptom that she has is her stomach. I was doing some research and I think its referred to as "MS Hug." It happens to her at night and some nights we really don't get much sleep because she is agonizing in pain. She has to sit up because It gets worse when she tries to lay down. It really pains me to see her go through it but the best thing that I found I can do is just get her to relax and do some deep breathing. Stress definitely has a lot to do with it too and since we are in the middle of moving to a new apartment, I am going to do my best and keep things calm.
I really enjoy reading your blog and god bless you for sharing your situation.
Anonymous, thanks for the comment. I am sorry your girlfriend is going through so much pain, and I applaud you for sticking through the MS and caring for her. MS is such a messed up disease, and when you think you have it figured out, it attacks something else and keeps you guessing. If you have any specific questions shoot me an email at mywifehasms@gmail.com and I will try to share what we have learned. Good luck and stay positive. I know it can be tough, but she needs to know you are there through the mess of MS.
Is the pain in your wife's stomach the "ms hug"?
My weirdest symptom ever: Everything tasted and smelled like fishy oil.
Hey Spooky, that's a really weird symptom. I don't like the taste of fish so that would be miserable. My wife has had an MS hug many times but I have never thought about it being in her stomach. Don't really know what was causing the pain, but glad she hasn't dealt with it since.
Make sure your wife isn't having other issues Cory. Unfortunately, those of us who have MS have a tendency to blame everything on our MS when it could be another problem. I pray she's better soon!
Hey Anonymous, we are always very aware of other problems. MS can definitely be blamed for so many things, and it amazes me how many weird symptoms that do truly connect themselves to MS. Thanks for the concern, and my wife has been doing pretty well. The heat isn't helping, but we can deal with that.
Hi Cory... your wife is very lucky to have someone like you who is empathetic and shows a real interest in her health. It's hard for me to explain it, but my husband somehow makes me feel guilty about my MS or any new symptoms I might be experiencing whenever I mention them so I've learned to just keep it to myself and make other excuses for not wanting to do things when I feel bad. It's almost as though he's jealous or resentful that I have some kind of unfair advantage over him because I have MS. I know that sounds stupid and I can't explain it, it's the kind of vibe I get from him. It's not like I wear my MS on my sleeve either, quite the contrary. By looking at me no one would ever guess I have MS as my symptoms are invisible to everyone but me. Most people I know or meet aren't even aware I have MS and those who do know always forget I have it. Unfortunately, I feel it every moment - the fatigue, the permanent numbness on the left side of my body, and my foggy brain, not to mention the ever-present fear about what's going to happen to my body next lurking in the back of my mind. Anyway, it's very lonely and frustrating at times, not feeling "allowed" to talk about how I feel to the people I live with.
The real reason for my post today was to ask if your wife or other posters have experienced sudden pain in different parts of the body all occurring about the same time. For the last few days I have had what feels like deep muscle or joint pain in the front of both my lower legs, but only on the left side of my outer thigh and wrist, and then only in my right hip. The pain feels like I was in a car crash or worked out way too hard. Today a bad skull-cap headache came on as well. I agree with what you've written about the affects of stress on MS symptoms and it has been a stressful week, but in the past when I've been stressed I've noticed increased tingling, numbness and fatigue, but not pain.
Thanks for sharing your and your wife's experiences and listening to others. I'm glad I came across your blog. - Gloria : )
Hi Gloria, sorry I haven't posted this til today. I've taken over a children's home and it is consuming so much of our time that I haven't been able to work on the blog. yes, my wife has had pain come on instantly and in different parts of her body. She has had leg pain that would shoot in spurts and would happen in either or both legs. Most if not all of her pain seems to be in her legs, unless it is a headache. I hope you find some relief in your issues, and please let me know if there is any other questions you have.
Oh my goodness, Gloria! Your story sounds a lot like mine. Constant fatigue, numbness on the left side, foggy brain. I've just recently developed the "stomach issues" and went on a Google search to find out if it was MS related. That's how I found this blog.
How do we break through the guilt - or whatever it is - and stop keeping it to ourselves?
Cory, you're an inspiration because you're a spouse who's also looking for answers. Thank you!
God bless!
-Debra
My husband is a lot like Glorias... Your wife is very lucky, I think my husband is terrified of my MS, it's like if I talk about anything that's going on he gets so mad! Anyways this some of my weird stuff that's been going on.. About a week ago I started having horrible head rushes while in a laying/sitting position, then a couple of days later I had horrible shooting pain in my eye, it was so bad I thought the whole right part of the back of my head was going to explode, plus I was very light headed. Then last night I was woke up having another head rush and sick to my stomach, I started shaking uncontrollably and thought I was going to pass out in the bathroom! I finally made it back to bed but I was shaking so hard, that I thought my teeth were going to break, an I was shaking the whole bed! I blacked out and woke up about an hour later, with severe teeth and jaw pain, an a lovely migraine... So that's what kinda weirdness I've been going through an it sucks even more because I no longer have insurance! Grrr!!! Anyways love the blog Cory, glad I found it
Hi Gloria, sorry to hear that you're having so many odd symptoms. I know that my wife has had the light headed feeling but not the other issues your talking about. I hope you figure out what will help you soon.
Post a Comment