I am continuing on with my health update blog on this second page as the first one is getting too long.
Since writing last (5August 24) I have been and had mri scanning done for my brain, thorax ( ribs) and my pelvis area of my spine.
I have to wait until February next year for my appointment with my neurologist who will give me the feedback on what she sees.
Meanwhile I have been waiting each week to have my outside oxygen at the end of the week, in order to be able to enjoy my weekend.
I have managed to get by on 2 sessions a week, as opposed to 5 days a week I was having initially.
I am currently having oxygen as I type. I today have felt exhausted physically and mentally I feel sleepy and so focusing has been hard and I have needed to do little amounts then rest. I am hoping that after an hour of oxygen I will be back in the game again, able to function.
I also requested my repeat prescription of thyroxine on Tuesday and received a text from the doctor saying I was to get a blood test booked. And that my reduced dose had been requested, although today and yesterday I went to the chemist to collect my tablets but the request still hasn’t arrived.
I am currently on 25 mgs . I have booked my appointment for next week for blood tests for thyroid functioning.
Here I am currently oxygenating myself
Update on health 13 September 24
I had the blood test for my thyroid and it was found to be too high for serum TSH level
7.63 mu/L (0.27-4.2) above high reference limit. So I increased my dose back to 50mgs .
Still sweating loads and having fatigue waves, where I feel I need to sleep, becoming very tired in my head.
And although I have been having 2 outside oxygen therapy sessions a week I come to see it is helping but meanwhile I am noticing my body doesn’t fully recover like it was from activity. Plus I am needing to urinate too much, like my body internally is not strong and is gradually weakening. I therefore have started back in the dive chamber again; where I am now currently writing this. I am starting again at 16 foot dive and so far no ear issues.
My appetite is back working and hopefully I will improve in my strength.
My examination results from April have now been viewed by the consultant and sent to my doctor and me. There was no big concerns but they will continue to monitor my eyes.
Last week I felt my left leg having discomfort below my knee, like it may have torn again. Certain angles caused discomfort and pain. I have been resting it best I can and soaking it and massaging in tiger balm cream, plus using the electronic machine that stimulates circulation as that has been noticeable poor. I intend to purchase some Chinese herbs to help with but currently my money is tight. Today’s oxygen may help with as previously the poor circulation in my legs went when I had had several oxygen sessions. So time will tell.
Today17 September 24
I am again in the chamber, today doing a 33 foot dive. After my 16 foot dive last Friday I was so much improved. Where I was having outside oxygen twice a week, I found it wasn’t long lasting and I wasn’t recovering fully after activity; which stiffens and weakens my leg strength. But with the chamber I found after that I felt much more energy and also I recovered after sleep/ rest. Also I felt strengthened internally and so wasn’t needing to keep going to the toilet. This lasted over the past few days but gradually faded and so now with this 33 foot dive I am expecting to be energised again. Which can enable me to get things done.
Health update 4 October
Currently in oxygen chamber on 33 foot dive I will write this update. I have been experiencing quite a bit of fatigue this past week and last both physically and also in regards to focusing. So I have been trying to rest and relax the best I can but also have been feeling a lot of spinning sort of energy which I only really know how to describe in Chinese medicine terms as ‘empty fire’ , it has me restless whilst meanwhile not really having much energy. It therefore is hard to manage as I am wanting to do much with this ‘energy’ but I am not really able. I pick up my books to work but my brain fogs over fast as I focus my eyes on the page. With walking I desire to go out but my legs feel heavy and tired. I therefore have been going out on bus rides; bringing with me my work to do in small doses. But I have been struggling for a week or so to hold myself up, my back ; in thoracic area feels too weak to hold me up, I am needing to use the stick for support and struggle to stand to wait for buses etc. I now think maybe the back weakness is being caused by my sitting on the buses more than normal, tiring my back.
I had oxygen on Monday and now today. I am trying 2 times a week. But after Mondays dive I slept well but still was feeling tired during the following day and throughout this week. I am hoping that today’s dive will help with the matter and strengthen me from within. I am focusing well currently whilst I am having this oxygen and wasn’t able prior.
Regarding my ears , I have been ok so far during and after the dives but today I was feeling ear ache somewhat initially but now I am feeling ok. I have noticed that my ear canals are wider now as opposed to them feeling closed before. My vocal cords are also returned to normal.
I was advised by my chiropractor that I can ask for the radiologist report before my neurologist appointment in February but I haven’t been able to focus myself into calling and tackling the obstacles that might bring.
There are currently other issues that I am having to address; which are quite stressful but need to be addressed in another blog. They are regarding my security and are yet to be resolved. So that’s my update for now.
Update 10 October 24
After 33 ft oxygen dive on Monday this week I felt energised and so thought ride my tricycle to local shops but I found that although I felt strong I was struggling real bad to get the pedals to move. I pumped the tyres but still it was a struggle, I asked a man for help, and he said it needed oil; which I had with me and so he sprayed it for me, it was slightly improved but still I struggled to get it to move. My legs seemed to be too weak. I note that I haven’t ridden it for several weeks and concluded I therefore have maybe lost the neuro pathways I had built. I wasn’t fast before but I was able to push it slowly. I know I am a strong person but certain activities like pushing the pedals or climbing stairs prove to be extremely hard work. I have been waiting for an appointment with the MSK services in Brighton since November last year, where I come to learn via a mri scan I paid for that many of my tendons around my knee were torn. So I am assuming it is neurologically caused but I await any professional help.
I meanwhile this week contacted my neurologists secretary to ask for a copy of the radiologist report on my recent mri scans of my brain and spine. She said that my neurologist will send them to my GP with a copy for me, so I await the post.
Update on mri scan of brain and spine
I went to the doctor surgery and they didn’t have the mri report but they did have a letter from my neurologist, commenting on the scan.
She said it showed minor small vessel ischaemic change .
No mri evidence of inflammatory demyelination in the brain or cord.
This seemed a little brief to me so I contacted her secretary and asked for the radiologist report for my chiropractor and physiotherapist to see. After jumping hoops to get a copy I was sent the report.
Health update
Today 22 November 2024
I will give an update on my health.
After much effort I managed to get a copy of my MRI scan of my brain, thorax and pelvis report from a radiologists .
Here is what I received:
Final Report
MRI Thoracic Spine
MRI Head
MRI Cervical Spine
MRI Thoracic Spine
_
CLINICAL HISTORY:
brain fog, pain in neck and ribs ? inflammation
There is a minor burden of small vessel ischaemic change in the hemispheric white matter. There is no large vessel infarction and no acute ischaemic injury on the diffusion study. The proximal arterial flow voids are intact.
No pathologic intracranial mass effect or focal, intra-axial mass lesion.
Brain volume is normal for age; the ventricles and extra-axial CSF spaces are appropriate in size and configuration.
No MRI evidence of inflammatory or metabolic brain injury.
Sagittal cervical and thoracic alignment is normal.
There is minor, multilevel cervical and thoracic disc arthropathy but central cervical and thoracic canal dimensions are well preserved; the cord remains normal in size and signal and is non-compressed.
Moderate cervical and thoracic facet arthropathy is evident.
Conclusion
Minor cerebral small vessel ischaemic change.
No MRI evidence of inflammatory demyelination in the brain or cord.
…..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
As shown it doesn’t really say much and it reads that there is no damage to explain my MS symptoms.
It is not very detailed and the reasons given for to do the scan are odd. I know sometimes drs have to write things to justify their request for scan but I don’t know what they have written I have neck issues for as I don’t and never said I did. And furthermore I don’t understand why as my neck wasn’t scanned. Additionally I don’t know I have inflammation of my ribs. I do have tightness in my ribs that I come to understand as ms hug, and treat with using a rib support to help hold me up, as the tightness makes me weak and unable to hold myself up.
Anyway here is the report. I am to wait until February 2025 to speak with the neurologist .
But meanwhile I have started seeing a physiotherapist at the MS Centre plus I will show to my chiropractor.
I am still in need of getting the actual scans. But I did ask radiology department for and was told that they sent them to neurology and neurology say go to radiology. So it is another hurdle to jump.
I did write about the recent appointments with both the ms centre physiotherapist and the one with a nhs , MSK physiotherapist. So am adding the link below.
Regarding my health I have been struggling with fatigue and back weakness in pelvis, causing spasms and also in my ribs struggling to hold me up for long. The pelvis spasms come after doing the leg raises I was given to do but they pulled on my back, which is an area very weak, since surgery on my spine. Therefore I can see I need to work on strengthening my core.
But this week I decided to rest as much as possible to see if it will help with the fatigue, which it did . In that I am okay but I haven’t got much done. I am currently having oxygen 2 times a week, usually 33 feet dives. But also did the resting in order to see if I may need more. But currently sitting in the chamber with typing I see not necessarily. As the resting has helped, albeit I haven’t been able to get much done.
Neither have I been able to do much exercises which the physiotherapist gave me; other than standing on one leg.
But after this current oxygen session I am going to see the MS centre physiotherapist again.
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