PatientsLikeMe ™

Two years ago today 2/23/2007 my life was great, I was working the midnight shift which began at 11pm. It was a very busy Friday night and I began feeling numbness in my right leg. I thought I had pulled something while working out the night before so I was not going to leave work because I figured it will go away. Add to that it was busy and I was enjoying the action. I thought that since I was able to run and chase people around how bad could this numbness thing be. Did I mention I am a police officer? At the end of my shift at 7am the numbness was still there. I was scheduled to work my second job at another police department from 8am to 1pm. On the way there I placed a call to my Mom who was an emergency room nurse for years, after I told her how I felt she convinced me to go to the emergency room. I placed a call to my wife to let her know I was going to the hospital, and told her it was not a big deal. The doctor at the hospital stated my blood pressure was high and ordered a MRI of my back which they said showed it was just bulging discs. They gave me prednisone and discharged me at 2pm. I went home and went to bed.

An hour later I woke up feeling numbness in my right hand. The hand also felt weak. I got out of bed and tried to pick up my wife's 5 lbs dumb bells with my right hand, which caused me to fall over to the right and I crashed into the closet doors. My wife immediately called the hospital and asked if there were any side affects to the medicine they prescribed. They told her that I should come back to the hospital right away. I remember getting dressed and crying because it wasn't just my right leg and right hand but also the right side of my face that felt funny. I was crying because I thought I was having a stroke and just couldn't see how that was possible. I am a salad guy and I work out a lot. I am not a junk food kind of person and I considered my self to be very healthy except for my life time asthma. Anyway we made it back to the hospital where they had numerous doctors waiting to attend to me. They did x-rays, MRIs and Cat scans of my brain. It was about 6pm when I lost all uses of my right side. The results of the MRI and CAT scan showed something but they had no idea what. I was admitted and test upon test continued after the spinal tap it was decided that a brain biopsy had to be done. I don't remember questioning anything that was said I just wanted to get better. The biopsy was scheduled for the Tuesday morning; I was transported to a different hospital for that. I remembered being scared to death but I didn't think I let it showed much. After the biopsy the surgeon told my wife it might be MS but will have to wait for a definite answer. In the mean time I will be transported to a different hospital to start rehab. I was thinking to myself how am I suppose to start rehab when I don't know what is going on.

Any way I did the rehab thing and was released on April 2, 2007 walking with a cane but walking. I was introduced to someone living with MS for years that helped me through a lot she help both me and my wife deal with this life changing situation. I say situation because I see situations as temporary. I feel I can deal with situations better that problems or disasters. I cry, cry and cry a lot more. Every now and then I still cry, will it stop one day hope so. On 8-19-2007 I returned to full duty running and all but life is still not the same. It's always on my mind, I did have a relapse and I had to write about that situation. I am happy I am able to site here at work on my down time and actually write about this, little tears comes to my eyes but it is tears I can handle. Two years later I am dealing with my situation through Faith, Prayers and family.