MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ?

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

PART 1...LET’S START  BACK TO 2013....

Having experienced concerns with my vision while

mountain biking late in 2013 - which included a near fatal fall on Table Mountain, I spent two months going from optometrists to ophthalmologists. Neither professional respected my claim that my right eye was losing focus when I got my blood pressure up. Other than mountain biking, the same thing was happening as I enjoyed a hot bath or chilling on the beach on a hot summer’s day.

Anyway, I managed to convince the ophthalmologist to refer me for an MRI. Upon receiving the results, I found his answer to me odd, but I do understand why he chose his words carefully. Sitting in his office with the results in front of him, he simply advised that the results of the MRI made it clear that there was nothing wrong with my eye. But because there was something else identified on the M.R.I, he strongly recommend I visit a neurologist to discuss the results in detail before I considered going anywhere else.

 

SIDEBAR: imagine you are driving on a farm dirt road while visiting family and you feel you are unable to see properly through the front windscreen of your car. Naturally, you decide to put the windscreen wipers on to clear the dry dirt and dust to see the road better. BUT, alas, the addition of water onto the dry dirt does NOT make it easier....it does the opposite...you can now see less through the mud smudged windscreen.

THAT IS WHAT I HAD WHEN MY RIGHT EYE....well...FAILED ME.

Fast forward to late August 2014, when the neurologist explained the findings of the MRI to both Jax and I. He remains my neurologist today as we both felt respected, understood and cared for - he managed this conversation very delicately with us. He explained that the MRI showed six blotches on my brain, which could indicate MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. Then he reassured us that that he never diagnosed M.S. until the results of a Spinal Tap (or lumbar puncture) were in front of him.