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Panda

Another door out of Limbo Land

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Panda

Hi everyone,

Some of you may remember me but it's been a long time since i've posted here, I thought some of the limbo landers might be interested to hear that after several years of various tests & specialists i've been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome - something i'd not even heard of until recently.

 

When i read the symptoms, they fitted exactly, yet this was something I had never concidered. I have had a Lumbar Puncture & MRi, so my symptoms fooled the neuro & rheumy, not just me. This is one of the best links I have found which really show how symptoms could be confused with MS http://inthefringes.wordpress.com/eds/

 

The reason i had such a bad time with my Lumbar Puncture was probably down to dura ectasia & that spinal anathesic is often uneffective in people with EDS.

 

It can also cause impaired proprioception & vision problems. My 'drop foot' is actually extreme hypermobility, causing my ankle to be very unstable and floppy & the numbness & tingling is caused by my joints spending alot of their time slightly dislocated or mis-aligned which means they press on nerves & blood supply. At night my shoulders actually drop to the lowest possibly point which is why i waked up not able to feel my arms.

 

My joints have always clicked & cracked as a move, if anyone else has this symptoms its definately worth looking into. I was told by doctors that it was due to air bubbles in the joints but it is actually due to my joints subluxing (partially dislocating).

 

The bad news is that it has also effected my heart, i'm waiting for another MRI. It's also genetic so I'm having to arrange for my two children to be tested.

 

I'd like to say thank you to everyone who really helped me when I was terrified I had MS & was going through tests & hope this info can be of some help to someone. It does make you realise it is important to keep an open mind whilst in Limbo.

 

Take care

Panda x

 

 

 

 

 

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Christina

Hi PanDa

Thank you so much for coming back to tell us your diagnosis. It's great to hear this sort of feedback. I am glad you don't have MS, but I'm sorry to hear you have Ehlers Danlos. I don't know much about it, except that it's often inherited and is a connective tissue disorder.

It must be a worrying time for you especially with regard to your children.

Please feel free to keep in contact with us. I am glad your years of investigations and unexplained symptoms have finally been explained.

Chris x


Not waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain ....

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PaulX

Hi Panda,

This is one of those situations where you don't know if you should say congratulations or commiserations.

Not having MS is good but as for Ehlers Danlos syndrome, is that more treatable?

I know it helps to find out what it is, even if that is not good news.

I hope that knowing means you can now get some specialist help for you and for you children, if they need it.

Best wishes.

Paul


We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,

Running over the same old ground.

What have we found?

The same old fears.

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Hezza

Hi Panda,

Thank you for coming back and sharing your news with us. I hadn't heard of Ehlers Danlos either.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis but I hope that now it has been confirmed that you and your family have access to receive specialist treatment targeted towards the condition.

 

As has already been said please feel free to keep in touch with the forum if you wish to.

 

:heartraining:


Life is short. Eat dessert first. Jacques Torres

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Sleepy
Scully

Hello Panda,

 

The feedback is great, thank you.

 

I am pleased that you don't have MS, very pleased, although you do have this Ehlers Danlos syndrome, it's not something I know anything about either.

 

It must be a relief in a way, that you now know what you are facing. I hope it is something that can be treated. But at least you can now move on in the knowledge that you, and your medical team know what they are dealing with.

 

I add my wishes to you that life will be a bit kinder from here, but do drop in from time to time please and let us know how you are getting on?

 

Scully

x


They are not brain lesions..........they are just bright ideas

 

"The truth is out there"

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angeltess

Hi Panda, sorry to hear you have EDS, but pleased you have answers after being in limboland for so long.

 

Your post highlights keeping an open mind. I think the difficulty in not jumping to conclusions is because we don't hear a great deal about conditions like Ehlers Danlos and others, whereas MS may be rare, but is well known.

 

I'm in a similar situation to where you were, having clear tests but a heap of symptoms. Reading your description and the link you provided I can see some similarities with my symptoms. I'm not paranoid, and not jumping to conclusions that I now have EDS, but it is a thing I'll research a bit more into. What did strike me was the fact that I've had dislocations in the past, with minimal reasons for them, I bruise incredibly easily, have dermographism (marks left with minimal pressure), suffer tinnitus, occasional hyperacusis, numbness, etc. Interestingly, I have been diagnosed with hypermobility too. And I wake with dead arms on a morning occasionally.

 

I'm due to see my Neuro in May, but will continue to research until then - it's like having a big jigsaw with loads of bits that won't quite fit together. I'm pleased yours has, and hope any treatment provided will help you and your family.

 

Jan. xx.


Broken wings can heal and mend again. Don't be afraid to cry your tears out loud. Everybody needs to have a friend. Wishbone Ash.

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Panda

Thank you for your replys, its nice to catch up with you all again, hope you're all doing ok.

 

Yes, it is nice to know what is causing my symptoms. Most doctors seem to be aware that EDS causes joints to be very flexible & prone to dislocation but not aware at all of the neurological symptoms. It was the podiatrist that pointed me in the right direction when she was trying to sort out my wobbly ankle.

 

Jan - it's definately worth looking into, especially as you have had dislocations. You need to see a geneticist to be diagnosed & there aren't many of them around. I saw a rheumatologist a couple of times but I was waiting for an appointment with the geneticist for over a year.

 

Best wishes

Panda x

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Skylark

I have recently discovered another piece to my puzzle and this thread seemed the most appropriate one to use.

 

During a visit to the Orthotics department to get new insoles, the podiatrist happened to mention that my feet, ankles and knees are hypermobile. This rang a bell and I looked it up on the NHS website. What I found has shocked me.

 

I have so many symptoms, largely MS-like. My GP has referred me back to neurology after a research fMRI showed some structural things but as it wasn't intended for diagnosis, I need to see another neuro.

 

Now I have something else to add, besides 'so, my brain isn't as pristine as I was led to believe'. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome explains far too many of my childhood, post-natal and current issues.

 

Looking at the Beighton scale, I seem to be scoring 5 if not 7 points. I hadn't realised that I'm hyperflexible (and all the unspoken physical challenges that surprisingly brings). I never could do the splits.... I also read that EDS and MS can occur together.

 

All I can do for now is wait for my appointment to come through (please be soon!) and hope that I may have stumbled upon a relevant insight. If it is EDS, it doesn't just affect me but certain members of my family too as it is hereditary. I have a child. I'm a concerned parent.

 

FND doesn't explain things as well as EDS or even MS but it may overlap. Have I got one or several things going on? Where's the Exit sign?

 

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