Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Good noggin news (relatively speaking)

I had a follow-up with my regular doctor today (the one who called last week with the preliminary MRI results). I dragged some info out of him about this whole "spots on the brain" situation (he REALLY didn't want to say much, but I told him I was gonna worry anyway, and I'd rather know what I COULD be looking at rather than wildly speculating).

Anyway, the good news is that he's pretty sure it isn't cancer, tumors or anything else really, really scary and life-threatening like that. So that in itself is a huge load lifted off my shoulders, because in my scariest moments I've been thinking about death and cancer and having to shave my head (which, for me, ranks right up there with the whole dying thing). I told him to give me worst-case scenario so I knew what I might be dealing with and he said it could be MS. (On a humorous side note, I said, "Aren't I kind of young for that?" and he goes, "No, not really.")

I've been researching MS and I do have some rather concerning signs and symptoms (especially the damage to the optic nerve and the MRI thing), but you know what, you can pick almost ANY malady, look it up and convince yourself that you "have all the symptoms." However, I've come to accept the fact that it's a possibility--and I actually feel okay about it. If THAT'S worst case, then it's not the most horrible news. I can think of lots of stuff that would have been WAY worse. And, hopefully, my life wouldn't change very much for quite a while. (Other than a new family rule that "MS patients get more shit at Christmas"--I think THAT should be implemented immediately.)

So...I can actually sleep a bit easier now. If it turns out to be MS, then at least I've had some time to research it, get educated and come to terms with it. And if it's NOT--then hey, anything else is very, very good news.

15 comments:

Mom said...

well not ANYTHING else.

but if it is that, you have to move back to MI because hot, humid weather can make the symptoms worse. :-)

Mom said...

That's not as bad as when your dr. says you might be starting menopause and you ask the same question and get the same answer.

Jen said...

pretty much anything else, Mom. I mean, anything else would therefore be "not as bad" as MS, so it cant be THAT bad

Jen said...

Hahhahahha. Medical doobies all around!

Mom said...

No Renee - This was years ago.

Jen said...

Notice Mom is more concerned with her "early" menopause diagnosis than with all her kids sitting around and getting stoned.

LOL

Mom said...

well I just assumed you'd share your doobie with me.

and you said it too!! ("doobie")

Jen said...

You just ASSUMED I'd share my joint with YOU?

WITH YOU????

Oh yeah. Cuz sitting around getting stoned with my mom is, like, a given.

Jen said...

LOLOL. I'll try not to let you down.

Shit, we're tokin' up either way.

John Cowart said...

I hope the mri, x-rays and such are just picking up photos of hairpins you forgot to remove.

Whatever, I think you can land on your feet.

Mom said...

Renee-

When what?

Fred said...

Arggggg. That last comment. TMI! TMI!

Jen said...

Yeah, ladies, really. Try to control yourselves.

Jen said...

Then he'll LOVE this one.

Tuesday, I was at the gym. I speed-walked on the tread and then decided to run. About 2.2 seconds later, I was in the MOST UNBEARABLE PAIN OF MY LIFE. Let's just say, I went from "almost PMS time" to "definitely PMS time." Oh my GOD, did running hurt my chestal region.

Fred said...

That explains the sign, "Under repair, closed until further notice."