Diagnosis
Imagine waking up one morning with blurry vision, you continue to rub your eyes but it does not go away.
This happened to me.
My first thought was ‘maybe I slept on my eye too hard’, yes, I admit, this was a strange thought however that’s where my mind went! A couple of days had gone by and my vision was still blurry, so off to the General Practitioner (GP) I went. At first, my symptoms seemed to be migraine related however it was recommended that I have a x-ray. At the time, my husband and I were excited about our first trip to Europe together, we had booked a beautiful holiday which included a White Christmas! My results came back and my GP said “I think it’s best you see an Ophthalmologist (eye specialist) and I would recommend rescheduling your holiday to Europe”. My heart sank, it was obviously something serious.
While I was waiting to see the Ophthalmologist, I thought, I’ll go and see an Optometrist and hopefully they’ll be able to shed some light on what is going on. I had the check up and my results were all normal. My Ophthalmologist appointment arrived, I did some tests and the Opthalmologist diagnosed me with Optic Neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve) which was causing my blurry vision. I asked the Opthalmologist “what causes Optic Neuritis?" and he said “the cause of Optic Neuritis is usually Multiple Sclerosis (MS) however I’ll send your results to your GP so that your GP can refer you to a Neurologist to confirm”. I remember walking out of the specialist clinic and as soon as I reached the front doors, I fell into my husband’s arms and started crying.
My life, our life, had just been turned upside down, I had never heard of Optic Neuritis and I knew very little about MS; I only knew of the MS readathon and that people diagnosed with MS ended up with disabilities. I had no idea how I was going to get through this. My GP referred me to a Neurologist, it was an anxious wait. By this stage, my vision had thankfully resolved on it’s own however due to all the stress, I started feeling pins and needles in one of my arms and legs and recall waking up during some nights crying from the uncomfortable feelings. My body was reacting to this traumatic event.
I even recall being out for dinner with my family and feeling unwell, I was so emotional, I sat in the back of my sister’s car with my sunglasses on and quietly sobbed trying not to worry anyone.
The Neurologist sent me off for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, electrical response test, memory test, vision test and a blood test. I couldn’t believe what was happening, my life had turned from not going to the GP for regular blood tests to one medical appointment after another. I did all the tests my neurologist suggested, my MRI came back and the imaging was not clear so I had to do another MRI – this was an experience of it’s own!
By this stage, it was January 2015, my results finally came back and the Neurologist confirmed that I had Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). More about MS here. I was devastated. My life no longer looked the way I had envisioned it. I no longer knew how to imagine it. It had already affected our travel plans and now it was affecting my, our, our families lives.
So many questions went through my mind, how will this disease affect my life? our lives? will I ever be able to sing again? what is going to happen to me?
My husband accompanied me to each appointment which I am ever so grateful for, without his support I don’t know how I would have coped. Every time I left an appointment, I felt as though the information had gone in one ear and out the other, I would leave in a complete daze. The Neurologist advised me that there was no cure for MS however provided me with treatment options, available disease modifying therapies for RRMS. I recall thinking ‘thank goodness there are treatment options', it’s going to be ok, it’s ok’.
The Neurologist also suggested a referral to the hospital due to my age (31) as he believed this would be more suitable for me. I recall questioning the referral at the time and my GP saying to me “you’re in good hands, it’s just all about managing your MS”. I felt at ease however I didn’t really understand what ‘managing your MS’ meant.
THE MAY 50K
I'm participating in The May 50K with my amazing team the ‘Wellness Warriors'! Yes, we've decided to take on the challenge to walk 50km’s throughout May to raise vital funds for MS Research.
Research is the KEY to changing the future of MS.
You can show your support by sponsoring me and/or my amazing team at the following link:
https://www.themay50k.org/fundraisers/mirellapetrucci
Thank you, your support truly means so much xx