Know Multiple Sclerosis

The spinal tap must be one of the most feared medical procedures.  When I was told I needed to get one, I was a tad nervous.  The spinal tap is another tool doctors can use to help in diagnosing multiple sclerosis.  It's been eight years since I had mine, but I thought I would share a little bit about what it was like.

It started with checking into the hospital.  After I signed all the paperwork, a nurse brought me to a room where I could undress and put on the gown.  Before I go any further, I must say that I had never been to a hospital before.  There, I had to say that before I mention the next part.  The nurse returned after I was dressed in the gown and burst out laughing.  You can imagine my surprise.  She told me to go back in because I had the gown on backwards.  I had tied it around in the front, but turns out the opening goes in the back.  Yeah, that's right...not the sharpest pencil in the box.  I was off to a great start.

They brought me into my room and the doctor explained the procedure to me.  They first numbed the area with some small shots.  I was lying in the fetal position while he inserted a needle into my back.  He told me to tell him when the pain was too much.  At no point was it unbearable, and I'm not all that tough.  I don't know if it was the doctor adminstering it or the medication which numbed the area, but I felt very little pain.  It's different for everyone.

My spinal tap results came back consistent with multiple sclerosis.  My original neurologist didn't tell me that for many months.  When I asked about them, he said they were slightly abnormal but didn't indicate any particular disease.  A full nine months after the spinal tap, he was ready to send me on my way.  I asked for a brain MRI which confirmed MS.  I would encourage people to be vigilant about finding out exactly what test results indicate.  I spent nine unnecessary months (I know many people spend much longer than that) waiting to find out I had MS.