Sensory Inventory IV

I am experiencing all kinds of changes, so it is difficult to keep current with documenting.

Worst is less warning and greater urgency with urinary continence. I have had problems keeping my diapers dry. Since February, incontinent episodes have increased from a couple of small leaks once or twice a week to major accidents that not even super absorbent diapers can handle, every two or three days. I am going through the diapers at an expensive rate.

In the shower, my hands sense has regained full sensory awareness, so far as I can determine objectively. I can feel strands of hair now with all fingers except little guy right hand, and some areas numb still on the heel of the left. Otherwise, all okay.

Feet and legs continue unchanged. Some regained sense in right foot in the hospital stay, but nothing more since then. Abdomen still numb.

Facial area seems fully restored, as determed during showering and shaving, and during brushing of teeth. Still a lingering hatband lack of sensation.

Persistent nagging footdrop problems since February. Dr, Hyatt ordered cerebral MRI scan along with neurosurgury lumbar spine followup to find new dead brain areas causing the newer neuro deficits.

But nobody cares, I suppose. I didn't care enough to be mistreated at a hospital again at the time it developed. All they could have done is said, "Yep, another brain stem stroke. Isn't that odd!, we thought you woudn't have another one until at least a year. Oh, well. So much for medical prognosis."

I guess I'm off the list of most favored nation status or something, maybe for a long time. I'm not even going to argue. Oh well. I was hoping for a couple of more miracles.

I have also developed a high-speed faint that is very distressing, because other than coming from within aura status, there is no advance warning, I just start blacking out very suddenly, and it is chancy whether I can manage to grab something substantial on the way down or not. I've twice fallen and regained with really big bumps on my head even uglier than the ones there before. Dr Hyatt says the blood tests and MRI scan will help differential diagnoses. We' see what develops.

I'm still planning to get copies of imaging media to give to the radiology intern guy I met in the hospital a couple weeks ago. He agreed to research and help me find out what "white spots" are in the cerebral MRI imaging, and why they are different that sclreo bodies of MS.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Sensory inventory IV

The sensory map is getting really interesting features. Today in the shower, I noted new sensory deficits on my face, around the skin that surrounds my eyes and over my nose. This is a totally new area for lack of sensation. It begins to feel kind of similar to the skin of my belly, which resembles a leather bag. I received anti-coagulant heparin injections daily in the hospital, in the fat area of my belly, and I could only tell when the nurse was applying the cold alcohol swab. I had to ask them to tell me when they completed the injection. They said most patients complained that it was painful and traumatic.

My feet are also withdrawing into la-la land. When I woke from neurosurgery, my left foot felt like a wood block from toes to heel. It has not changed. Now the toes of my right foot are beginning to lose sensation also. More may develop.

In addition, The skin on the back side of my fingers and hands has lost sense of temperature. I noted this testing the shower water.

Seems as though things are changing very quickly. I'll try to keep up. Thanks to those who are following.

Sensory inventory

I have related something about compromised sensing of balance and equilibrium. I wobble when I walk.

Other body senses also seem less active than only a short time ago. I have noticed, in this colder weather, that my sense of temperatures at the skin is somewhat diminished for certain parts of my body. My legs, especially. I can stand out in the cold wind, freezing my hands and ears and my face, but my legs fell no chill. In the shower, I sense the heat deeper within my body apparently, but have less sense of the heat directly on my skin. This is a curious effect, with consequences unforeseen, as yet.

Yesterday, at the neurologist, my dad asked him about this sensory deficit, and if I am likely to regain some of this functionality, or if it is gone forever, like his peripheral neuropathy effects. The neurologist shrugged and replied, he did not know.

That seems to be the nature of so much about this little adventure. I am charting a lot of unmapped and unknown territory. Who can say what there is to discover? Who knows what is possible, and what is not?

I will find out for myself.