Finally, a Diagnosis!

Tweet

Today I had an appointment with a new neurologist. The last one I saw suggested I might have fibromyalgia but couldn't be bothered making an official diagnosis. This new one did a physical, including the "trigger point" test and confirmed that yes, I do have fibromyalgia. I am so relieved to finally have a diagnosis and to know what I'm dealing with. This explains the chronic costochondritis, the widespread pain that comes and goes, the chronic fatigue and brain fog, and why my symptoms sometimes go away and then flare up again. I also learned that at some point in my life I suffered a brain injury. The neurologist was able to tell that based off my reflex responses. He said both sides of the brain were injured and that it probably happened when I was a kid, although there's no way of knowing when or how it happened. I did fall and hit my head when I was 9 years old, and probably had a concussion. I also had a "probable" concussion when I was 25, so it could have occurred then, too. It explains a lot, including why my pupils are never the same size and why I get persistent migraines, although I have been getting migraines since I was 2. But he said the brain injury could have very well worsened the migraines or even caused them to begin with if it happened when I was little. Anyway he's going to write a letter to my primary doctor recommending that she refer me for physical therapy. In all honesty, I feel overwhelmed by today's visit. On one hand I am happy and relieved to finally have a diagnosis, as I've been searching for answers for over a year. On the other hand...it's a bit upsetting to learn I basically have mild brain damage. In reality, nothing has changed about me since this morning. I am the same person I've always been. It's still disconcerting to be told an old brain injury is effecting my physical responses. Perhaps this is why I often lose my grip when holding things and just randomly drop things for no reason. It's like my hand just stops working. Since there's nothing that can be done about it, I'm going to try not to worry about it. I'll go to physical therapy if my insurance authorizes the referral. I like this new neurologist and trust that he knows what he's talking about. He had a stroke when he was 21 years old and had to teach himself how to be left handed, in addition to relearning how to talk and do other things we take for granted. That was what inspired him to become a neurologist. He spent a lot of time going over things with me and didn't just brush me off as being anxious. In fact, he didn't once mention anxiety at all! The last neurologist right off the bat said my symptoms were likely "psychosomatic;" in other words, he was saying it was all in my head. But it's not all in my head. It's nice to finally have someone confirm that and to develop a treatment plan. Maybe now my health anxiety will calm down, since I know what, exactly, I'm dealing with. It will be nice to not have to keep fighting for answers, and just focus on treating my illness.