Shut Up Ronnie

Am now feeling the immediate after-effects of steroid treatment: exhausted, depressed, rage, weepy, sensitive, dizzy - like I've been hit by a bus. Thankfully the insomnia has stopped and horrific nightmares have ensued. Unfortunately my right hand has taken a turn for the worse: feels like the skin has been removed and the hand dipped in acid. The purpose of the steroids is to reduce the inflammation in the spinal lesion and possibly help the - Oh God, now I can hear Ronnie Wood shouting through the wall from next door! SHUT UP RONNIE!!! - possibly help the myelin to re-grow around nerves which may stop/ease the neurological pain. This can start to happen in about 6 weeks time, but can take as long as 3 months. I can handle it for 3 months, what's more difficult to cope with is the scary prospect of permanent pain if it doesn't work... SHUT UUUUPPPP RONNIE!!!!!!

Today's update

I have now finished 3 days of intravenous steroids. ATM can be caused by a viral infection, auto-immune disease, genetics or bad luck I guess. This is a real bummer when it comes to playing guitar but I can still play... sort of :-) 
The steroids will hopefully help to gradually ease the symptoms.  My follow up appointment is on 5th July. 

Spinal Crap

I finally had my appointment today at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, regarding the symptoms I've had for the past 3 months. I have a lesion on my spinal cord at the level of C3. This lesion is an area inflammation which has caused damage to the myelin sheath (demyelination) of nearby nerves. The nerves that are no longer insulated are sending out constant electrical currents causing continuous tingling and burning to my right hand and a shooting 'buzz' down my spine, legs and left hand when I tip my head forwards.
The diagnosis is 'Acute Transverse Myelitis'; Acute because it came on quickly, Transverse because it is across the spine at one level and Myelitis because the myelin which should protect the nerves is damaged. I currently only have one lesion - any more lesions in more areas would be diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis.
Today I had the first of three doses of 1mg IVMP (intravenous methylprednisolone). The steroids might help to calm down the inflammation, encouraging the myelin sheath to regrow and alleviate the symptoms. This can take 6 weeks and up to 3 months. I go back on 5th July for a follow up.
I am being treated in the MS relapse clinic so am around people with similar, but mostly worse symptoms than me.
The steroids can have strong side affects on your personality... but as you can see, my character and behaviour have not been affected at all...