My story could start like the best thriller, full of surprising twists. But let's focus on the key chapter for now – the first alarm regarding my health. I admit without shame: the life choices I made did not always favor my body’s well-being. To summarize: if something was harmful, I probably knew about it... and worse, I probably loved it...
From time to time, I suffered from discopathy in the lumbar spine, which usually resolved on its own, as if nothing had happened. I always had powerful painkillers on hand, as if they were my closest allies. Rarely, only in moments of true desperation, did I decide to visit an orthopedist or neurosurgeon, treating it as a form of self-therapy – an attempt to convince myself that I was doing something... Every X-ray exposed more facets of my discopathy, and medical verdicts, invariably directing me to rehabilitation, ended up in my desk drawer.
But one day, the pain reached its peak. It became so intense and searing that I cannot describe it... For the first time, I faced the necessity of seeking help – I needed transportation to the doctor for a so-called spinal block and pain injections. Ironically, my regular doctor, a companion of many years and the author of many referrals, had just gone on vacation. Left to fend for myself, I ended up in the emergency room, where my odyssey in search of the truth about my condition began – a painful journey to the correct diagnosis.
Experience taught me always to carry my medical documentation, which proved to be a blessing in disguise this time. A young doctor in the ER, after reviewing my X-rays, surprisingly noted that although discopathy was a fact, the symptoms did not correspond to the changes visible on the images. Instead of the expected left side, the pain plagued the right... After a long conversation and a detailed medical interview, I received my first referral for an MRI and relief in the form of an IV drip. The pain subsided. Success. Or was it? I probably don't need to tell you what happened to the MRI referral... Of course!!! It joined my collection in the drawer, alongside invitations for rehabilitation. Days passed, weeks, months... Everything seemed to return to normal. I felt good and had almost forgotten about the past ailments.
It was all good until, at a birthday party, I started dropping items from my hand, specifically glasses. Well... that’s what happens when you overindulge, so I decided to blame it on too many toasts. True anxiety arose the next day when a disturbing numbness settled in the fingertips of my right hand, like dried super glue. In a panic, I reached into the drawer for the MRI referral, with only one thought – is it still valid???
To be continued next month.
Author: Andy - CEO of Biomelius LTD, who was diagnosed with MS in 2017
