You’re A Numb Skull…Literally

One of the weirdest things that has come and gone over the years (and is back today) is that the back of my head becomes numb. It is the most unusual and unexplainable sensations ever.

It is sort of like when your leg falls asleep and right before it starts to wake up, you feel this numbing sensation. That is sort of what is going on with my head. It doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t feel good either, but it is very present…very very present. It is not a good or pleasant feeling…at all.

Usually when it happens it starts in the back of my head, then expand to include my ears, and then parts of my face. It will last for a while (a day or two usually) then it goes away again until it misses me so much that it comes back.

According the MS Society:

Numbness of the face, body or extremities (arms and legs) is one of the most common symptoms of MS. Often it’s the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed with MS. The numbness may be mild or so severe that it interferes with the ability to use the affected body part. For example, a person with very numb feet may have difficulty walking. Numb hands may prevent writing, dressing, or holding objects safely.

People with MS who have severe facial numbness should be very careful when eating or chewing, as they may unwittingly bite the inside of their mouth or tongue. People with numbness over other parts of the body should be careful around fires, hot water and other sources of heat, as they may suffer a burn without realizing it.

There are no medications to relieve numbness.

(http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Numbness)

Great information, but it doesn’t talk specifically about being a numb skull…I mean having a numb skull. So I read other people’s stuff online and found this guy Matt who has MS and has experienced something very similar. Here is a piece form his site:

Woke up this morning an my head was numb... The back left of my neck, the back left of my head and my left ear. As the night is coming to an end it is slowly spreading down towards my cheek... I can feel that I am touching my skin but it is a very faint sensation as if a dentitst decided to shoot me up with novicane all over my neck, head, and the left side of my face. Also been experiencing a little more pain than usual today most in my right hand's fingertips. One finger in particular has a sever almost itching sensation that comes and goes but mostly just the "I just smashed my finger with a hammer" sensation. My left sciatic nerve is bothering me a bit as well. That's all that's new, vision and everything else is no different than usual.

(http://www.mattsms.com/2012/01/woke-up-this-morning-my-head-was-numb.html)

It is crazy how differently Multiple Sclerosis affects different people, yet there is such a commonality of similarity that is undeniable.

WARNING: Do not attempt to make your own head go numb. MS is a serious and sometimes laughable matter. Do not try this at home kids; I am an untrained professional who cannot control his own body.

Seriously though…a numb head really really sucks…I hate it!!!!!

http://chrisallreddesign.com/

I wrote this as the opening to my website link and wanted to share it…

Chris Allred’s Personal Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – The Blog
    

This is about me, or at least part of me because MS doesn’t define me…I’m not a disease, nor do I look upon Multiple Sclerosis as a disease, but rather a lifestyle change. Some people will be able to relate, while others cannot see past the physical and have no ideas what MS truly is.

MS can be, and is, different for everybody fighting that unknown battle; however, with those differences comes a lot of similarities and understanding.

What I just said should be clear to people with MS, and/or to the people that are very close to a person living with MS. To everyone else…it probably sounded like double talk that went absolutely nowhere…unknown with understanding?????...differences with similarities?????...yes, and that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg.

What are some of your symptoms because you don’t look sick?

This is something that I wrote a long time ago, and featured it on my website Chris Allred Design (http://chrisallreddesign.com) and still feel as though it is still very relevant:

That is a big question and unfortunately different versions of that same question get asked to lots of people living with MS on a daily basis.
It’s not the flu, it is not always that obvious to see, and don’t worry it’s not contagious. I am happy to report that people living with this disease live long enriching lives, with the added benefit of having huge stumbling blocks thrown in the way in an attempt to keep you from getting from here to there. No one said life was easy, it just happens that some of us take a little longer getting to where we need to go. The person who first came up with that old proverb of not taking the easy road must have had Multiple Sclerosis, because every day is a struggle. I’m not dying and so it is easy for me to stay positive based on the fact that there are worse diseases out there. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hate MS, but I would rather have it then something worse, and so that makes me lucky. There is no cure, and the symptoms vary from person to person, and strangely enough the symptoms vary in the same person based on if it’s Tuesday or not (Tuesday has nothing to do with it…it was a joke based on MS is a disease without reason).
Personally, most of my symptoms come and go, lasting a few days to a few weeks depending on how long they choose to last (I have no say in it). However, there are a couple of things that are always present no matter what, and those are fatigue and an excruciating pain in my hands and feet. I’m not going to bore you (nor do I choose to share) with all of the symptoms that I have had over the last few years, but I will say that my biggest frustrations are mental and physical.
My absolute biggest frustration is getting my body and mind to work together. Examples:

1. I know what I want to say, but I can’t get it out. So I either look lost for words or unsure of myself.
2. Motor functions, as in I know what I want to do and how something should work, but my hands don’t always agree; like using the mouse, using the keyboard, writing, picking up things, holding on to things, etc., etc., etc.
3. Mental pause, as in my brain seems to take a break. It happens a lot and I know it’s happening, but I can’t do anything about it. I just stop! Stop thinking, stop speaking, stop moving; everything seems to shut down (except of course for all of the involuntary stuff like breathing and blood pumping through my heart). It last from a few seconds to a few minutes, and I am aware of it, but I can’t explain it.

My second biggest frustration is coordination. Examples:

1. Falling down is a huge concern. I have done it, I have been hurt by it, and there is a fear of serious injury depending on where it happens or what I may hit on the way down.
2. Legs not working properly, as in they sometimes like to give out; sometimes I know about it (as it has been going on for a while), and sometimes it is brief and without warning.

I am a stubborn kind of guy, and so I don’t let it beat me. I gave in and bought a cane a while back though, but I refuse to use it because I don’t want to be labeled. I should have been using it for a long while now, but can’t seem to do it. It is all about baby steps, and I’m on step 2.

1. Step 1 – Admitting you need assistance.
2. Step 2 – Buy a cane.
3. Step 3 – Use the cane.