"You're going to put what WHERE?!?"

Tuesday morning and I cannot get an appointment with the two recommended acupuncturists or a massage therapist who specializes in neurological treatment (whatever that means...) and since my cement legs were becoming an obstacle in of themselves I knew that SOMETHING must be done. My mom advised me to go the emergency room to at least have someone look in my eyes and test my reflexes. Ah the emergency room, a place I am convinced cures you of whatever ails ya just by sitting in the lobby. After I give the triage nurse my sob story, I realize that it was not juicy enough to be taken in right away. "Cardiac pain trumps nerve problems" is what my R.N. mother tells me so I take a seat next to some cougar in a barely-there dress who is complaining about her arm. She gets to go in before I do. There must be some trick to getting through triage but I settle in with a 7Up and watch Home Improvement on the lobby tv. After an hour and a half I am called in! I am very excited that it is my turn and I scoot myself along. It seems that all the nurse is concerned about is a) if im pregnant b) why is my purse so heavy for such a small person and c) do I have a history of hypertension because my blood pressure is 155/122. I tell her a) definitely not b) I have no idea why and c) no I do not and it is probably just nerves. She takes my bag for me (how nice) and says that I must have a CT scan right away. As she races away with my stuff I yell down the hall "I'll be there in a bit" If I had to describe to you what my walk looked like I would say it was a hip-sway combined with a shuffle (?) My right leg tingled and had areas of numbness and so it displayed out as if I had no control over its movements (which I actually didn't...) So yea here I was in the ER in San Diego and had no idea at that point that my day there would last 7 hours. I had a CT scan which I hardly remember thanks to some good IV drugs, and a blood draw, urine, you know, the usual. I do remember being offended when the tech asked me if I could walk to get in (on?) the machine for the CT scan but that is all. So as I am lying in bed drifting in and out of sleep and in between text messaging, the nurses aide comes in with some papers for me to sign allowing them to do a lumbar puncture. *red flag alert* If you get quesy, do not read on. First I ask "I'm sorry but you're going to do WHAT to my low back" (aren't you impressed with my anatomy knowledge) And then I ask if its going to hurt and he says "well I dont know. Some people says it does, some people say it doesn't, I just really dont know" I look at him and tell him to please leave my corner of the world because he is of really no help to me at this point. I had had enough. As I lay there thinking about this needle going into my spine (ugh) the doctor comes in, and he is a reaaaal charmer. He is kind enough though to explain first what is going to happen ("it's only a small needle" - oh, helpful) and then walked me through once he got started. To be honest, the worst part was mental, the thought of this needle going into my spine and sucking fluid out. Dr.Levine leans over me to show me my cerebral spinal fluid, "oh cool" I say (and I really meant it) and he advises me to lie still for an hour on my side. Good times. So after two or so hours I start to lose my cool (the drugs had worn off) and begin to get really anxious. I wanted to go home so badly-I had been there since 11 am and it was now pushing five o'clock. My boyfriend was on his way over when the doctor finally came in to explain me what was going on. "You have to see a neurologist right away," his first words were, followed by "because I think you have MS." My jaw dropped and I must have given him a look to prompt him to say,"oh do you have a history of MS in your family?" "Uh nooooo, but I believe that I am about twenty-years too young for MS." ( still had my pride-and an attitude apparently) He went on to explain that the protein levels in my spinal fluid were elevated and my liver enzymes were also high, indicating that I had something neurological going on and that I needed to see a neurologist as soon as possible. As he went on to recommend some "very young and cool neuros that I think you'll like" I was thinking "yea I'll go see a neurologist when I have time." My level of denial had apparently grown in the seven hours of lying in that hospital bed with nothing but my phone and "Everybody Loves Raymond" blaring on my bedside television. About twenty minutes or so after Chris arrived I was discharged. I had spent all day by myself in the ER and was in near hysterics when Chris arrived. "Please please please dont leave me!" I cried. He reassured me that they were not going to do anything else to me. The ER discharged me and I went on my way. I was so worried about my car in the parking lot so I drove home. To be honest with you, I have little recollection of the drive home (or the trip to Ralph's to get some Motrin) but I do remember not being able to turn my head, which is always great when driving the San Diego freeways, right?!? I got home from the ER and did not know what to do with myself. I decided to eat. I watched some tv. I tried to shower but it was too painful to stand. SO, I went to bed. It took me awhile to actually fall asleep despite my exhaustion because my legs now shook and moved side to side as if I had restless leg syndrome. Although my legs moved, I had no control over them. Hmmm. What could it be?