Not recognising self in reflection

[NakedWombat]

Whatever the undiagnosed condition is on top of the Tourettes Syndrome appears to have accelerated a little here and there as this year went on but decided to go down an unwanted road in the past month or two. At first I ignored it as it happens to everybody in the odd fleeting.

I only realised that this could be serious a week or two ago when I found myself wondering how was looking at me. I was about to ask my wife if she knew who was looking at me when I suddenly realised that it was my reflection in a glass door of the wooden unit across the room. I can't remember where we were when this happened. The other new thing of having to remember how to put a sock on my foot has lost its humour. That and finding my kids getting grumpy at me for not turning cooking appliances off.

My family doctor(GP) asked me to see if I can get into my neurologist earlier despite seeing him in 5 weeks time. He only visits the region for one week every month but I got an appointment for the coming Thursday.

I'll also have to see about see what he wants to do about a biopsy as I cannot afford the Day Surgery costs at the private hospital which cannot be claimed back not having any private health insurance. The government health system is broken. I won't go in any more when I have an attack as they only send you home due to not being funded to care for neurological issues despite it having me in the high category risk of having a cardiac arrest. They're not funded for lung patients either. The top management have lots of funding for holiday resorts and expensive lunches and dinners though.

So, the increase of getting lost as in not remembering what I was doing, the mirror thing, sometimes needing to close my eyes so I can brush my teeth is a tad annoying. Well, see what the Neuro says on Thursday.

 

[Andy]

It sounds like you have some health issues that may be very serious. I wish you well with your neuro exam. I send good thoughts your way. :2thumbs:

 

[Retired]

NW,

You are certainly taking the right course of action to be evaluated by the specialist. Of course, bring along the list of all medications you use, including any supplements, herbals, over the counter preparations such as stomach medicines, cough preparations etc....IOW anything you consume.

You want your doctor to rule out any medication interactions before looking at medical issues.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[NakedWombat]

Well, my medicine list is very short as it's non-existent. I was taking aspirin every night but not for the past couple months. So will see what he says. My next appointment was mid July but now I've got one booked for June and July now and will see if he wishes to me again in July or just move it a little further away.

 

[NakedWombat]

Went off to the Neurologist today and spoke to him about the lack of facial recognition, not remembering how to put socks on, memory crap, tremors, etc. Also let him know about my cousin who has MS was diagnosed with haemochromatosis. My wife told him that sometimes getting to me to understand something is like how you would talk to a child to get them to understand.

He did seem surprised by the stuff about not recognising myself in the mirror and the sock thing and not remembering the kids. *plays mystery music*

Now I'm up for more blood tests. A fasting test, one for haemochromatosis, lactate and something else.

If the lactate levels are high again, then he'll seek a muscle biopsy for me at the government hospital but it will be a long time before I could get in. Could be years. The neurologist did not say years but it's common to be waiting for years just to have the initial consultation. He's looking at Mitochondria which is a maternally passed on through the DNA.

Since the Tetrabenazine made me worse, he isn't interested in giving me any medicine at all, saying that I obviously don't respond well to the medicines they use to control the tics for the Tourettes Syndrome.

Can't help but think that I'll never get the diagnosis I need.