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I too had the lip issues. I could no longer whistle and had a heck of a time playing my harmonica – blues style. I had also taken pride in the shinny finish of our 42′ diesel pusher and would weekly clean and polish it. I recall having some problems washing the coach as I was running out of energy. It would usually take me an hour or so to wash it then a couple of hours using a polymer coating to make it shinny. An hour here and hour there. I got to the point where I could only wash about 1/2 of the coach at a time before a rest break. Before, I could wash the whole thing and get some polishing done too in a couple of hours. We also rode our bikes, 3 to 4 times a week, 17 to 20 miles each time and I recall becoming tired and having to press harder to get the miles in.
Once double vision hit, we immediately went to the ER and they diagnosed swollen sinus that placed pressure on my 4th nerve in my left eye and a possible mini stroke. Had MRI and other tests that showed nothing. I started to wear an eye patch and continued with my life. I was in the ER two more times before I was referred to an Ophthalmologist who put a name to what was happening to me. I recall being in his office for the second time in two weeks and him pushing his rolling stool away from me, raising his hands up and saying that there was nothing that he could do for me and suggested that I see a Neuro for diagnosis. We were in Cottonwood, Arizona at the time and could not get a referral to a Nuero for at least 4 months.
We packed our gear up in the motorhome and my Dear Wife drove us to Houston. The following Monday I presented myself to Sick Call at my local VA Clinic, with my 3″ medical file. It took some time waiting to see my PC but when we got in and she examined me, she requested a referral to a Neuro at Debakey VA Hospital in Houston. I was seen within 2 weeks and after some more testing, I was diagnosed. Treatment began and here I am today. Stable…..
Again in retrospect I was probably seeing the impact of the disease at least one year before being diagnosed.
I would become fatigued and would write it off as old age.
Scott