A little bit about everyone here....

[Boymom123]

Would everyone be willing to share a bit about themselves, where they are with this disease, how long they have had it etc? I just thought it might help to give everyone a perspective. I am happy to start Boymom123 - Diagnosed April 7, 2015 at age 43. Symptoms for about 8 months prior, but I thought they were the result of a large ovarian cyst (thought cyst was pressing on a nerve causing vibration). Currently, symptoms are sensory (vibrations/buzzing in legs). MRI indicated small spinal lesion at T7-8 and 2 small brain lesions. Currently on Copaxone 40mg/3x per week. Also taking 4000 units Vit D daily.

[SNOOPY]

Hi Boymom123,

I was diagnosed the summer of 1985 at the age of 24 but, my symptoms go back to childhood.

I had no clue as to what was wrong but I was scared. My PCP said he couldn't help me and handed me a referral to a Neurologist. From PCP to Neurologist to testing to diagnosis took 3 months.

At the time of my diagnosis I had a clear MRIs and positive LP. I was in a severe exacerbation and my symptoms consisted of; lhermittes sign, bilateral leg weakness (mobility was almost non- existent), pins/needles, vibration/buzzing from the waist down, hand tremors, fatigue and pain.

For the past 30 years my main struggle has been trying to retain my ability to walk. I still do walk but I use trekking poles for a mobility aid. I don't use the poles all the time, but a fair amount. I still have lhermittes, tremors and buzzing/vibrations from the waist down. Pain and fatigue come and go. I have a long standing altered sensation in both feet from an exacerbation I had 1 year after diagnosis.

I believe the only thing that has kept me mobile is exercise and working with a Physical Therapist when needed. The max distance I can walk has not change in the 30 years of diagnosis, which is 2 miles. On "off" days I don't reach my max.

I have never used a Disease Modifying Therapy. I do believe in and use supplements but I honestly can't say they have had any effect on my MS. Supplements make me feel better in a general sense. Exercise is so very important to me, I have a 4 station weight machine and an elliptical in my home.

[shel67]

Diagnosed 6/8/15

Have no idea if I had this all my life or not. If I did, it didn't cause me any problems. I know for sure 5 years ago symptoms began and I Googled them and i said, I have MS... Well low and behold, I was right. One time I wish to God I was wrong.

My symptoms early on were mild. Tingling ever so slightly and they'd be there for 6 weeks or so and then go away.

The first two "flares" were more significant which made me goggle and conclude it may be MS. I had some spaced outness, some coordination problems, and 6 months later after all that went away, I talked slurring like a drunk person for 6 weeks.

I'd say for two years I didn't have anything happen but looking back there were odd things here and there that now I know was MS.

All of a sudden my condition just morphed. I have classic MS symptoms that have not gone away.

Last year I had a flare that gave me some mild tingling in my right hand with some slight coordination in my right arm, all that went away but it was the weird head thing that took about 5 months to subside and although it subsided some dizzy, light headedness remained.

Went to a Dr, told him I thought it was MS and he dismissed it, said it was anxiety and menopause. I wish it was that.

But the good news is, I'm not menopausal.

[PositiveMS]

Nice idea!

Well, I had optic neuritis at 19 (they suspected MS), diagnosed for sure at 21. Spent about a decade not even thinking about it,sure I had benign MS. Until age 31 or so. age 32-34 fighting my way through a terrible MS jungle...losing walking ability, weak arms, missing 10 months of work, injecting Copaxone etc.... ( I would not want to live those years again!!) Now I am 35, on Tecfidera, and very stable. I'm getting stronger ever day I use a cane, but can do anything now.

[4boysmom]

4boysmom: Diagnosed in 2006. Can remember symptoms starting 2002. I would have been 41 that year. I have used Avonex, Rebif, Tysabri, in that order each for a year. Have been on Copaxone since 2009. I had allergic type reactions to Rebif, doc changed Avonex because of more lesions, and I developed Nabs to Tysabri. I still work full-time, and don't really have exacerbations, but more a general worsening of balance and such though dx'd as RRMS.

[JamesO]

I have a bit of a long story but here goes.

I was in the military and started getting numbness tingling and loss of strength in my legs and I started to have issues remembering things. I had a lot of issues with my neck, pain and such and oddly there was a spot on my spine if I put pressure on it (cause it hurt) my legs would go out on me. I spent 4 or 5 years basicly being told I was just trying to get out of Physical Training or given Motrin and sent back to duty.

In 1991, when I got out of the military I filed for disability because of my neck issues. Its was during this time they decided to do an MRI because of the symptoms. During the MRI the person preforming it noticed the some potential flairs, they even showed them to me. They told me it looks like some form of demyelinating process. I had no clue what that meant and well google was not exactly born yet. I assumed if it where serious the VA would , well you know.... handle it. They gave me disability for my neck, for a strain, but nothing more.

Suspecting I had MS, the VA did a spinal tap and gave me mri's every 6 months, monitoring/attempting to diagnose MS or what ever else was going on. I moved to a new city, and a new VA hospital who promptly told me my old VA hospital did not know what they where talking about and that I had a normal MRI. All monitoring stopped, in fact I no longer even got physicals from the VA for all the years I lived there.

In and out of work for years due to memory issues and sudden illnesses I started a job that brought me out of that city and to the state of Texas where I see the VA in Houston. I was getting regular checkups and health care, treated for some of the more obvious issues I had been experiencing.

Then one day I had given blood, and passed out in the chair. Lots of testing started to happen but passing out in the chair was just the starting point of a massive flair up. Within a week of this, my entire left side of my body went completely numb, split right down the center. I explained to the Dr that I had previously been told I might have MS. Steroids where given and it took over 6 weeks to get mostly back to normal. it was Horrible cause as I started to recover feeling, only cold came back at first, and that was worse then no feeling at all. I was freezing in 100 degree temps and could not get warm.

Well MRI spinal taps and history brought a quick diagnosis of MS. That was 2 years ago next month. I am being treated now but things seem to be progressing a bit faster then it has previously having had several notable flairs and started walking rather slowly and with a pretty good limp. But I still manage to put 4 - 7 miles a day walking in.

That's the short version ;P

[4boysmom]

4boysmom: Dx'd in 2006 RRMS. Had symptoms in 2002, was 41 at the time. I've been on (in this order for a year each) Avonex-more lesions so switched, Rebif-allergic to it, Tysabri- developed NABs. Started on Copaxone in 2009, and been on it ever since, switching to 40mcg when it came to be.

I still work 40 hours a week. I don't really have exacerbations, but my balance has gotten worse, and I'm having awful bowel issues right now. No stomach sounds unless I keep taking Linzess and a quadruple dose of Miralax daily.