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    Still moving forward

    Hey y'all, I'm Stephanie, or Stevi, whichever you prefer. I'm 17 years old and I was diagnosed four months ago, just after Thanksgiving. I will say, it was nice to put a name to the symptoms at least--I had numbness in my left side at first, ever since the summer. I still remember the first time I was sitting in the car and said to my then-boyfriend, "What the heck? Babe, I can't feel my hand!" My family practitioner thought it may be a siatic nerve issue, and told me to come back in a few weeks if it didn't subside.
    It did, a little bit. But suddenly, around November, it took a turn for the worse: I was always foggy and reacting a lot slower, and my balance was almost nonexistant. I felt completely out of control of my body, like my symptoms were controlling me instead. I was constantly afraid of tripping over my numb feet or something like that. My mom wouldn't let me drive anymore, and finally she just got scared enough that when she picked me up from work, she said, "We're taking you to the ER." Five days, countless blood tests, 3 MRIs and a lot of gross hospital food later, I was DX'd. I stayed out of school til after winter break, and I went through a few weeks of tutoring sessions to stay caught up, as well as intensive physical and occupational therapy.
    Now I'm happy to say I'm back in school and counting down the days til gradution like everyone else. It's incredibly frustrating at times, because some of my symptoms haven't gone away quite yet, but I'm slowly learning to take my life one day at a time. That's the hardest part for me--getting over my pride, depending on my fabulous support system, and learning to deal with the unknown. I'm still in glee club and working out the way I used to, so I've got that going for me. At least I can still move lol.

    So that's my story. Looking forward to hearing from others about their experience, it's nice to see I'm not the novelty that people are making me out to be.

    #2
    Hey and Welcome!

    Hi Stevi!

    I'm Courtney, also a newly dx of MS, first off welcome to MS world (sorry about the circumstances)!!

    My during my first relapse my mom took me to the emergency room, where the doctor told me I merely had a viral infection and it would go away in a few days. It did and life went on as usual until around Jan. 14 when it started up all over again. Only this time it was much worse, I was numb everywhere and could hardly walk. Once again my mother took me to the emergency room and they this time told me I had some funky thing with a weird name. My mom didn't buy it this time and took me to my family doc, he said he was pretty sure it wad ms and ordered a MRI. It confirmed his thoughts and sent us to u of m for a second opinion. Once again the symptoms went away and once again they came back and once again were back. And once again were worse, this time I couldn't see or walk. My doc then set me to a local neurologist who placed me on a six day IV steroid infusion.

    Now I'm on Copaxone and doing good no major episodes so so good.

    So how are you doing any meds considered yet??
    Courtney

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      #3
      hi Stevi and Courtney,
      Im Melissa, 20 years old and have been dxd w/ MS for 7 years now.

      it was summer when i turned 13 and i was having double vision. mom took me to the eye doctor who sent me to a specialist who thought it was muscular but wanted an MRI to be sure. then the lesions showed up on it, and 5 months later and a million test i had the dx of MS.

      im a junior in college now studying political and environmental sciences.
      Learn from yesterday
      Live for today
      Hope for tomorrow

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        #4
        Hi guys!

        Hi Courtney and Jojo! Thanks for replying!

        Courtney, I was kind of in the same boat as you. My doctor is not an alarmist at all, so I came in with my symptoms and he immediately said to wait it out and see if it went away. They just thought it may be nerve damage cuz it was only my left side. Eventually I got the double vision, or what I called "fun house vision" because when I tried to drive I couldn't tell if I was in the lines because they felt like they were moving. Needless to say I stopped driving after a while. I'm better now, my vision is all better but the numbing has not subsided. It was better for a little while but now it's worse again, so I don't really know what's gonna happen at this point. I'm on Copaxone as well, and it's a lot easier than the Avanex they had me taking at first. I thought my first day I could take my Avanex, take some Motrin and go to glee club practice that night, and it turned out I was on the couch for the next 24 hours, crying that everything hurt. Copaxone is SO much better in terms of side effects.

        How are you guys doing? Jojo, I can't even imagine getting it that young, but in a way it's nice to have people to talk to, since you both got it young too. I love everyone who tells me "my aunt has had it since she was 30 and she's fine, she's had it for 20 years," but with all due respect to them, every doctor I tried (even the one who made me cry lol) told me it would still take a year to get used to it. They aren't in the same place, so as much as I appreciate it, it just wasn't the same. So I'm sorry it has to be under these circumstances, but it's nice to meet people who are in a much more similar situation. Keep on smiling, and you guys are in my prayers. We can get through it!!

        Stevi

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          #5
          One more thing

          p.s. Sorry Melissa, I didn't see that you posted your real name so I was going off of your screen name lol for the record, if you're taking the gold, I'll take the silver for sure in tripping over things. I could barely walk and chew gum before...my friends joked on the way out of the winter formal last night, because students were being drug tested, "The funny thing is, I bet if we did give you a few drinks, you'd walk in a straight line for once." Hahaha yeah, right

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            #6
            Response to the Response

            Hi again.....

            I'm so glad that Copaxone is working for you, and sorry about your experience with Avonex, it sounded terrible! For me Copaxone is working well, but it sure is a pain doing those injections every day!!

            Though you outlook sounds great so far please take to heart that some days are better than others. Aslo when your having a really bad day remember what every problem or pain you have, someone somewhere in the world is feel twice what your feeling.

            You are in my thoughs and prayers, best of luck!!
            Courtney

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              #7
              keep going

              great job keep it up

              Comment


                #8
                I don't have MS, but I am glad you are taking it one step and a time!!! Keep moving forward and stay possitive.

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