I am new to this board as I joined because I had a question about medication....that said...
I have been looking through some threads before posting this and my head went right back to November 2008 when I was diagnosed the Tuesday before Thanksgiving of that year. I am a different person today. I joined a message board back then (not here) as a terrified, newly diagnosed, 36 year old mother of two beautiful daughters aged 4 and 6. I was in a very low place not having any idea where this journey would take me. I googled everything I could about MS and terrified myself even more if that is possible. I was absolutely no support to the people I was communicating with....they were holding me up. My husband was (and still is) my rock.
At now 45 years old, this November has been 9 years since my diagnosis. I began noticing something not being quite right in October of that year and had a diagnosis less than a month later. My diagnosis was pretty definitive with 4 lesions in my brain, 2 on my cervical spine, and 2 on my thoracic spine. I had slight numbness in my left leg that started to travel up the left side of my body. My right hand had muscle weakness to the point of where I could hardly write and had to place the pen in my hand to “cradle it”, I could just barely lift a gallon of milk, and didn’t have the strength to stretch a hair band to make a pony tail. Steroids and some OT for my hand brought me back up to par.
I started Rebif within 2 weeks of my diagnosis and never looked back. I have been one of the lucky ones. I thank God for it every single day.
I am am still considered clinically isolated as I’ve never had a true relapse. I still have my niggling things that pop up here and there...some tingling and slight numbness in my left leg from time to time and just started with minor muscle spasms in my feet that I have to “work out” by rubbing them. I have an intolerance to cold more so than heat.
My MRIs have been stable. I had one MRI about two years after diagnosis that showed one more lesion on my brain (that was not active at the time of the MRI....it was old by then). Since then, I have had 3 MRIs periodically over the years with no new lesions or disease progression. Like I said, I know I am one of the lucky ones.
I have had 3 friends diagnosed after me. And you know what? Their mother/friend/husband sent them to me to talk to them. I felt good knowing that I could be the one to offer support and advice knowing what they were going through from symptoms to medication to the depression and anxiety of getting the news of the diagnosis. They could see someone doing well and have hope for the future. I would not have been able to do that 9 years ago. Absolutely not.
So so even though I joined to ask a simple question about medication, after reading some of the threads, I want to be a support to others as I was supported way back then. I hope to connect with others and have open dialogue. Thank you and God Bless if you got this far!
Now off to find the proper board to ask my med question!
I have been looking through some threads before posting this and my head went right back to November 2008 when I was diagnosed the Tuesday before Thanksgiving of that year. I am a different person today. I joined a message board back then (not here) as a terrified, newly diagnosed, 36 year old mother of two beautiful daughters aged 4 and 6. I was in a very low place not having any idea where this journey would take me. I googled everything I could about MS and terrified myself even more if that is possible. I was absolutely no support to the people I was communicating with....they were holding me up. My husband was (and still is) my rock.
At now 45 years old, this November has been 9 years since my diagnosis. I began noticing something not being quite right in October of that year and had a diagnosis less than a month later. My diagnosis was pretty definitive with 4 lesions in my brain, 2 on my cervical spine, and 2 on my thoracic spine. I had slight numbness in my left leg that started to travel up the left side of my body. My right hand had muscle weakness to the point of where I could hardly write and had to place the pen in my hand to “cradle it”, I could just barely lift a gallon of milk, and didn’t have the strength to stretch a hair band to make a pony tail. Steroids and some OT for my hand brought me back up to par.
I started Rebif within 2 weeks of my diagnosis and never looked back. I have been one of the lucky ones. I thank God for it every single day.
I am am still considered clinically isolated as I’ve never had a true relapse. I still have my niggling things that pop up here and there...some tingling and slight numbness in my left leg from time to time and just started with minor muscle spasms in my feet that I have to “work out” by rubbing them. I have an intolerance to cold more so than heat.
My MRIs have been stable. I had one MRI about two years after diagnosis that showed one more lesion on my brain (that was not active at the time of the MRI....it was old by then). Since then, I have had 3 MRIs periodically over the years with no new lesions or disease progression. Like I said, I know I am one of the lucky ones.
I have had 3 friends diagnosed after me. And you know what? Their mother/friend/husband sent them to me to talk to them. I felt good knowing that I could be the one to offer support and advice knowing what they were going through from symptoms to medication to the depression and anxiety of getting the news of the diagnosis. They could see someone doing well and have hope for the future. I would not have been able to do that 9 years ago. Absolutely not.
So so even though I joined to ask a simple question about medication, after reading some of the threads, I want to be a support to others as I was supported way back then. I hope to connect with others and have open dialogue. Thank you and God Bless if you got this far!
Now off to find the proper board to ask my med question!
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