Coping definite MS diagnosis

4 months ago..... everything was normal. I worked, lived with my boyfriend of 6 years and drove home every evening to chill out, saving myself for my big weekends out on the town oblivious to the change that was about the happen.... out of nowhere I got optic neuritis right eye and L'Hermittes sign plus a load of other really annoying symptoms. Admitted to hosp for 1 week, MRI and IV steroids, discharged, diagnosis: probable MS. (Obviously not a good MRI - multiple lesions in all the classic locations i.e. corpus callosum, left lateral ventricle, cerebellar pundicles bilatteraly and left pons, dawsons fingers etc etc etc. and it goes on!
5 weeks later..... Sky TV guide becomes blurry. See Doctor. Diagnosis: optic neuritis left eye. More Steroids, commence copaxone. Diagnosis: Definite MS, probably very active.

TAKING IT IN : BADLY: Week 1 - 12
I spent 4 months sitting at home with my hair in a messy ponytail while in my colourful neon pjamas, no makeup and UGGS crying non stop over the fact that I have MS. I'd wake up and start tapping my own legs to make sure they'd work (as in reflexes) or scratching them with something sharp them to see if sensation was the same on both sides. I spent hours days and weeks online searching for a magic pill that would take this all away. I've smoked 100's of cigarettes, read thousands of articles and only made myself worse. Suddenly in the blink of an MRI at 28 years of age I thought I'd never get married, have children or travel or even work.

4 months after diagnosis............................................................



Where I am now:
I'm back working, joined the local gym (swimming 3 times per week) and jogging 2-4km twice a week. Still reading but not about MS - I'm addicted to twilight! ha ha. I'm trying to eat better food. I laugh all the time and have so much fun with my work collegues, friends, family and boyfriend. Am I back to normal? No I have MS. I will always have MS I cant change that. I can see thing properly again, I can move the left side of my body almost as before but not quite - I'm working on it. Is MS done with me? - no I know it will be back, when, where or how bad I just dont know. Its been 4 months I'm preparing myself for it psyically and mentally but I'm not waiting aroung in my ponytail, PJ's and UGGS for it!


PS: I'm still smoking. . . but working on it.

[rendean]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing this with us. You have struck many chords in your descriptions of your life before and after diagnosis.  Save the cigarettes, I think I experienced a very similar experience. You have put into words what many of us feel.

Warmly,
ren

[LoveMyBostons]

Good for you for pulling yourself back up! (And I hear you on Twilight!!!)

[Armygirl73]

Hello,

I'm so happy that you have pulled yourself through this. I've been through a similar experience too. And some days now, I feel good enough that it seems almost impossible that there is anything going on in my body.

Your ability to get through that will only make you stronger. And it sounds as if your new take on things like joining the gym and exercising is really a healthy way to approach your MS.

As for Twilight ... yeah, I'm pretty addicted those books. My daughter and I both love them, and we are counting the days until the new movie comes out!

Take care and God bless,
Armygirl 73

[HVAC]

Good for you!

Alex

[Lulu54]

What a wise woman - giving yourself time to grieve and mourn and then recognizing that all is not lost is a tough turnaround to do sometimes.  Congrats on being back among the active  - we have to seize those moments when and while we can.  Fortunately the stats are good that most of us will stay relatively healthy for our entire lives, with the help of all these new drugs.

keep laughing, keep living!
Lulu

[cainer]

  Give -u-  a HIGH FIVE!!!  WAY 2  GO  GIRL!!!  TICK

[schnauzerlady257]

I am so glad to read your story.  I am 32 and just feel like I have been hit with a truck.  My husband broke down last night because he just can't seem to deal with the thought of all this...his mom has a chronic, very debilitating illness which made her handicapped when he was young, so it's been pretty rough on him thinking about me years down the road.

I am glad to hear that things can and will get better.  Oh, and TEAM EDWARD!  :)

[Guitar_grrrl]

Your story sounds so much like mine!  I still grieve, now and then,  though.

I was diagnosed in May, but that was after 15 years of symptoms, 5 years of suspicion, and 6 months of testing.  I have a couple of years on you (I'm 51), and I feel like I've had an amazing life, so far, and I have so many adventures ahead of me.

My hat's off to you!  I'm so glad you're coping well.  One Day at a Time (and today's a darned good day!).  You and your hubby still have lots of laughs and fun in store.  Be flexible, always have a "Plan B", and don't let the MonSter get you down!

Cheers,
Guitar_grrrl