Got some devastating news yesterday - I have Multiple Sclerosis

[blindersoff]

52. 2010 diagnosis here

I was diagnosed at almost age 60 (late for MS dx). My only symptom was a loss/dulling of vision in my left eye (which I thought might be a retinal tear). Ophthalmologist said I had optic neuropathy and ordered an MRI (since I had had breast cancer ten years prior, he wanted to rule out any brain masses). MRI came back with multiple lesions that could be consistent with demyelination.

I was referred to a neurologist (MS specialist) who ruled out all sorts of other diseases (lyme was one of them) and then said that I was consistent with MS diagnosis. She referred me to the McDonald criteria (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1146199-workup#c8) which is used to determine whether a person can be definitively diagnosed with MS or not. She started me on a DMD (disease modifying drug) and I have been on it for the past 5 years without difficulty. It is strongly suggested by most neuros that a person be on some sort of DMD (even though many of them are only 30% effective in preventing more damage).

I have never had an exacerbation during this time and only have a bit of vision deficit, tremors, tingling and some spasticity in my lower legs/feet. So I am hopeful that this is as far as it will go ... BUT MS is a sneaky disease and one cannot assume because there are no major issues right now that it will stay that way. Some people have a mild course and others not so much -- no prediction!

A good place to go online for general information is MS World, which is a forum of people with MS, discussing all sorts of MS related issues. See http://www.msworld.org/forum/index.php .Good luck and keep your chin up. It is very scary at first and I thought about it all the time and whether I'd be in a wheelchair eventually. But after 5 years, I'm still doing well and have come to terms with it.

So read a lot and stay as active as you can. Good luck to you.