Getting MS

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi there, my name is Matt, and I am 30 and just about to become a father for the 1st time. That prospect gave 2018 such a great start for me, however I have recently been given a ‘95% diagnosis’ of MS. I know thats not 100% so am waiting to see an MS specialist.

That said, i am feeling very positive about it as my 1st episode was very minor, it presented itself as double vision whilst looking to the left which has cleared up now. Was somewhat of a medical mystery at 1st! nobody was quite sure what was wrong… which i must admit made me feel quite important!lol A CT scan made me worry though as the doctor said he could see an anomaly on my brain. Suggestions of a mini stroke were flying around, and a real fear of a tumour. The tumour was unlikely, but was fresh on everyone’s minds as a school friend is dying from one as i type. An MRI gave us a clearer idea, so then the doctors honed in on the possibility of MS. This, as im sure most of you are aware, can only be followed up by a lumbar puncture…I’ll say now, I have a knack for seriously underestimating my ability to comprehend the severity of the situation sometimes. I initially told my wife not to bother coming with me for the procedure… In short, im so glad she didn’t listen to me! It was one of the most horrible things I’ve ever had to endure. Such an indescribable sensation. Suffice to say, i almost broke my wifes hand!

So, any way, that showed evidence of the possibility that i could have MS in one of the tests they performed on my spinal fluid. So like i said, were just waiting on an appointment with a specialist.

Anyway, I only wanted to add a message of my story in a nutshell and say hi… Also to say, the possibility of losing my mobility sooner rather than later has spurred me on to start running and make the most of the gift of physical and mental health. So many people don’t appreciate it until its too late! Myself included until recently. (that’s also the reason why i became vegan just over a year ago, but that’s a story for another time!)… So, I have signed up for the Cardiff half marathon in October, with a view to progress on to running a full marathon. Preferably the London one in a couple of years. I have signed up with the MS society to fundraise so hopefully should get my pack soon and start doing something positive.

Thanks for listening

Matt

2

hi ,matt wow, what a knock back! however you are remaining calm and making plans which is a good thing. you’ll hear this until you never what to hear or read it again - LISTEN to your body. if you aren’t prepared for fatigue, this will come as a shock. way more than tired. however everyone on this forum has survived it. your body will let you know when you need to rest and won’t like it if you resist. you have a baby due to arrive! they are mega tiring but cuddles are the best therapy of all. vegan diet should help. overcoming ms by george jelinek is a good read (you can get a copy free) and is all about what you should and shouldn’t eat. apart from oily fish a vegan diet ticks all the boxes. good luck with your marathon and with the fundraising. when you have a complete diagnosis you should be offered one of the Disease Modifying Drugs which reduce the risk of further relapses. get out there and have a good life! much love carole x

3

Hi Matt

Wow, what an inspiring way to look at the possibility of diagnosis.

Exercising, getting and keeping fit are definitely the best way to keep your mobility in the future. Building a really strong core will pay dividends.

Carole is right to say watch out for fatigue. You’ll find that having a baby is going to hit you hard with fatigue I’m sure, but so long as you listen to your body, get sufficient rest and eat well, you’ll do alright.

There are lots of information pages on this site, if you hit the ‘About MS’ tag, you’ll find pages about the different types of MS, treatments and therapies and many other useful topics.

And feel free to come back on here whenever you have questions.

Sue