I’m a 17 years old girl and i just found out that i am diagnosed with MS… I’m talking an avonex injection once a week. Umm… I dont know that much about ms because my doctor only told me that iam diagnosed with ms, she didnt explain to me anything. i want to know does the avonex injection stop this disease? if it won’t, what is the use of it? please answer because i want to know more about ms. Also will i be able to complete my studies and marry or not?!
Thank you so much.
PS— english is my second language so sorry if there was some mistakes.
I am so sorry that you have been diagnosed but wanted to say welcome to the forum . Your English is almost word perfect - in fact if you hadn’t mentioned that it wasn’t your first language I would never have guessed.
MS is believed to be an auto immune disorder - that is, your immune system attacks your central nervous system and damages the protective sheath that protects the nerves which is why symptoms can appear anywhere in your body at any time. The Avonex injections (and there are other similar injections) are designed to dampen down your immune system to prevent your body attacking itself. The Avonex should reduce the number of relapses you have (attacks) and the severity of them (that is, make them much milder).
I take a similar drug which I inject three times a week and I believe it is working for me. I had three relapses in the first year and then, shortly after starting on the injections, went for three and a half years without a relapse. I have just had another relapse but it was much milder than previous ones.
Many of us do still have symptoms between relapses and there are treatments available for this so it is always asking your nurse or GP about these. It sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find the right medication that works for you so if the first one doesn’t suit you, go back and ask to try another one.
Lastly, you are so young to be diagnosed but I want to reassure you that most of us with MS still enjoy life to the full. I have had MS for 5 years, I am 48 and I still work, still drive, still party, socialise, take holidays etc. There are challenges along the way, but most things are still possible.
Best wishes and good luck for your future studies, dating, marriage and whatever else your dreams are. Go for it
Well said Tracey. Don’t think anyone could have put it better.
Angel, your doctor should have explained it to you and put you in touch with a Specialist MS Nurse. If they didn’t then you really need to ask about it. The MS Nurse will be able to answer all your questions. You won’t always get the answers you want but at least you will get the information you need. My MS Nurse is the first person I contact when I’ve got any worries about my MS.
Try and stay positive. You might need to make some changes but life most definitely goes on.
Just to go on a bit further from the excellent message from Tracey; this all revolves around your type of MS. RRMS means attacks; that could last for months and then remission that could last weeks; months; years or your entire lifetime.
Each attack invariable means that when you go into remission you regain 95% of the normal you. Therefore the less attacks the less permanent disability you will have. This is the medical findings in trials; DMDs reduce the number of attacks you might get.
I am almost similar to you; diagnosed when I was 23; I will not try and mask it as an easy ride; it’s not. I’m 64 now; up until 10 years ago I worked; travelled the World; as Tracey says “go for it girl.”
Remember MS is not a stop sign; its traffic humps.
Thanks a lot Tracey and JZ… Both of you gave me hope and I will try to stay strong and be positive. Both of you replying to me made me happy because it made me realize that there are people who understand me and will help me. Thank you <3
Thanks a lot George. Knowing that you can travel around the world made me happy and have hope because I was scared that it might be impossible. I will stay strong and have hope that everything will be fine.
Thanks a lot George. Knowing that you can travel around the world made me happy and have hope because I was scared that it might be impossible. I will stay strong and have hope that everything will be fine.
I’m not going to write about the disease itself because you have it explained in previous posts. Just wanted to say that I’m at a similar age (18), 4 months after the diagnosis. I know it’s a short time, but even though I was thinking about MS a lot and was absent at school for a whole month I managed to pass my exams and meet the offer from my firm choice uni (got the results today:)) so in September I’m starting my studies:) Positive attitude is crucial, although I admit that sometimes the only thing you want to do is to give up.
PS. May I ask where are you from? (I’m not from Britain too)
So sorry to read of your diagnosis. I’ve only been diagnosed for a few months but from reading this forum, and the like, life can still be good with MS.
