Hi. My friend was diagnosed and she is only 32 years old. How rare is that? Also what is the life expectancy in MS and how painful is it?
Thank you
Hello Blanka
I’m afraid early 30s is a very common age to be diagnosed with MS. Mine began at the age of 30.
Life expectancy is a thorny question, there’s been some mention of a decreased life expectancy, but also there’s a well known phrase, ‘no one dies of MS, they die with it’. Not strictly true, but in the main it’s probably true of most people.
As for pain, yes there are a variety of different types of pain. From stabbing, to pins and needles, through burning and squeezing. All different parts of the body can be affected. And it’s fair to say that we all experience MS as an individual case. In general there’s no definitive set of symptoms that a person gets with MS.
To find out more, try hitting the tab at the top of the page ‘About MS’. There is a lot of information there. Otherwise, ask your friend to talk to you about what she is experiencing right now. As I’ve said, it’s very individual, so your friends MS will be very different to mine.
It’s likely that she’s been diagnosed with the relapsing remitting type of MS, so will probably be getting the option of a disease modifying drug. You could look at the information about these, and ask your friend which one she’ll be taking, if she knows yet.
Chances are she’ll be very happy to have a friend who wants to know about her diagnosis and with whom she can discuss things like drug treatments.
Sue
Dear Sue, Thank you so much for replying. Im sorry if my question about life expectancy was insensative, and i appreciate your candid reply.I will defenatly take up your suggestion and ask my friend about the treatment.So far we spoke only about the fear of what awaits her up ahead.i think the not knowing is the hardest.Thanks again and i wish you many days free of pain. All the best.
Your question about life expectancy was not insensitive at all. I’m sure it’s a common thing to wonder and worry about. It’s recently been discussed on here. Have a look at https://community.mssociety.org.uk/forums/ms-news-and-announcements/people-ms-die-average-age-66
As I think you can tell, we all feel differently about the matter.
Sue