Moving to the UK being recently diagnosed

Everyday living
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Hi

I have been recently diagnosed with RRMS after two-round MRI in my current country of residence. I got a relocation offer to the UK within my employer’s group of subsidiaries the same week I was diagnosed. Professionally, it is a logical step forward, so I have to consider it.

I have not started any DMT/DMD treatment yet. However, the neurologist is going to prescribe me Interferon Beta-1a which is offered for free in my current country of residence to MS patients. The coverage of the patients by DMT treatments here is more than 70%. I have not managed to find what is the exact percentage of the patients in the UK receiving DMT, but the estimations vary from 21% to 40%.

I have doubts whether I will be eligible for NHS-offered treatments being a non-UK citizen. The employer is going to provide me with some private insurance package, but as I understood from MS Society articles, it is not going to cover DMT treatments.

Your advices would be helpful!

PS don’t consider me another migrant. Most probably, I will invest quite a lot in the UK insurance system through the salary deductions.

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If you move here and live here you will get free NHS treatment. Register with a GP once you’re settled. They’ll refer you to a neurologist All the best Katy

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well welcome your last statement was totally unnecessary please do not read into what you see on news us british are not quite like that lol. Hey my mum was Italian.

Anyway you will need to register with a local GP and they will refer you to neurology. to be honest i would go the private route lol you would be seen quicker and if they dont do DMT they will refer you back to NHS neurolgy.

its quicker private.

the neurologist will do their own investigation and make their own decisions i believe on your treatment. One of my freinds on facebook came in to the UK and had to start all over again with her diagnosis.

Anyway welcome are you excited? It must be a huge change and challenge for you. I lived abroad a lot with the forces and loved to travel to different places.

good luck let us know how you get on hopefully next time you dont need to be anon, we are not going to scare you or eat you lol. xxxxxxxxxxxx

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I moved here from abroad too after i was diagnosed, by the way. I had the same worries but it was absolutely fine. Katy

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If your employer will pay for private healthcare, by all means use it. As you will see from reading this forum, the NHS is a marvellous thing but under massive strain and not helped by the PM, who would sell us down the river to Trump.

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km19831, Crazy Chick, reddivine, Thanks a lot for your answers and support. I have skimmed the following research New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe - PMC , those who are interested could scroll directly to Table #2 and Figure #6 According to the research, the UK looks one of the worst locations in Europe in terms of DMTs’ availability and public investment. Do you have any ideas why?

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I wondered if you could help me please.

My 42 year old daughter has been diagnosed with MS and I have previously taken her abroad to an all inclusive holiday last year in Italy. She could hardly walk at all but we got through it all with people being so very kind and helping us. Including Ryanair through the Airports on both sides. (I’m 72 so no spring chicken!)

My daughter really wants to go to Verona this year, (I don’t want to disappoint her) so on checking with the Best Western hotel and their facilities with bed and breakfast, a lift and disabled room, decided to book it for September.

Also free transport into Verona in the mornings which is good as that’s when she has the most energy.

Its Just for a week. She is very positive and always knows her legs will work again when she’s had a relapse. Unfortunately, she has just ended up in hospital as they are not working at all at the moment. (not for the last four weeks I’m afraid…according to my daughter…the trauma of me having a bad fall set this all off)

The good news is that she has asked for MRI scans and the legions have almost disappeared.

Which poses the worrying problem as to how I will cope with her if this time her poor legs don’t start working at all. Her upper body is fine but she is obviously a dead weight to move from any seat or bed. (She’s also not got a lot of patience with me! haha (families etc etc)) My back is not the strongest!

She was diagnosed 2 years ago with MS with legions in her spine and brain but has never believed it to be MS.

After having to give up working a very full and active life working and training people in Natural Medicine and running her own business in Sports & therapy massage. She is very well read in all fields. (So uses her own natural medicines to get herself well again)

I am obviously going to wait until nearer the time to do anything about it and I am preparing myself that I may have to cancel and lose my money but I really don’t want to disappoint my daughter.

Do you have any advice please. I would be so grateful as it’s so difficult dealing with these things on my own.

I have bought for her a light travelling wheel chair which collapses into a wheelie bag. Also a walker with a seat on it.

Which ever one is appropriate to take with us!

Also Advice from anybody suffering with the same kind of situation please.

Thank you so much.

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It might be taken out of your hands if the Coronavirus pandemic gets much worse in Northern Italy.

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Limitless Travel are a company where a carer will travel and stay with you. This could be the answer. ITS NOT CHEAP. you are in effect paying their hotels, flight, and then paying them to care. But they will be a great help if you need it. Look them up.

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Right now? In a word Brexit. Tory govt years of under funding the NHS and trying to sell it to bloody Trump

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Hi Rosi, Im just wondering if you made a new post with your request you may get more replies, as you have tacked onto a different post. I was going to suggest you take a manual wheelchair with you...but youve got that covered. I would definitely tke it with you…Happy holidays! Love Bouds x

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Hi Anon, just wanna say welcome to UK…we`re a friendly bunch on the whole! Boudsx