Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all keeping as well and healthy as can be expected.
My name is Douglas, I’m a 50 year old male from the Central Belt in Scotland.
As you will no doubt have guessed, i have recently been diagnosed with MS.
Like so many of you, my diagnosis only came around as a result of continually speaking to my doctor about how i was feeling, and an MRI scan suggested by my Neurologist…to rule out some possibilities. Many months, and several scans later…here we are.
Now i will be honest, short of what i have read on the NHS website, i dont know a great deal about our condition, so i imagine i will be relying on you guys to help answer the more everyday questions.
Hi Douglas
Unfortunately, you’re in the right place…
Do as much of your own research as you can to build up a picture, because everyone’s MS is unique. You have to distil from your reading which bits apply to you and which do not. Get used to listening to your body but don’t be a hypochondriac.
Hi Douglas,
I hope you are doing OK. You are the expert of how you are and by listening to your body and any conditions you will become more of an expert over time. By reading / “talking” here you will recognise that no two cases are the same. There might be similarities and people here with similar symptoms and circumstances will be able to empathise and share experience which could prove useful. I hope you are building a support team of family / friends / professionals.
All the best
Mick
I agree with the hypochondriac comment. In the past I have freaked out about symptoms which turned out to be completely unrelated to my MS. Just another one of those fine lines to tread.
Keep on truckin’
Mick
Better than looking here start with the websites of the MS Society and the MS Trust. They will give you a foundation and help you to learn the language. There are enthusiast for their particular view based on their experience but the only thing for certain is that yours will end up being different.
You can use search on this site to look at questions from the past. Treatments are moving on with some pace and what is on offer is different from 5 years ago when I was diagnosed.
Google is unlikely to be your friend as it will bombard you with certainty in what is a very uncertain world.
I was fortunate in that I had known someone with MS for around 30 years so it was not that scary and I had someone keen to help me with my questions.
Also even more luckily I had a local exercise group virtually on my doorstep giving me access to both exercise and knowledge.
When you meet your MS nurse they should know what is available locally.
Being told you have MS is not the best news in the world but it is not the end.
Hi Douglas
Greame and Mick are near enough spot on. Only thing i will add is dont read too much on it or you are second guessing if it was MS related or just one of those things.