So, I’ve been diagnosed with MS in december after an MRI done it showed multiple lesions in my brain ( and that’s probably why i still have a numbness on the right side of my face ). And obviously it is . The thing is. I’m portuguese and i came to portugal to do some exams to know a bit more about the numbness ( it has been here since August). In england i went to my gp and the only thing i did was a ct scan, that didn’t show ip anything relevant, and i took some medicines. While i was here in portugal i did the MRI, as i said before, and the lombar punction as well. The MS doctor said to start with a treatment based in natalizumab, which consists in going to the hospital once a month to do it. The thing is, i have everything in uk, my flat and the most important i still have my job. What would you guys do in this case? Would you guys try to contact the gp and see if theres any chance of doing the treatment in uk or would you consider to go back home to do it?
I do have a very good job which is well paid and i have, lets say, my independence in uk. The things in portugal are quite hard to live on my own and i didnt want to lose that.
Ps- im 29 years old, and i was in uk for 6 months ( that was the second time i went there ive already been there for 1 and half years)
Ps2 - sorry for the long text and i know it could be a bit confusing
Tysabri is available in the UK – I have been on it for 10+ years. For a person who is MS is very aggressive, as your doctor clearly judges yours to be, it is one of the very best treatments out there and gives you a great chance of living your best life. I very much wish that it had been available when I was newly diagnosed many years ago.
I think that the question at the heart of your dilemma is: can you be as sure in the UK of being put on Tysabri as you are sure of being put on Tysabri in Portugal? That is a very hard question to answer. A letter from your neurologist in Portugal setting his or her opinion and recommendations would certainly help, but they are no guarantees. I wish I knew what to suggest. In your shoes I would be very keen to start as soon as possible on Tysabri, but I do not know what price I would be prepared to pay in terms of my job and prospects to purchase that certainty.
Is one option to assume you will be given Tysabri in the UK, come back here, pursue that with all vigour get back to work and see what can be done? If the worst came to the worst and you were finally not happy with your treatment options in the UK you could always change your mind and return to Portugal? One thing is for sure: if you have a fully documented MS diagnosis and treatment recommendations from your specialists in Portugal, and you have all that in writing, that should make things much easier for you here than they were before.
Perhaps you should consult with
Raphael Ferreira who was asking a near identical question on the MS Trust Facebook page.
I would check your entitlement to NHS treatment as this may have changed when the UK left the EU. I for one would not fancy paying the potential bill however good my job was.
Hi guy’s,
So, I’ve been diagnosed with MS in december after an MRI done it showed multiple lesions in my brain ( and that’s probably why i still have a numbness on the right side of my face ). And obviously it is . The thing is. I’m portuguese and i came to portugal to do some exams to know a bit more about the numbness ( it has been here since August). In england i went to my gp and the only thing i did was a ct scan, that didn’t show ip anything relevant, and i took some medicines. While i was here in portugal i did the MRI, as i said before, and the lombar punction as well. The MS doctor said to start with a treatment based in natalizumab, which consists in going to the hospital once a month to do it. The thing is, i have everything in uk, my flat and the most important i still have my job. What would you guys do in this case? Would you guys try to contact the gp and see if theres any chance of doing the treatment in uk or would you consider to go back home to do it?
I do have a very good job which is well paid and i have, lets say, my independence in uk. The things in portugal are quite hard to live on my own and i didnt want to lose that.
Ps- im 29 years old, and i was in uk for 6 months ( that was the second time i went there ive already been there for 1 and half years)
Ps2 - sorry for the long text and i know it could be a bit confusing
). And obviously it is 
. The thing is. I’m portuguese and i came to portugal to do some exams to know a bit more about the numbness ( it has been here since August). In england i went to my gp and the only thing i did was a ct scan, that didn’t show ip anything relevant, and i took some medicines. While i was here in portugal i did the MRI, as i said before, and the lombar punction as well. The MS doctor said to start with a treatment based in natalizumab, which consists in going to the hospital once a month to do it. The thing is, i have everything in uk, my flat and the most important i still have my job. What would you guys do in this case? Would you guys try to contact the gp and see if theres any chance of doing the treatment in uk or would you consider to go back home to do it?