This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

My story seems to echo many others...I had lots of mild symptoms through my 20's, but I was very active so put some down to injuries, and sometimes just thought I was a hypochondriac - as an RN, I thought of the really severe, hospital-confined people with ms that I had nursed, and honestly never gave it a thought as being a possibility for me, but my GP knew me very well! I then was diagnosed with bladder cancer when I was 30 and thought, well that is it - there really IS something bad wrong with me! I had the surgery and the chemo for 6 months and thought that was it - this was my big scary life altering disease.

I was much more vigilant after that though, and when I developed severe L'Hermittes and sensory issues 2 years later, my Oncologist took me seriously and sent me to a neuro, and Bob's your Auntie! Still don't know if the anxiety attacks, palpatations, restless legs syndrome etc were/are part of my ms?
Neuro keeps dismissing them and waving Psych books in front of my nose, but I have a post-graduate diploma in Psych nursing, and I try to be objective - I really do think this is in my head, but not the way he infers!
Anyway, the diagnosis was easy - medically - and on one level it was a relief, but on another, I kept remembering those poor folks I had nursed as a student RN and was terrified as I really understood where this was headed at some point...
9 years later, I have some problems, but neither the cancer nor the ms have killed me yet! He He.

Of course you're aware of childhood MS, which has the reputation of being more progressive because the evidence has always "seemed" that way.

Sure Bob, I've read of it alright. I suppose my question remains precisely becuase I don't seem to yet have a progressive course. I keep bouncing back.
Only permanent damage is complete loss of hearing in right ear, and slightly weaker right side. All the other things come, go, stay hours, days, months, but always go eventually. I know about residual damage and it being sometimes only activated when too hot/tired/virus etc - that is definitely there, but it just seems a bit shocking to me that MS might have been ticking away there in my system all my life.....

.

Quite the opposite, I knew it wasn't MS because my sister has it, and my symptoms are different from hers. I had ON and rather feared it was cancer. But once the neuro persuaded me it was MS - took him 6 months to persuade me - I read up and found all my problems were on the list. Not panic attacks, but misery attacks - stop the car and burst into tears. Tripping over the rug, typing problems, problems playing the clarinet. I even took the clarinet to be mended because the left hand keys weren't working! Extreme fatigue. Loss of concentration - really bad in my profession.

Once I accepted the diagnosis I was relieved to find it wasn't the end of the world, in fact I am the same person as I was before, just wobbly sometimes. After 6 months of Cop the symptoms were just about gone, and I barely notice when I have a relapse these days. I am one of the lucky ones, I suppose.