This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

My name is Tim and I have a long story. I intend to keep this short but I have had an interesting life. I started my adult work life in retail and then in 1979 became a steam fitter/welder. I actually stood inside the reactor at Palo Verde unit 1 in Arizona. My son was born there. I could tell some stories about Seabrook Station in New Hampshire where we lived for almost 2 years until they decided to stop building it and layer off 5000 workers on the same day. Moved home to Indiana and worked in many different oil refineries, chemical plants etc. rough work took a toll on my back and doctors told me to seek another occupation. With the help of voc rehab I went to school and got a degree in Education. Taught middle school social studies. About my second year I started having vision problems and doctors seemed baffled. Finally was sent to a neuro and after about an hour and a hundred questions and a thou rough exam said I most likely had ms. Put me through too many expensive tests and said they were all borderline and no lesions. Sent me to a neuropthomologist who only focused on what was now being called optic neuritis. She insisted that I did not have ms and sent me for a third opinion ( her opinion cost me in total about 10,000) the 3 rd guy said no without even examining me but the first neuro prescribed the 3 day steroid thing. Tremendous help! Went along for 18 years trying my best just to ignore the symptoms and tough it out. Changed careers 8 years ago I became the Director of a Head Start center. Love the little ones but the teachers were what drew me to do this job. After 2 years I was promoted to a larger center with 8 classrooms, 188 preschoolers. We expanded the center including a separate building for infants and toddlers. We also added 5 rooms to the existing building, 320 children 40+ staff. I finally "broke" last November, pushed on because I was not done yet. Sent out on disability when I started hobbling around on a cane. I was sent to a spine specialist who I now love and Is a part of my "team". He found issues old and new in the whole spine but was convinced after looking. At all my history that I did in fact have ms. Sent me to a neuro scanned my brain and said yes indeed and likely at secondary progressive. Start those drugs soon but meanwhile I convinced the spine doctor who officially put me on disability to let me go back to work with the use of a power chair. Started back Monday and boy were the kids happy to see me. Who I am is a 60 year old man who loves being a pre-school principal and is trying to fight the good fight. I don't say can't I say how.

Congrats on having a rewarding life and making a difference. Sorry someone like you has to get this disease and be slowed down by it, but I am sure you are being an inspiration. I hope you are on a good diet and maybe checking into CCSVI for if you are SP, your options are limited. Take care!

Hi Tim-Thanks for the inspiration. A friend of mine with MS is pushing 70 and still runs a thriving auction house. When I was first diagnosed, his description of the disease was "it's a nuisance" and gave me a lot of hope that I don't have to be consumed by it. So much is attitude and yours is great. Keep on keeping on!

That is a good way to look at MS -- it is a nuisance. As long as it stays only a nuisance!