an inconvienent doctor's appointment

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a trip to the ER. Made the trip on Christmas Eve. After putting off calling the on call neurologist all day I finally called and she told me to go get it checked out at the ER. After a few more hours of procrastinating I finally when to the ER. I was using all kinds of delay tactics to keep from going. First I just need to wrap presents and eat lunch then eating lunch turned into eating dinner...

The doctor wanted me to get checked out because it could have been a reaction to the Gilenya or a new MS symptom. It wasn't really an emergency but more of an inconvienent doctor's appointment. My vision was a blurry and I kept having trouble focusing. It was also making me feel kinda dizzy. This all had started on Friday and it hadn't gone away when i took my migraine medication. 

The ER doctor was kinda a jerk. I know I wasn't a true emergency case but he could have been a little more respectful. I'm pretty sure he thought I was high. When he started his exam he wanted me to open my eyes and my response was to open my mouth. I was sitting there for a few seconds with my mouth open before I was like oh my eyes and figured it out. 

My blood pressure was really high when I went in. After spending a few hours in the ER I started feeling better. My vision and blood pressure were better so I left. It doesn't look like it was macular edema or optic neuritis. Not really sure what it was or why it got better but we found out that it didn't seem like it was serious. I'm supposed to follow up with my othamologist on Monday or Tuesday to make sure it isn't macular edema. I'm going to keep take the Gilenya until we know more. 

What a great start to the holiday celebrations. It was kinda a waste of time but I guess it's better that I got it checked out. As long as the inconvienent doctor visits don't become a holiday tradition I think I can deal with it. Merry Christmas everyone. 

Please stay on the line

This post was actually around Thanksgiving but I apparently never posted it so here it is now.



The wheelchair fitting was a lie. It was actually supposed to be next week but it was put on the calendar wrong. Not that it really matters because this appears like it is just going to be another thing the insurance company wants to jerk me around on. This situation is further complicated since we are since switching insurance companies. Right now I have to wait for an opening to try to get fitted this year.

I have a wheelchair that is on loan from a friend. I want to get a lightweight one because when I'm having a flare up a regular wheelchair is too heavy for me to lift on my own. I can do it but it takes 5 minutes of pushing to get it in the car and then I'm exhausted and have to wait a while before I can drive. This doesn't seem like it is very helpful. I also need more of a custom chair because I have long legs. On most chairs my feet/legs don't fit and my feet drag on the ground or hit the front wheels. Who would have thought that wheelchairs are designed for short old ladies or people too fat to walk? So I need something special and I guess I'll just stay on the phone until that happens.

You know what might be the worse part about having a chronic medical condition? Spending so much time on the phone talking to insurance companies and doctors and everyone else. I can usually tolerate the physical symptoms but I can't stand talking on the phone. I don't think it would be so bad if over half the call wasn't spent being on hold. Hold music really isn't that bad, it is much preferable to the company announcements. Do they ever update their menus? Im pretty sure it is just a trick to delay from reaching an actual human. I spend on average about four hours a day on the phone. Dealing with my MS would be so much easier if people could actually be competent at their jobs but since that is probably too much to ask for, I just wish I didn't have spend as much time on the phone.

Post Observation

The observation day ended up going pretty well. The last reading of my blood pressure and pulse had dropped a little more then the doctor liked so I was given IV fluids. I dropped just over 20 beats. I started the day with a slightly high blood pressure and pulse and ended up a little below average. I was given the fluids because of the drops and I felt a little lightheaded. I think I was feeling that way because I didn't sleep well the night before, like at all. So I have learned that I need to take a sleeping pill everyday I'm on steroids even if I feel tired because otherwise I won't sleep. I have not been very good at taking my oral steroids on a regular schedule this time around and I have been having some big swings between feeling great and horrible. This also makes it harder to sleep if I take the steroids a little late since it winds me up.

The doctor told me to take it easy and rest today. Drink lots of fluid to make sure my blood pressure and pulse don't drop more. Unfortunately, taking it easy doesn't mesh well with the whole preparing for hosting Christmas thing. Oh well I'm taking it easy today and I guess I'll worry get everything done tomorrow.

Apparently some people have been missing the funny pictures and whatnot on my blog lately. Hopefully these links will help make up for that.
Underwater Ink
Exploding Ornaments
Vader Christmas Choir

Starting Gilenya

Chilling at the doctor's office right now for my Gilenya observation. So far no problems. Then again the only problem has been getting the medicine. Still not totally sure what coverage the new insurance company is provide and can't find out til the 1st. I'm supposed to get 3 months free from the patient assistance program but that could change to just this year or a month. A lot is still up in the air but since I'm starting this year I should be able to have continued coverage...in theory. 

I suppose I should clarify that my appeal to the insurance company was denied. They refuse to cover any of the cost of Gilenya. My drug rep basically doesn't know what she is doing and had me waiting for answers that we already had. I still haven't received the paperwork she was supposed to send like two weeks ago. So the delay sucked (sucks) but I'm working on getting a new rep now. I'm taking Gilenya now because My Judy got me the hookup. 

I'm also going through another flare up right now but it seems like the lesions are currently affecting my brain. I did 3 days of IV steroids and now I'm on a week of oral steroids. This makes my 5th flare up. I know that relapse is a more correct term but I hate using it because it makes me feel like I messed up like I fell off the wagon or something. When talking to the doctor last week, we confirmed that my first flare up at Thanksgiving 2009. This is on top of the 3 potential other flares. I'm really hoping that the Gilenya helps lower this. If Gileyna doesn't turn out to be the magic pill for me then in 6 months to a year we will consider a different drug. The goal is get down to zero flare ups.

Not sure what caused my jaw pain but it's pretty much gone now because of the steroids. I haven't had any more migraines since I started them either. I still get a little vertigo but it isn't as bad or frequent so I'll take it.

Woohoo only a few hours left to go of this observation. Once I'm done here I only have one more appointment and then I don't have any for awhile. I could use a break from doctors. I had like 8 appointments last week and 6 this week. So many doctors. I have to schedule some appointments yet for the new year but they should only be about twice a week so that isn't too bad.

What a day

Yesterday was a bit of an odd day. I sent the whole day at the doctor office, well actually two. Physical therapy went well and then started the phone tag portion of the day. My Judy called and told my to call my Gilenya rep to start the patient assistance program application. So I called the Gileyna rep and we basically went over everything we talked about last week again. It didn't seem like she did anything since then. Then she said that we didn't qualify for the patient assistance even though earlier in the week she said it would go through. I was pretty frustrated but rocking out to Run DMC helped. Turns out that I started signing along out loud a bit. This older guy was kinda laughing at me until I pulled out my headphones and then he started singing and dancing along with me. Nothing like karaoke in the hospital lobby.

It wasn't quite this desperate looking. We were way cooler grooving the lobby.

The Gileyna lady was using the wrong numbers to see if we qualified. With the correct numbers I do qualify for the patient assistance. Hooray because there is no way we can afford to pay over $50,000 a year for one medication. She said she would send me the paperwork that she said she would send last week. No clue why she didn't send it already but whatever.

Jon picked me up for lunch and dropped me off at my neurologist. The doctor had a cancellation so my appointment got bumped up (this really worked out in my fortune). I have been suffering from daily migraines, vertigo and some other weird new symptoms. One of the new symptoms is jaw pain. It maybe a sign of TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) or it could just be too much tension in my head. Or something?

My vertigo was so bad that I couldn't do all his tests. We aren't totally sure if I'm having another flare up or if pushing it too much is triggering my migraines and that is prompting MS symptoms but a course of steroids should calm whatever is going on down. It is a good thing I was hanging around early because otherwise I won't have been able to start steroids today, fill a prescription, set up all my future appointments or work on the Gilenya mess with Judy.

I think My Judy deserves a Dundee

My Judy is amazing. She worked her magic and got me the forms I need to start Gilenya. I'm still waiting on the paperwork from the drug company from 2 weeks ago. Not only that but she got "samples" to cover me until they ship my drugs. No clue how she did this because they definitely don't give out samples but I don't care how it happened. I start Gilenya next week!! My Judy needs an award.

My day started out frustrating but ended out a high note. I wish I could have started the medication sooner but I'm so happy to be able to start it this year.

Good-ish News

I have a little bit of good news. My request to have my student loans deferred so I don't have to worry about starting to pay those back for at least 6 months.  And I got approved for life insurance. We managed to get the paperwork in before my heart condition and MS diagnoses were officially in the system so they don't count as prior conditions that would disqualify me.

And I am driving again, sometimes. I only drive when my right foot and head aren't bothering for short distances during the day where there isn't traffic. But it is a start and it is nice to have some independence back. We went to the holiday get together for the MS group and we all went around saying what we were thankfully for and that's what I said I was thankfully for. Everyone started applauding for me. I don't really get it because I don't feel like I did anything but I suppose it is an accomplishment. It was nice to talk to people there but it was also kinda hard because in the last month 6 people have started Gileyna and I'm not one of them :(. Last month most people hadn't even heard of that drug and now it seems like everyone is on it.

If only I could get some good news on starting Gileyna... There are some issues confirming that my appeal and not just the doctor's appeal was denied. Its a mess but I'm trying not to worry about it until I see my neuro on Thursday.

Thanksgiving recap

It's been a whirlwind since thanksgiving. We hosted thanksgiving for the first time. I'm very glad that most of the food was catered because their was no way we would have been able to host a full meal. It was small and pretty relaxed even still I think I pushed it too hard. Turns out the thanksgiving is a lot of work. Thanks mom and grandma for hosting all the other thanksgivings in my life. Overall I think everything went well. 

The day after thanksgiving we went on a road trip. We have been meaning to visit a friend in Maryland for months now but for numerous reasons the trip kept getting delayed. We were not sure if we would be able to make this trip until a few days before. We spent a few days in Baltimore visiting and then we headed to Washington DC for two nights. It was a good trip and I'm really glad we went but I think I may have pushed it a little too hard. I think the hubby might be a little worn out from pushing me up Capital Hill and all the driving. It was nice to get away.

I wasn't able to escape completely mentally from the BS of dealing with MS. The first day of the trip I got a phone call from my Judy. I call her my Judy because I don't really know what her job is. She is a nurse or physician assistant or something like that. Anyways she is my Judy and she is super helpfully. She called to let my know that the insurance company called and was asking the doctor about my appeal. He verified what I had written and they thought that the call had gone well. So for the rest of the trip I kept anxiously checking my email to see if the doctor had heard anything. 

When we got home there was a letter from the insurance company saying that Gilenya wasn't medically necessary since I have not taken two other medications prior. I don't think they read my letter at all. I felt pretty frustrated and defeated. I'm still glad that I waited and did the appeal because otherwise I would have been wondering what if and that would have driven my a little more insane.

I called the Gileyna program people to tell them about the denial and inquire about patient assistance to see if we could afford the medication without insurance. Today I got a message back from them saying that Humana hadn't informed them of the denial and that it was still processing (as of yesterday). They think that the insurance is reviewing their decision again. I don't think they really know what's going on. Don't get me wrong the trip wasn't overshadowed by this news or anything it was just unfortunate to have to come back from vacation mode to bad news and more hassle.

Wheelchair fitting

I have a wheelchair fitting early tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect. They are coming to our apartment so I don't think that they will be bringing a bunch of wheelchairs and seeing what I look the best in. The only thing that I can picture this being similar to is a dress fitting. 

I don't need a wheelchair all the time. Even when my flare was at its worst I was still able to walk (except for when I wasn't allowed to eat). I'm walking and standing much better but my stamina isn't totally back yet. I am getting a wheelchair now because insurance is covering 100% of the costs. Then I will have it ready for when the next flare up hits. We "borrowed" a transport chair and that really helped but it isn't a long term solution. Most people start with a cane then move to a walker and then onto a wheelchair if they need it. The problem for me is that both of my legs can be bad so a cane doesn't do much to help. I tried a walker but that was a mess, I kept tripping over my own feet. So it is easiest for me just to skip right to a wheelchair when I need extra assistance moving. It's a tool that can help me and I try not to fight using it. The wheelchair will be there for when we visit museums or things that require a lot of walking. Plus, I want to skip to the front of the line at amusement parks (just kidding). I should be able to get a nice lightweight non-hospital looking one so I can lift it in and out of the car by myself. That's the goal anyways. 

I have not heard anything back about my appeal yet but I anxiously check the mail every day for a reply. Hopefully the saying "no news is good news" applies here. We are switching insurance companies at the beginning of the new year so it is really important that I get approved now otherwise I will have to go through the same thing again with the new company. 

Some pretty good news

The appeal is done! Hopefully it is good enough. Now I just need to wait up to 30 days for an answer. 

I recently found out that I'm managing my Celiac's disease (the reason i cant digest gluten). We also got some more answers on what has been causing my stomach issues.

My eyesight is still 20/20 and I have no eye issues. I'm so grateful that my MS hasn't and isn't affecting my vision. Did you know that they can now measure your visual acuity (vision clearness) with a machine? You watch a fuzzy barn move and it can tell you if you need glasses. The tests all went well but it kind messed my eyes up after. 

I have been taking Magnesium to improve my muscle and nerve function. I'm not sure if it is helping that or if I'm just slowly getting over this flare up but it turns out that it is really helping my heart. About two days before I found out I had MS, I found out I had a heart condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse. It generally isn't a problem for people but I have a family history of heart conditions so it was a bit more concerning. That and my arrhythmia was very pronounced. The medical students were impressed with how cool it sounded. Anyways, the EKG showed no arrhythmia and I passed no problem. The heart monitoring before the Magnesium showed many irregularities. Now I need to find a new trick to impress the med students with.

And my liver is either functioning very well or slightly bad. Not all the test results are back and I'm not totally sure how to read them. 

The Packers are still on a winning streak and I watched a full game. Plus the silly looking trucker hats are gone. 

So all and all pretty good news. 

Group Meeting

We went to a MS group meeting. Every one else was 2 or 3 times our age. One lady actually referred to us as babies. There is another group that is meeting in December for people in their 20s and 30s and I'm hoping that group is more my speed. I'm glad we went to the meeting but it was kinda weird. It just didn't feel very welcoming. I guess I was expecting the meeting to be like AAA meetings are shown on tv. Hello, my name is Katie and I have MS. And of course there would be donuts. There were a lot of snacks but no donuts. It seemed more like a PTA meeting.

There was a yoga instructor who specializes in MS exercises there as guest speaker so that was cool. I have been thinking about signing up for his class so it was nice to learn more information. I still think yoga is very weird. It is a nice stretch but not really a workout. I didn't find it super relaxing but it is kinda hard to when we are mediating and a guy starts eating a crunchy snack. This was the same guy who was complaining that he was too full to do all the exercises. So then you decided to eat more? ?

My kind of Yoga

Yoga is not an ideal exercise for me. It is hard for me to sit still or quiet my mind. I like the classes were the instructor is telling you to push it not take it easy. I kept trying to do the moves just like the instructor was, pushing to do them perfect. This is apparently the opposite goal of yoga. I didn't understand all of the directions. How do you relax your eye muscles? Pretty much every time he would say to focus on your breathing, I would end up holding my breath. I think I'll end up joining the yoga class but mostly because I want to work out but there aren't really any other exercises I can do right now. The class did seem to help alleviate some of the numbness in my foot.

At the end of the meeting some people came up and talked to us which was nice but they seemed to be pushing pretty hard to make sure we would come back. I'm glad I checked it out but don't know if I'll go again.

Insurance smurance

I'm working on my appeal to the insurance company to try to get them to cover Gileyna. I have a rough outline thingy but am having trouble making full sentences and paragraphs never mind a full letter. At least there isn't a word limit because it is probably going to be pretty lengthly. Hopefully i can make it concise. Blah, I don't want to deal with this.

I'm pretty sure the insurance company is jerking me around. We are $12 away from the max out of pocket amount. And now claims seem to be taking much longer to process. We should have already reached the max out of pocket but now claims are disappearing or being reduced so we are still $12 away. I'm happy that the insurance company is negotiating with the doctors for lower prices but why haven't they been doing that the whole time not just when they are about to have to pay?

I'm supposedly no longer being audited but I have heard that before so I'm not holding my breath. Yesterday, the insurance company hung up on me. After being shuffled around a few times and being put on hold for over an hour, I was disconnected. Not sure if it was intentional or not but I was done dealing with that.

Oh joy

Sometimes I just need to remind myself that I'm fortunate to have insurance. . .

My insurance has decided that Gilenya is too expensive to cover. They want me to try two other medications before they will cover it. When we looked up the cost of my potential medications it didn't list this requirement so that's fun.

I can appeal this decision if I want but the doctors have already appealed and lost. Even if I don't decide to appeal this means that the soonest I can get started on any medication will be in three weeks. And that would be if everything went smoothly. I'm really frustrated by this delay but I guess I should have seen it coming. The magic pill just seemed too good to be true. I don't want to start another medication but I don't think it is a good idea for me to delay starting a medication. I will have to wait until I receive the letter with more details before I can decide how to proceed.

Oh and my insurance is auditing me. They think that I have alternate insurance. I don't. I responded to their questions and was told that took care of it. When I was on the phone inquiring about why they had doubled billed some of my claims I was informed that I'm still in the process of being audited. Apparently they are auditing me because they think I qualify for Medicaid which I don't.

I think I'm beginning to understand why people call the company "Inhumana". So much for "guidance when you need it most".

They see me Rollin', they hatin'

I have been using those electric carts at the grocery store for at least a month now and I have discovered that they universally suck. I will admit it was fun the first time or two (I do think jousting in these would be fun) but the novelty quickly wore off.

This is what the stores should provide but with a basket of course

There is always something wrong with these carts. Sometimes they have wheels that are more squarish than round or the reverse shifter is broke. I really love the ones that just shut down if you move slightly in the seat. Great "feature". The general maneuverability is amazing. It only takes 6 turns, if you are lucky, to make a u-turn in an aisle. Honestly, the only people that are good drivers in these things have Go Go Gadget arms and the ability to parallel park a semi.

What really bothers me about this carts is the other people in the store. These carts can't just scoot to the side like normal carts. And yet, people expect them to. There must be some unwritten rule where etiquette no longer dictates that you move if someone says excuse me while they are in an electric cart. I have accidentally almost taken out several displays because the aisles are too narrow. I should have taken out a few shoppers who decided to cut my cart off but I haven't. Have I mentioned how the carts shut off if you suddenly stop?

Perhaps the worst part is the people who say that I don't need the cart. Most days all I can manage to walk is to where they keep the electric carts. I will gladly not use the barely operating scooters just as soon as you cure my MS. That is what I should reply to those people but usually I'm too busy concentrating on not accidentally plowing into their shins. I'd like to be able to visit the grocery store without people judging me.

There are many invisible disabilities a person could have that necessitate using an electric cart. Please don't make comments or give dirty looks just because it doesn't look like that person needs it. Please try to give these malfunctioning device operators a bit more room.
Oh and teenage boys, pull up your pants! No one wants to see your boxers and certainly not at eye level.

This has been your public service announcement. You will now be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.

Some people have been wondering what my MS is like. It is a bit hard to describe because it seems like my symptoms are constantly coming or going.

I have relapsing remitting MS. I have been experiencing a flare up or a relapse since September. I have been on IV and oral steroids to try to calm the inflammation down. Hopefully soon I will be starting on Gileyna and that will lower the number of flare ups.

Since this flare up has started I have not been able to drive. My feet are numb and my legs are tingly. I have muscle weakness and spasms which make it difficult for me to stand or walk for long periods of time. The spasticity can make it difficult for me to fully extend my legs. I used to have this in my hands as well but the last course of steroids relieved that. I still have some problems with grip strength or numbness in my hands but it is no longer constant. As a result of the numbness and muscle tightness sometimes it looks like I'm drunk when I walk. I was never very coordinated before but now it looks like I belong to the ministries of silly walks when I try to walk on a line. 

I take a lot of random naps. Sadly, I don't think I have been able to stay awake for the entirety of a Packer game yet. Of course then when it is bed time I can't sleep. The steroids pretty much make it impossible to sleep without medication. Simple tasks like loading the dish washer can wipe me out.

I was mixing up my sentence order and swapping words but the last course of steroids seem to have eliminated that. My short term memory seems to have benefited as well.

It has been a long month+ since this flare up has started. It can be hard for me to remember that as bad as I feel sometimes now, that it used to me a lot worse. Things are slowly getting better. If I were to have my choice of what were to come back I would pick driving occasionally so I won't have to wait hours for a ride to the doctors. I'd also really like to be able to climb a tree stand in a month for deer hunting but that goal seems pretty far off right now.

I'm a food werewolf

I am a food werewolf. I feel bad for the innocent bystanders on Friday. I wasn't allowed to eat because I got to enjoy a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. I was very cranky and I apologize to the nurses and my husband. Turns out not eating or sleeping at all during a relapse makes my MS REALLY bad. When it was time to leave, my entire body hurt. Even the muscles in my tongue felt strained. Everything hurt. Spending 10 minutes asking me if my pain is a 9 or a 10 doesn't make me feel any better. Those pain scales mean nothing. Here is a much more accurate pain scale. The funny thing is that I wasn't even necessarily looking for pain meds, I really just wanted them to stop asking me questions. Thankfully once I ate and slept some I felt much better. I'm adding that experience to the "I'm never doing that again" list.

Appointment with the neurologoist went well. After talking to the doctor for a little bit it seemed pretty clear that there really is no way to compare all the medications head to head and the way I did it was the best method possible. As it turns out the medicines are all pretty similar so I was anguishing for nothing. Right now it is hard to know how an individual will respond to any given treatment. Until we know how treatments will work for individual patients, the only approach is guess and check. Since everything seemed so similiar I decided that I would try the magic pill, Gileyna. Now I just have to make sure that my heart can handle it and hopefully I will be on my new meds soon.

But of course it is never that's easy. I have to get my eyes checked out as well and I can't get an appointment for a month. I knew there would be delays no matter what and I'm trying not to let it bother me. Pending there are no hang ups from insurance, the drug company, and my test results hopefully I will start my medication within a month. Just give me my drugs already, geez.

We also learned that the random vertigo and motion sickness stuff I was experiencing at the beginning of the year was caused by another relapse. It is kinda weird to look at a MRI scan of your brain and know that the cloudy area on your brain stem is what made you so sick.

Please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors. Just got an iPad (free thanks to the hubby's work) and I am still getting used to typing on it. It does make using the computer a lot easier on me. Using a regular keyboard before was making my hands hurt a lot because of spasticity issues that were making it difficult for me to open or use my hands. It is also convenient timing since I recently broke the hubby's laptop when I couldn't feel my hands. Oops...

Decision Time

In a few hours I'm supposed to meet with my neurologist to discuss what medication I should go on. I'm grateful with the doctor giving me the choice between 4 medications (Avonex, Rebif, Gilenya, and Copaxone) because I know that it will make me more likely to follow through on the treatment. However, I almost wish he didn't since I feel like this is the most indecisive I have ever been. I researched all my options and the more I dig into it the more they all seem the same. I have used charts and statistical analysis to help me to try to compare the medications and their effectiveness. The engineer in me was expecting this to show me the answer. I don't like that there doesn't seem to be an obvious choice. Drug manufacturers, I'm on to you and your manipulating your study results to make it seem like your drug is better. The things that you are comparing are apples and oranges apart.

My analysis shows me that Gilenya and Copaxone have relatively the same results when it comes to "stopping" MS. They both have different pluses and minuses when it comes to things like safety and convenience but ultimately both drugs are pretty similar. Gilenya seems like a magic pill. Maybe it is but it just seems too good to be true.

I don't really want to give myself a shot everyday but I keep telling myself if that is what is best then I will do it. The fact remains that I don't want to and the closer we get to decision time the more I have developed a strong resistance against doing so. Why should I have to deal with shots and what not when I can just take a pill every day? Can it really be that easy?

No answer here

I need some pretty graph to show me the answer.

How I got MS

And the answer is...? No one really knows. But no one really knows what causes MS in general. No one else in my family has MS; although MS isn't hereditary, people with close family members that have MS are more likely to have it then the general population. Women have MS at rates double to that of men so that certainly didn't help my odds. MS seems to occur less frequently in populations that live near the Equator so growing up in the Midwest doesn't really help there. I had a pretty bad case of Mono a few years ago which may have increased my odds. And then there is this new theory that working all those late nights may have put me at risk.

Despite however I may have ended up with MS, I was officially diagnosed about two weeks ago. In the beginning of September, I started experiencing numbness and tingling in my legs. It progressed up to my ribs. I was able to see a doctor fairly quickly and was referred to a neurologist. The neurologist did some tests to check for nerve damage and after not finding any he ordered several blood tests and a MRI. I didn't have Lyme disease or Lupus. The MRI showed that I had 2 lesions on my spinal cord. These lesions are basically scars (see the About Multiple Sclerosis page for more information). One of these lesions was showing active inflammation which is what is causing most of my symptoms. I also had a brain MRI done. This showed "several" inactive lesions and 2 or 3 very small active ones.

We know that the issues I had last year at my wedding (mostly numbness and tingling) were caused by an MS attack or flare up. This may not have been the first attack I have had. It is possible that what was suspected as tendonitis in my knee a few years ago was an attack as well. It is impossible to match up attacks and lesions that show up on the MRI scans. And I could have an attack without an active lesion showing up.

Overall, the time it took to diagnose my MS was very quick. It takes some people decades to find this out so I'm glad that I can move onto treating instead of still being stuck in limbo land. I chanced upon some great doctors who took immediate action instead of just waiting and seeing. I really like my neurologist so far who just happens to specialize in MS. I don't really know why I ended up with him as my doctor as he isn't supposed to be accepting new patients but I'm glad I did.