@Denisa 

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Denisa

To be or not to be... multiple sclerosis

Hello all, My name is Denisa and I might have been diagnosed with RRSM last week. Why do I say ”might”, you may ask: my diagnosis was based upon a single optical neuritis attack, along with the results of my MRI, the visual potentials, the blood tests and the personal history. I aldready had my steroid treatment: 5 days. My right eye is now better, it regained saturation and sharpness about 99.8%. I know it will never regain its full potential, but I'm good with that. Moving on :) . Untill I heard the diagnosis from my doctor’s mouth, I was deepy frustrated for being in a hospital longer than I have ever been before (I'm 28, and the last time I was hospitalised was back when I was 9, for an apendicitis) and not knowing if I have SM of not (there were also some steroid side-effects meddling with my emotions, but that’s another funny story :) ). I come to peace with the diagnosis, but I cannot come to terms if it’s 100% accurate. For that I a willing to ask another neuro opinion, to be more certain. I know that in MS certainty is what lacks most of the time, but if I’m going to beat this poor MS, I have to now exactly what I’m dealing with! :D And most of all, I need to secure my parents’ emotional being, and all this uncertainty is killing them inside. I am a knowledge seeker, an information dweller and I wonder if you could help me with some opinions. Nice to meet you all and may you have a wonderfull day! :) Denisa
@cameron

Welcome to the site! I'm not surprised you're feeling chewed up inside - it's probably the biggest bombshell you'll ever have to deal with in your life!! You mention blood tests but not a lumbar puncture - which can confirm other test results. Does that mean they haven't actually given you a definite MS dx? You actually need one because once it's definite you are eligible for disease-modifying therapy (and I don't mean steroids). Hugs across cyberspace xx

@Stumbler

Hi, the diagnosis of MS is never easy. The Neurologist needs to be absolutely sure first. As @Cameron says above, the Lumber Puncture is usually carried out if the other tests are inconclusive. The problem with MS is the "Multiple" bit of it. If there was a condition called "Singular Sclerosis", it may help. But, your thirst for knowledge will hold you in good stead. The more you know about this MonSter, the better you can manage it. Opinions? Well, try and bring balance into your life, if it doesn't already exist. A balanced diet and a balanced lifestyle, avoiding extremes. And try and banish stress from your life. This seems to be a major protagonist to MS. MS is a manageable condition, even more so given today's medical advances. So, try and reassure your parents so they don't give you more stress. Have a look through these publications to see if there's anything which may help you or your parents :- http://www.mstrust.org.uk/publications/publications-for-people-with-ms.jsp And, well done for persevering with your avatar....... :wink: