@JasFromTas 

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JasFromTas

Hi and help with new diagnosis...

Hi Everyone, New to this forum and to MS, but thought I’d say Hi. Are most of you from the UK/Europe? I’m in Australia (originally from Tasmania, the island below Australia, though now live in Melbourne), but there aren’t any online young MS stuff on the net for down here, so thought I’d join you lot :-) Not sure how most people go with the highs and lows of first being diagnosed. I feel like this is a rollercoaster that is out of control “I just want to get off now, thanks” is the thought that goes through my head the most! What can I say to date? I had issues at the beginning of this year (Jan-March) which my GP (local Dr) said was a pinched nerve in my neck/foot/hands, a bladder infection, and an ear infection (hence balance issues). I am a assistant nurse manager at a 70 bed hospice, but we have 40 beds reserved for neuro patients (motor neuron disease, Huntington’s, MS etc) so I knew it didn’t all fit (and I knew what did, and it scared the crap out of me!) but when I said this to my doctor I got labelled a hypochondriac. Excellent Doctor! After discussing it with friends in March we also talked about MS, but then decided that nurses self diagnose too much, and when everything went away, I thought “You beauty! Sweet!” So when stuff came back in Aug I saw a different doctor, got a MRI/neurologist then MS specialist and had methylpred. That was in October, just after I turned 27, and the MS specialist started talking about DMD with me (for RRMS; I thought, give me a month, will think about it and decide). Things improved, but not gone. But then by the end of Nov, over 3days my legs went, and I spent 3 weeks in hospital/rehab. I have had even more methylpred, and started Tysabri, which I am not well pleased about; feel hemmed in regarding my options but things have changed so fast my mind can't keep up. So now I am feeling right cranky (sorry, to blast the illusion that might be out there that Aussies are all laid back and happy – we are usually – just not me at the moment!). I think the thing I am suffering from most is not knowing the future. The unknown is killing me and keeping me in a sweat at night. I just want to rewind this year and start afresh. Or forget. But stop thinking about it. How do you guys move on? Does is just happen one day? How long does it take? Help and ideas appreciated, Cheers, Jasmin
@f3ng5hu1

<a href='https://shift.ms/community/people/jasfromtas/' rel='nofollow'>@JasFromTas</a> Firstly welcome to shift, a good place to get answers from people who actually have the condition as opposed to medical sites that tend more towards a 'third party perspective'. A lot people on here have had the condition for years and could probably advise you better (only know about mine early this year). I think you come to terms with it over time, at first was a complete major shock to hear I had it but then after a while you start to think kike 'oh well, nothing I can do about having it, just got to make the best of it'. For me it was good in some ways as it humbled me a lot, put life more into perspective i think and also kick started me back into doing live music again, do it while I still can so to speak but it is different for everybody, none of us unless in the very very later stages of it can tell how much this thing is going to affect us and how many years it will take before it possibly disables us (i think I read 85% of people on average with ms become disabled over time). For me the most frustrating part is the random little quirks that happen, little body jolts that smack me from time to time screaming out "yeh you have ms, take that sucker!" lol that is frustrating not because of the pain so much (not always that bad to be fair) but because of the sheer frustration of people not understanding that side of it. it is though so very different for everybody so my advice is just take it one day at a time, don't let it get to you, don't let it drag you down mentally worrying about the future (which is so uncertain anyway) but stay positive, Hope that helps.

@f3ng5hu1

lol wasn't able to edit typos after posting this time for some reason ^^