I was undiagnosed for 7 years. During that time, I tried dealing with symptoms (my oldest symptom was bowel and bladder issues) and was very very healthy. I lost 50kg over 3 years, then kept that weight for another 3 years (up until now), I went to the gym for 2-4 times a week consistently. I ate healthy, and tried supplements. I also had regular massages to deal with back pain and spasticity. I can honestly say that there wasnt much I could have done better. In the end, my symptoms got worse, slowly but steadily. The delay in my diagnosis means I now have chronic back pain and have not had a night I did not have to get up to pee for several years. Had I had the choice, I would have taken DMTs much earlier. I know there are stories from people that delay treatment and are relatively fine, at least for some time. And treatment can suck. And my take is just a personal opinion. But I see people declining/delaying treatment as a risk you may well regret. I know I resent the several doctors that misdiagnosed/underdiagnosed me for years. I would wager it is worse to resent yourself for this kind of decision than some incompetent douche in a white coat for not treating you.

Hi, I was diagnosed with RRMS in October 2009 and since then, I’ve had a few relapses, probably one every two or three years and varying in severity. I know what makes my symptoms worse (conflict, deadlines, tiredness, anxiety and rushing around) and while it’s not always easy to avoid these triggers, just knowing their effect on me definitely helps me to adjust what I’m able to. My neurologist in England was great and very much supported this attitude and agreed that he didn’t think I should be on any medication at the moment, especially given the side effects, but that he would help me if I ever wanted to try them. I’ve since moved to Ireland and my neurologist is completely different and I dread seeing her because she clearly thinks I’m irresponsible and “likes all her patients to be on medication”. She hasn’t given me an appointment for months now and I feel like she’s lost interest because I won’t take the drugs that she recommends. I just want a choice and a bit of respect for what I choose for my own body. MS is scary enough with the random symptoms, but I’m also going through perimenopause and I it helps me to know which symptoms are connected to which condition, without throwing anything new into the mix. I like to forget about the MS as much as I can for as long as I can and concentrate on being healthy and avoiding the triggers. It’s a very difficult choice when you don’t know how many relapses you are likely to have in the future, but you have to do what feels right for you. All the very best to you 😊