Hello everyone
This is my first post here, I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Cat, I live in London and I'm 36. I was diagnosed with RRMS in November 2021 after only 5 months of symptoms. I am quite a private person and haven't felt ready to share my diagnosis with anyone in my life yet, so this forum will help me a lot, I think.
My first (and so far only major) symptom which began in around June 2021 was double vision caused my sixth nerve palsy (if I remember correctly) in my left eye. It took an incorrect diagnosis of labyrinthitis and a lot of persistence on my part (visits to at last three walk in urgent care clinics, 14 hours of waiting the last time but thankfully that hospital took me seriously and didn't just send me home without an assessment and CT) I had MRIs on my brain and spine, a lumbar puncture then the diagnosis came quickly.
Reading some of your stories makes me realise how lucky I am that it was diagnosed so soon, but it still came as a big shock and I haven't yet totally got my head around it. It made me think hard on things that previously never entered my mind. As I said, I haven't felt able to tell my family. I'm single and have no children, so that makes it easier. At the moment I just think I'd runs people fussing and asking questions I can't answer far more stressful than dealing with it on my own.
I have my first Ocrevus treatment tomorrow. I'm nervous, but I think it will be okay. I'm still me. I still spend far too much money on theatre, read way too many books and watch more tennis on TV than is healthy, and I still want a puppy more than almost anything else in the world!!
Edit: I'm not looking for advice right now. I'm sure I'll have questions in the future, but just now I'm only saying hello. :)
Anyway, hello everyone. Happy Wednesday!
You should share your diagnosis with the people you feel closest to xx
Hello and welcome. this is a lovely supportive forum with very little judgement of how we all navigate and respond to this difficult condition. Like you, I was diagnosed within a short space of time and have found that some people who haven't seen me for a while are shocked at my change in ability and oddly my face. Apparently I have a droop at time and my eyes look funny! It is a lot to take in and just go at your pace. The MS society produce some interesting materials which at first I resisted but have found them very useful. The staff on their helpline are also very supportive and happy to discuss all sorts of matters from employment rights to money management. I'm just giving you the flags up. You are so right; you are you!