The time has come to share the full story of what's happening in my life. #LivingwithMS #MSlife I am living with Multiple Sclerosis. My first symptoms presented in 2005 with December 2022 being fully diagnosed, bringing a feeling of relief. It is easier to accept, easier to have comfort in personalizing my experience. 2022 alone has been a journey of itself, losing 60 lb over the course of any diet is an accomplishment. Losing 60 pounds in 4 months was a feat. I now know during my weight loss journey it was an opportunity to understand myself. To get in tune with my body and how it works. Losing weight without hours in the gym or diet programs, I feel was God's blessing, to make myself a priority; to pay attention to my environment. What I learned during the weightloss journey was more mindfulness of when/what/how much food I was consuming. I’ve learned how to control my weight like a game. I can in a sense, start and stop weight loss in a maintenance aspect. I imagine this will become useful as treatment therapies begin. My story starts in 2005 with vision troubles and tingling sensations in my hands and feet; I wasn't really numb but I was aware the nerves were feeling active. This was a constant sensation that hasn’t stopped. Would describe it similar to a constant touch. Along with the tingling, an eye was affected. I was getting floaters in my vision and more of a foggy field of vision. Visiting with my primary care doctor, he ordered blood work to check levels. From my recollection the blood work came back fine/normal. From that visit I was also given a referral to an Optimologist from Columbus. The Optimologist did a deep examination of my eyes and the visible veins and nerves. During his exam he diagnosed Optic Neuritis noting the Myelin with my optic nerve in my right eye was showing signs of demyelination. He also suggested using an eye patch to reduce the strain on my eye to help with headaches. From the Optimologist came a referral to a Neurologist. The Neurologist began with his tests and procedures. He ordered my first MRI in 2008. With the following report on suspicion of lesions and areas of concern were noted. The Neurologist expressed what was seen on the tests and its correlation with M.S. At this time, a diagnosis for M.S. needed an abundance of signals and exclusions of other common troubles. One key test was a Spinal Tap to review the cells for evidence of the disease. Needles are something I’m not comfortable with. The sheer thought of it brings anxiety. Needles to say with great courage, I refused to subject myself to the thought of that needle. Fast forward to October 2022, one night my feet, more on the right side, gave a strong sensation of being cold. However when touched, there wasn't a stark difference in feel. The tingle sensation in my feet changed to more of a pins & needles sensation, with heightened stimulation when rubbed and touched. With the new symptoms, it was noticed over the previous few weeks my balance and stability were consistent struggles. During the office visit at my Primary Care Doctor, we discussed the change to my symptoms, being more than just a tingling sensation. Labs were ordered with results as expected for a healthy adult. From this visit a recommendation was given to Neurology. Early November, I met with a new Neurologist for consultation and examination. Upon hearing my history, with current symptoms, he had a strong suspicion of my condition. His visit led me to actually study MS deeper. Starting with stories and symptoms. I found relief in this research. Previous 5 years, I have been in my family doctor's office yearly with a struggle I couldn’t explain. One was fatigue even though I was getting ample sleep. Another year it was an odd weakness in my legs. Continued tremors/shaking hands. Seeing an eye doctor just as much. 1st year he gave me a slight correction to help with some vision problems. But quickly stopped wearing them because I could see relatively fine. The prescriptions were hardly worn. Early summer 2022 I had bad eyesight while being active. Rescheduled an eye visit. By the time of the visit my eyesight isn't a problem. Enough for him to say I had 20/20 vision. But every week, I couldn't read the scoreboard while bowling. December 8th 2022, meeting with the Neurologist, his confirmation brought an overwhelming feeling of relief, now I knew the last decade of strange problems were because of my illness. My vision was an attack, by the time I made it to the doctor it remitted. My weakness and fatigue is an attack My shaky hands are an attack My stuttering and stammering speech is an attack. I started Aubagio on 12/20/22, and have noticed some troubles have subsided. Today my focus is on the experiences. Enjoying the greater aspect of time with Tressa. Involvement in the lives of my children and being present every opportunity I get. My days don’t start with “can not”s but with today “I can do this” I am visible on most platforms as @your friendDoug or @Doug_with_ms