@Diagnosed after 4 yrs CIS on Shift.ms

Diagnosed after 4 yrs CIS

I finally got my ms diagnosis after 4 yrs though at appointment I felt i had to push a bit for it. My neurologist was talking about waiting again to see if any new lesions on mri after a few new symptoms, recent one being reduced vision in left eye. On questioning why he wasnt diagnosing even if no new lesions he decided to have another look at mri's from last 4 yrs. He asked if id had lumber puncture which I have had and was positive. He then said he could diagnose on the 2017 criteria.!! I told him I was aware of criteria as we had discussed it last year and he said he should have diagnosed then. I am awaiting mri where then we can decide if starting treatment and have appt with ms nurse soon. Keeping positive and strangely relieved at finally having definitive diagnosis.

I was diagnosed in 2005 with MS and had no reason to question the diagnosis as my symptoms were consistent with MS (optic neuritis, various gait/weakness issues over the years before diagnosed and MRI lesions). I was started on Copaxone and had no doubt that I was on the right path with a good diagnosis. Then during a flare about 8 years after diagnosis the lesion was on my spine instead of in my brain. This caused my neuro to start asking questions. He sent me off to another clinic for a blood test and panel to make sure I didn't have another disease entirely. I can't remember the name but apparently it isn't as treatable as MS and can have a quick decline. Copaxone isn't effective for it. Apparently my blood test came back that I did not have that condition and certainly have MS, all was good, continue current path, etc. My thought was "wait a minute - I've been jabbing myself each night with this increasingly expensive drug and it may not have any benefit at all? and you could have told that in the first place with a blood test? that costs how much? a fraction of just one month's cost of the drug!?" In my case it was confirmed that I do have MS but happened to get a lesion in spine instead of the brain that time. I understand these lesions are much more damaging so have to be looked for if you are prone to them. So- it may be frustrating to go through this long diagnosis but I can see why in some countries and/or medical plans that they want it to be absolutely certain that you have MS before they start shelling out thousands of dollars a month for the drugs and you want to be certain before you start having to do the injections or take the pills as everything has side effects and is crazy expensive. Just the cost accountant coming out in me ;-) I was flabbergasted that at this point about a quarter of a million $ of Copaxone has been injected into me that may have had no impact what so ever? what kind of sense does that make if a simple blood test would have told them it wasn't an effective treatment. So push through- make sure you get it right.