Welcome to this exclusive club that none of us really wanted to join ;-) At any rate it is a great place to get and share information and support. You can search any topic using the magnifying glass in the upper left. You can also search members as well. You can "friend" people to send them personal notes and so much more here. If you want to direct a comment or reply specifically to anyone just use a "@" in front of their "name" in a note and they will be called out in an email and/or the notification bell in the upper right. I've heard it can take a year or two to wrap your head around an MS diagnosis and what it means and how it affects you. My initial symptoms came and resolved so fully that I was only occasionally impacted by the diagnosis other than having to take my shot daily (after many years changed to 3x/week). Only in the last couple years (I was Dx in 2005) have my symptoms been more persistent and impactful. With the more effective DMTs (such as Tecfidera) now MS is much more manageable. I'm sure others that take that DMT will pitch in with advice about adapting to that drug and/or you can search for past conversations using the magnifying glass in the upper left. I am currently on Ocrevus but know that Tecfidera is also popular and effective for many and that many in this forum have Optic Neuritis as a symptom. Your Neurologist is right in that everyone's path is pretty unique but with a forum this large there will be many that can relate to your issues and provide advice. The vision issues I have had seem more like Optical Migraines where a small patch of vision is replaced by kind of a pixelated area that goes away within a half hour without really even causing a headache and no pain. This doesn't really match how other describe ON so it likely is not related to my MS which, for me, more impacts my gait and balance. There are many good, and bad, sources of information on MS on the internet. This group is a great source for information as well as the MS Societies (I'm in the US so often go there but the UK has an active site as well), Bart and I have learned a lot from Dr Boster's You Tube channel where he has hundreds of videos on many topics. This is a good starter one to the newly diagnosed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQXygHtYzc&t=3s In this one he focuses on ON and the pain associated with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bywE6aR4gE I'm sure you will receive much support and advice - welcome ;-) and good luck

Hello @fiona1992, welcome to Shift. Yep, it is a real shocker to be diagnosed. Confusing, conflicting, and yes, give yourself the gift of time to process everything. The fact that site has thousands of members, all ages and stages, from all over the world, shows that life does go on, and we all continue with our journeys. Basic rules for this time (according to me!) are: rest and exercise as optimally as possible. Don't smoke. Don't overload with information and also use credible sites like this one, MS Society or Trust, and never google! That can be scary. And yes, I remember feeling angry that I had a brand new diagnosis and was instantly force to confront the spectre of powerful drugs (disease modifying drugs/treatments DMD/DMTs) The wisdom of being further down the track shows that these medications are shown to slow down any progression behind the scenes. It's easy to think 'I'm feeling OK now, I'll wait' but if you have a relapse, at that stage the damage is done and you have another lesion or two. It's a bit like vaccinating yourself to go abroad; it's no use starting meds after you catch malaria, you take the meds to safeguard against it. I chose Tecfidera as, for me, it seemed to have the least impact on working life and lifestyle. Most meds have side effects at least initially, but if you use the search button above, you can access on posts and advice on different DMDs. Take care, hold your head up, and keep tuning in here would be my advice! :-) x