Catherine, 41-years-old. Diagnosed in 2003.
Hello fellow M.S.ers. For me, it all started when I was driving home from an evening shift in Dunnes stores. My eyes started seeing double, so I pulled over the car and got off the dual carrigeway and took the less busy road home!
The next morning, I woke up and stil had double vision. I'm a nervous wreck at the best of times so I was imagining the worst case scenario (brain tumour) when I went to my GP. He examined me and gave me a letter for the eye and ear hospital. So off I went and to cut a long story short it ended up with an MRI and a week in Tallaght hospital getting I.V. steroids and more steroids before I was sent home.
The weight fell off me with the worry, it was such a shock as my cousin had only been diagnosed a few months before me, weird or what!!
Anyway, I started on Rebif 44 shortly after and have been on that medication ever since. My last MRI showed new lesions, so I'm due to have another one in July and may need to change to Tysabri or Copaxone. I'd love to talk to anyone in the same situation.
Sinead, 21-years-old. Diganosed in 2012.
Hey, my name's Sinead and I'm 21 years old. I was diagnosed with MS in 2012.
I joined a gym a year ago and my legs went funny about 6 months ago, so I thought it was from the gym. A month before I ended up in hospital, I had to have someone to help me walk everywere, and I was afraid to be left on my own. I was always over with my doctor and she just sent me home all the time saying my legs were perfect.
The week before I ended up in hospital, I had gone to my doctor three times in one week, and on my third visit I went in saying there is something wrong with me so that she would have to send me somewhere to get a full check-up.
The doctor sent me to Saint Vincent's, I had a MRI that night and the next day I had a lumbar puncture. The following day I was told I have MS. I was relieved because they had said it might be a tumour.
I am still finding it hard to cope, not really sure how to deal with having MS, and right now I don't think its real. I have had two relapse in 9 weeks, and lost sight in my left eye, but it has came back from the steroids, thank God :).
I started my treatment last Tuesday, which I hate having to inject once a week. I'm hoping I will get back to my normal self soon :)!
What do you remember about your diagnosis? Was it similar or different to Catherine's and Sinead's journey?