Prevention Article

[Amore55]

I just read a really good article on an email that I got from Prevention magazine. The woman related that it took her 13 years to get diagnosed with MS! I know that I can relate to this. It took me 16 years to finally get a diagnosis. Many doctors, many trips to different hospitals and medical facilities. All the way from when we lived in Lancaster, Pa to Salt Lake City, where I was finally diagnosed. I wonder how many other people have had this same experience? It’s a shame that it has to be so difficult. Love to all, Kelly

[erash]

my first symptoms 1986. Diagnosed 2008. 🤪

[Amore55 in reply to erash]

Amazing, isn’t it?

[falalalala]

I believe I've had MS well over 20 years but only went for help when Lhermitte's showed up.

That was about 15 years ago and I was diagnosed about a year later.

[NorasMom]

Mine took 35 years after I first started asking for help.

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Similar to erash , my symptoms showed up in 1997, but I was finally diagnosed in 2006, Amore55 . I heard that there is a blood test that can be done to diagnose ‘ms’ ? I am making my daughters aware of this and to discuss with their medical providers. 🤗

[Amore55 in reply to carolek572]

Me too with my kids.

[Haku949 in reply to carolek572]

A blood test to discover this is not available? Could you please expand?

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador in reply to Haku949]

themighty.com/topic/multipl...

Here you go, Haku949

[Xvettech]

unfortunately yes, it took me several years to finally get diagnosis :(. It is totally sucky but I understand that they need to rule out so many thing’s first

[kdali]

15 years.

[Elizt3]

I live in Lancaster, PA. Not always the best neurologists here (now I go to Baltimore for my care)

[Amore55 in reply to Elizt3]

Yes, I lived there when my symptoms started. We went to Philadelphia to see some doctors, as well as Baltimore and D.C. But it took 16 years before I got diagnosed.

[Mayzee12]

30.5 years

[mrsmike9]

It amazes me how many people had so much trouble getting diagnosed. I hope I'm not in the minority, but it took only around six weeks for me.

[bxrmom in reply to mrsmike9]

mrsmike9 I think it probably took about that long when I was diagnosed in 2006 after my sudden blurry vision that wasn't getting better. Luckily I argued with the ophthalmologist that it was not the medication I had been on for years causing my blurriness, so he sent me for a brain MRI which showed lesions that looked like MS. My family doctor referred me to a Neurologist for further testing.

[mrsmike9 in reply to bxrmom]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was diagnosed pretty quickly. It just took the LP and an MRI. But I had to fit those in around treatment for my badly broken arm.

[bxrmom in reply to mrsmike9]

LP is what sealed the MS dx. for me. I think it took about a month (maybe 2) to start treatment. At the time there were only few injection choices. I had cosen Copaxone as it had the least amount of side effects. The autoject made doing injections easier as I could not bring myself to use just the needle.

[mrsmike9 in reply to bxrmom]

I was put on Trazodone first, then Copaxone. Both of them caused bad reactions. I've been on Aubagio 8+ years.

[bxrmom in reply to mrsmike9]

oh no, so sorry to hear that you had bad reactions from both the drugs. Glad you have something that works for you now.

[AquaZumbaFan]

I had my first symptoms in 1981 not diagnosed till 2001

[Helpmeup]

After reading these posts, I feel "lucky" that it "only" took five years for me! 🤗