Recently to keep awake during a LATE night birthing of puppies I joined various MS support groups, on FB and an app called MS Buddy. I wasn’t sure what if anything I wanted to get out of them, it just occurred to look and see. They have been good for helping me realise just how lucky I am.
Yes, I have MS. However, it looks like I’ve probably had it for at least a decade. Now I just have a name for it.
And yes I got diagnosed because symptoms were concerning enough that I pressured doctors enough that they discovered it. But compared with innumerable others on the forums, I consider my symptoms mild – so far muscle weakness and stiffness, mild balance issues, and a bit of vision trouble.
And now that I know what it is, I’m being progressed to a treatment that should hopefully reduce the likelihood of it getting worse.
When I knew something was wrong but before I was diagnosed, I worried I had something like ALS. I later learned my Neurologist worried I had a tumour or brain cancer. Compared to those options, I AM lucky.
And between my type and mildness of symptoms, and chosen career field (tech) I should be fine to continue working for the foreseeable future – until something worsens too much.
There’s also the fact that I was diagnosed at 45 (even if I likely had it at 35 or before). Rather than many young girls being slapped with it in their 20’s or even before – before they’ve finished having fun, getting established in their careers, etc.
Others on the forums have it much rougher. They are scared and reaching out there looking for help, for answers, for others that have gone through what they are going through. It’d feel callous not to respond.