Hi Dan,

Thank you for this story. One benefit of a site like Health Central is sharing experiences and feelings about chronic diseases and conditions. Other people with the same condition will understand they are not alone and it makes sharing easier.

I don't remember the exact date of my diagnosis, just that it was the last part of December 1989. After there was a name for my "episodes" which started ten years or more earlier, but I couldn't pinpoint that date either. The problem went away. I do remember the day of my diagnosis. 

After weeks of focused testing, it was time for the results. My mother went with me and waited while I went into the doctor's office. He asked what I thought. I said since MS is his specialty, I probably have MS. He asked how I would feel if I do have MS. I didn't know enough about MS to say. He wished me good luck.

We went to my favorite half-price book store where Mother enjoyed browsing while I sat on the floor in the health book section. I read about MS in several

books, identifying episodes as symptoms. There were some I did not find. For example, the books I found said there was no pain with MS. Oh crud, I had MS but my pain meant I must have something else, too. Over the past 23 years since my diagnosis, I read the entire books and new ones, and current articles.

I began to meet other MSers online and off. I found all my old episodes as well as new symptoms as health professionals learned more about this mysterious MS.

So, thank you, Dan, for sharing your story, and now, here's my diagnonis day story.