Good enough news!

Thanks for reading & responding momdukes!

Thanks for reading!  He does review the pictures with me sometimes, but not always.  He just points out the lesions to me & tells me if they are new or were existing at the time of the previous MRI.  This past time he did not go over the pictures with me, probably because there wasn't much change.  I feel that if my MS is active, I would be having some sort of problem in my every day lifestyle, i.e. walking troubles, numbness, etc. 

I didn't do well at all on Avonex, I think it was because it was only a once-a-week shot & it made me feel horrible the day after I took the shots.  Plus, I'm a big whiner when I want to be so that didn't help matters much, haha!! 

Yep, why fix something that's not really broken, right?!  Thanks for reading!

Not that I want to spread around conspiracy theories or anything, but I wouldn't put it past *any* drug company to pay doctors a "bonus" for every patient they can switch to *their* medication. And that goes for ALL drug companies and ALL medications.

The cost of my Copaxone increased by 20% this year. Yikes! Why? Perhaps:

1) Because they can charge whatever they want to

2) They need to pay for all of their seminars, and fancy chochkes they give out

3) It's getting closer for another company to copy their drug in generic form

4) All drug companies take advantage of disabled individuals. They spend gobs of money making us paranoid by promoting "If you don't take a disease-modifying medication you definitely will get worse"

5) If they were really concerned about curing us, don't you think they'd spend money on FINDING THE CAUSE OF MS instead of pumping us up with medications that "supposedly" slow the progression but KEEP US WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR DISEASE???

I do my daily shots of Copaxone by using an autoinjector (so I never even see the needle), and combined with their new thinner needle, it really is no big deal. And taking it every day instead of every other day, I don't have to waste my ever-decreasing brain energy trying to remember "Did I do my shot yesterday so today I don't?" I just routinely wake up, hobble downstairs, ice the "spot of the day," put my toast in the toaster, do my shot, then eat my toast.

But scientifically, isn't it about Copaxone preventing the T cells breaking the blood/brain barrier vs. whatever Rebif is supposed to do? I think *that's* what should make up your (and your doctor's) decision.

Sorry to rant a bit here, but I was diagnosed in 2005 - after it took waaaay too many doctors, in four different states, 12 years to arrive at a diagnosis. When they say they really don't have a clue, TAKE THEM AT THEIR WORD!

I totally agree! 

Wow!  12 years?  You deserve an award!  That is a long time; but I will probably end up going through the exact same thing.  I also don't trust the physicians.  I finally just decided to live my life as is and take things as they come.  Eventually, I will be diagnosed;  I'm really sorry that you had to go through that.  My fear was that by the time they finally say MS that it will have progressed so much so that nothing will help.  My new doctor gives me a little hope; even if he won't say MS; at least he's not discounting what I'm experiencing.

Hi April,

Thanks for reading my post!  I see a doctor at Raleigh Neurology.  All of the doctors at that practice are excellent in my opinion.  Duke also has good doctors.  I started on Avonex but did not tolerate it very well so I switched to Rebif.  I also take Solumedrol.  I started on that once a week, once a month.  Then he switched me to 3 times a week, in one week a month. Now I am taking it five days straight every four months.  I actually really like the Solumedrol!  I also had a spinal tap, along with countless bloodwork & MRIs, done when we were trying to confirm that I did in fact have MS.  Hope this helps, feel free to come to me anytime you want to talk about anything!  It's always nice to have someone to talk to who can actually relate to the symtoms you may be having!

Lauren

Hey Lauren, I have my doctor appt in two weeks. This has been a long time coming. I just moved here from Texas 2 years in Nov. Most of my symptoms flared up alot more since ive been here. I now have a butt load of symptoms. my first symptoms 3 years ago were mostly dizzy spells. my doctors then just kept saying my allergies, (more allergy medicine) Then i started having Bladder infections (UTI's) all the time, went to a specialists for that. (more medicine) Then the back of my neck was hurting and lower back pain. They gave muscle relaxers for that. Now, all this started about almost 4 years ago, and still have the same symptoms today, Since ive moved here, new doctor same symptoms. my dizziness got much worse, like being on a merry-go-round, getting very hot, nausea, Well of course its my allergies. so i had to go to a allergy specialists, take all those sticks in the arms, only to find out that im allergic to NC tree's. (more medicine) In the mist of all this my left leg started hurting. in the past it would come and go this time it got worse and worse. at this time I hated going to the doctor It was like I was making stuff up to them. My husband made me go. so now quess what (more medicine) Then i had to go to a spcialists for my leg. took x-rays, neg. So now I had to do P.T. on my leg. I was a good girl did the exercises, went over board lost weight, started lifting weights. started walking 10 miles a week. leg got worse. even with the meds. In the process of all this exercising heating up  my body, started getting dizzy for days, vertigo, not to mention the fatigue that comes with all this. refuse to go back to the doctor. any of them. my husband made me go back to my family doc to tell once again for the 50th time im still dizzy. HELLO!!! he sent me to a neurologist, finaly.

I had C.T. scan and MRI's in the past just not the right doctor's order to be more specific. Im not Happy to hear that I might have MS, but it is a hugh lift off my chest, and my stress level. trying to function when not knowing why, I cant remember nothing, cant concentrate. A struggle just to function daily, eye site out of control. To read about MS I fit like a puzzle. I made it on a prayer a day. Cause i had no idea what was wrong with me. So it will be good to finaly have a name for all these symptoms that has added to my body for not being diagnosed 3 years ago.  

So consider yourself very blessed that you got in the right hands at the right time. I would not wish this on a flee.