The Multiple Sclerosis Tapestry: Interviews With People Whose Lives Are Affected by MS

I found Amy on-line through her blog, MSLOL:  Life of Learning.  I was immediately intrigued by her shoot from the hip tell it like it is writing style.  Amy has had MS for twenty years now and she has so much to offer in the telling of her experience.  Amy is both an excellent writer as well as a wonderful resource to folk who are also suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.  I hope you find her interview as inspiring as I did.  I now introduce to you...Amy!  

Fellow MS Blogger:  Amy

Type of MS: Relapsing Remitting

Blog Site: MSLOL

When were you given your official Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis?

June of 1988, on my 20^th birthday.

Did your diagnosis take a long time?

Quite the opposite. I experienced my first symptoms on a Monday, spent a few days in the hospital being tested, and out for an MRI on Thursday, diagnosis phone call on Friday and the confirmation appointment on Monday. In less than one week I went from Zero to MS- It was quite a shock, to say the least.

What tests did they do to get to the diagnosis?

They did blood work, and the visual acuity test, and ultimately the MRI which showed lesions. My second opinion neurologist suggested it was a premature diagnosis and directed me to get a spinal tap. With no parental guidance, I decided against that and began living with this new identity. It didn't take long for the next episode to prove it to be the case.

Did you know in your gut that you had MS before you got the official diagnosis? There wasn't any time for a gut reaction. I'm not sure what would have been better... the question marks and unknown or the sudden onset and diagnosis. It was very hard to swallow when the week prior I had no indications that there was anything wrong.

What was your reaction to hearing that you have this disease? I was in an unusual circumstance. My parents were going through a divorce that spread them up and down the East coast. With my mom in Florida, my Dad in NJ- and me in Baltimore I had no network to help me digest this. It was already a highly emotional time for me, and trying to cope with this diagnosis was terribly frightening, especially without a family network to assure me that everything would be okay.  That said, I move forward in the best way I knew how. I was really petrified as it became clear that no one could tell me what was going to happen to me, and when I looked for more information (in the days of pre-internet) it only increased my fears.

What sorts of symptoms do you or have you experienced? The diagnostic onset was numbness, tingling and slight double vision. In the past two decades I've experienced the following: some fleeting, some periodic, and some constant.

-visual disturbances (early on and not to appear again) Double Vision and jumping - I liken to horizontal hold like the old televisions.

-extreme fatigue

-problems walking, dragging my leg, foot drop