[rex123]

Is MS(multiple sclerosis) hard to diagnose, is it fatal ?

[twinkiedooter]

Yes, sometimes it is hard to diagnose and yes, it can be fatal.

[J_9]

It can be very hard to diagnose. Is it fatal? Not in the way that some cancers are fatal.

What, may I ask, makes you think you have MS?

[rex123]

I don't think I have MS but about 20 years ago doctors told my mother that they believed she had MS. About 6-8 years ago she had to quit work because it got to hard for her. But now the doctors did the tests and say she doesn't have it and its not showing up. OUr family doctor does believe she has it. She went in front of board of doctors to see if she could get her canada pention and they denied her they said that she didn't have enough medical proof. But they didn't need proof that she has MS, they needed proof that she couldn't go back to work. When we got there we were amazed to see that the place where they have these trials or meetings(im not quite sure what you call it) was down 2 flights of stares.

My mom had a really hard time getting down the stares so by the time we got there she was tired out. She talked to them alone for about 2 hours and then we were aloud in and got to talk on her behalf( I didn't cause I had written a letter). The whole time there was this one doctor who kept cutting my mother off. And after hearing what he was saying to her I thought I was going to do one of 2 things, either cry or get up and punch him in the face. My mother can not go back to work, she can't drive, she walks with 2 walking sticks and she gets tired very easily. I wish I could have talked to those doctors alone and ask them to know what its like feeling sick in school worried that your mom won't be there when you get back home, or just waiting for a call, not wanting to go to your family get togethers because you know that at some point mom's going to get sick and shake so bad that she won't be able to talk or feed herself, or how about not being able to go anywhere because your scared that you won't be able to say goodbeye ?

[SteMo1202]

REX132, MS is hard to diagnose. I think its hard because the disease differs from patient to patient. It took my doctors about a year to diagnose me and then he would not commit to it until after I had my first exacerbation. I've had it for almost 14 years now and I can honestly say that MS itself is not fatal but the toll the disease takes on your body can make a common cold much worse that it would have been.

[N0help4u]

I think it is crazy how they seem to have to have a medical diagnosis to get you any help.
They can see your mom has an obvious serious medical problem and the doctors can not get their diagnosis right so she has to suffer. It is crazy but it is the way it is.
Then I others that all they have to do is cry 'oh my knee hurts' and they get disability right off the bat.
Hopefully she can find somebody that can give her a proper diagnosis and get her the help she needs

[mimi03]

I was diagnosed very quickly in fact my primary doctor knew I had it just from the description I gave her of my symptoms, I was sent to a specialist and had tests (including a spinal tap and MRIs) the results came back and I was told I have MS.

Also, MS itself is not fatal that's a common misunderstanding but the toll it takes on the body may result in complications that could lead to death, the average person with MS has a normal expectancy (about 70 yrs).

Find out as much as you can about MS and what your mother can do to help herself (vitamins, alternate therapies etc.) until a cure is found... hopefully it's within our lifetime!
Good Luck :)

[J_9]

I was diagnosed very quickly in fact my primary doctor knew I had it just from the description I gave her of my symptoms,

At the same time, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with MS when she actually had a detached retina.