how long have you been living with MS ? - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

Rena87 · 09-04-2008, 08:10 AM

hey guyss...

how long you been living with MS? DOES IT have a big effect on ur life ? for example working

anxiousme · 09-04-2008, 08:14 AM

I've been dx for 2 years. So far, the fatigue is the biggest problem. I work full time and have two children 7 and 3. I'm always busy. Recently, I have been through some really stressful times. I think it is affecting me, for the worse. Good Luck on your journey.

brclrk80 · 09-04-2008, 09:13 AM

I have diagnosed since August 6th of this year. The worst symptom I experience is the fatigue. MS fatigue, I believe referred to as lassitude, is a lot different than normal fatigue; you have to have MS to understand it.

So far I am unable to work, not just because of the fatigue, but other things as well. I am starting Rebif next week and hoping I tolerate it well.

I have only been diagnosed a month, but my neurologist suspects I have had it longer. I have had fatigue for years, not this bad though. I have had the paraesthesia a few times over the last five years, each time lasting about two weeks. So far, my symptoms have lasted about three months and go far beyond anything I have had before.

MSJayhawk · 09-04-2008, 09:52 AM

I was diagnosed October 1982. Next month will be 26 years. Hindsight shows symptoms appearing when I was 14 (making October 30 years). I enjoyed a good 20 years without problems, but have been permanently disabled since Nov. 2002. I still work, but my work is now homeschooling, gardening, and volunteer work.

Nenu · 09-04-2008, 12:28 PM

Diagnosed since March 2008. I went off work in January/February 2007, and have been off work since, pending my return based on my neurologist's ok.

It was affecting me on the work front for sure. That's why I had to go off work and get help. Of course, I didn't suspect it could be MS at all at the time. What was really troubling me when I went off work was chronic facial pain (left side) and numbness in my pinky/ring fingers on both hands. Add to that almost daily headaches that I woke up to, that intensified over the day. No OTC drugs could help ease the pain.

There were times I nodded off at work, even having 8 hours of sleep and drinking coffee like a mad woman. I didn't understand that. I'd never nodded off like that, even going on 3 hours of sleep during University listening to a 3 hour lecture by a professor in a monotone voice.

Now my most troubling day to day symptom is burning mouth syndrome by far. Hard to say if MS caused this, or another factor, but my neuro's convinced it's the MS. I also still get headaches, and usually on the left side of my head, as I experienced in the past. I had a wicked headache for 2-3 weeks recently that didn't break after taking tylenol/advil, and was also causing tingling and burning pain in my head/face on that side.

I do plan on returning to work however. My case worker for long term disability is covering all bases before she decides to send me back. She doesn't want a scenario where I return, get overwhelmed and relapse again (my last relapse was in May, and when I do relapse, all my symptoms come on full force).