I'll never forget that my first symptom came on a normal day. I went home from work and noticed that my pupil in my right eye didn't seem to be dilating correctly. I figured it was because I was tired and when I woke up that afternoon I would be fine.

I woke up and I was blind in my right eye. There was nothing there but a gray haze like a test pattern on an old black and white TV. I called my opthalmologist that afternoon and I was in the next morning after work ( yes I went to work, I just closed my eye while I drove there)

He did a whole spectrum of tests and I asked about each one but I couldn't remember what he said because I was so tired from work and compensating for the loss of my vision. I had to go back the next day for more tests. All I could think was " Oh @#$%^&, I have a brain tumor"

After the next bunch of tests, he told me he scheduled an MRI for that afternoon. I had a lot of experience with medical testing, but when it came to me being the subject of the tests, it was a whole different ball game!

I went for the MRI, and then right back to his office. I sat there and waited for him to call me in, trying to figure out what I should do first if it WAS a brain tumor. He called me in and told me I had to go back to the hospital for a steroid infusion. I asked him about the MRI and what it showed and he flat out told me " I think you have Multiple Sclerosis. I've scheduled you with a neurologist on Monday morning, but you have to do these steroids IV for the next three days" I started laughing at him. End of conversation.

I walked back to the hospital across the street in total shock and handed the oncology staff the prescription, as directed, and they immediately started prepping me for the IV. The nurse cheerfully asked me " How long have you had MS?" I said "Oh, about 15 minutes now, thanks" and started laughing again. She flew out of the room and never came back. I laughed every time a nurse would come in to check on me because they were just so darned silent and tightlipped and fast for the door.

One of them finally asked me how I could laugh and I told her " I had a #$%^& brain tumor all day yesterday and today and I was looking at planning my #$%^&* funeral. Now I am planning on learning how to live. I think that's pretty $%^&* funny!"

Somehow, I don't think they got the humor of it at all.