hi helen and welcome to NT.
glad you found us.

i'm sorry about your dx.
i was dx'd at 53 and i'm 59 now.

you've gotten some good advice.
when i got dx'd my dr gave me packages on each of the 4 DMD's with videos included. i don't know if they have those anymore.

i read and watched everything. i was like a sponge.
it was my choice to use copaxone. i too traded the daily shots because i didn't want the flu like side effects. i was single and had to work FT. i also had a hx of depression and the interferons can affect your mood.

taking a med is a personal choice. but IMHO i believe that taking a med can help with disease progression and help with future disability down the road.
that's from what i've read.

the one thing that was hardest for me to learn was to listen to my body's signals. for instance, to stop running errands and go home to rest. i quickly learned that if i went past my limits i paid the price.

i too, as many of us are, heat intolerant. there are several cooling devices available that can help with that. i'm not sensitive to cold but i know others are. you'll also find that MS is a very individualized illness. sx's (symptoms) are many and varied.

please share all your sx's with your dr. and develop a good relationship with your pcp. i don't go to my neuro that often and my pcp is great.

call your local MS society (1-800-FIGHT MS) and they'll send you tons of info on MS. sometimes they even give workshops, very informative.

give yourself some gentle time to adjust. it's a lot to take in all at once.
but knowledge is power. you're the best advocate you have and the most important on your healthcare team.

i also advise keeping copies of your records and tests. call the folks that did your mri and they'll give you a cd for your own records. i tell my drs i want copies of my test results. it's your right to get copies. don't wait because then you might be charged copying fees.

i didn't mean to bombard you with so much info.
hope to hear more about you.