We have a regular group of friends we hang out with, including most holidays and special occasions. The 10 or 12 of us have gotten together the last 12 years for New Year's Eve. It was our "adult time" where we could leave the kids with a sitter and have a nice night out. This year everyone had a conflict and the streak came to an end. SO, my wife and I were invited along with the kids to a "new" friend's house for dinner. There were 4 couples and their kids. We had never met 3 of the other couples.

After a few hours, we learned that one of the ladies had MS and was on Tysabri. I'm not completely out of the closet with my MS (for the typical reasons) so I didn't mention that I had it. I wasn't involved in the conversation that led to the disclosure but came to understand later that she was dx'd the same time I was and goes to Rush in Chicago like me. Weird coincidence.

She was doing pretty well. No one would have known she has MS. Per my wife, she is vastly improved on Tysabri and her lesions are now inactive. She's been on the drug 7 months.

Prior to my dx, I didn't know what MS was or anyone that had it. My first encounter with another MSer other than in the doc's office was at work but I found out he had it only after he left our firm. My next encounter was in retrospect as a co-worker of my wife had it but I never saw her again after my dx. And, then there was a lady in my grandmother's nursing home that had it. I spent a considerable amount of time with her instead of conversing with grandma as granny was asleep most of the time and not in her proper mind.

Since those meetings, I've come to learn that 2 of my old neighbors (my age) have it, 2 friends of my family have it and now this new friend we met on New Year's has it.

I'm always disappointed to meet someone with MS. I guess this last time made me feel worse. First, I couldn't let on that I have it while she was very open about it. Felt like a hypocrite. Then theres the whole thing of feeling guilty because in a way you're glad someone knows what you're going through but you never want them to really know what its like as you never want anyone to have MS.

I really liked this lady and her husband. Their children go to school with mine and since its a small Catholic school and we all plan to send the kids to the local Catholic High School, we'll be together a while. What was hard was hearing what she said about Tysabri. Again, I was not privy to the conversation just what my wife said aftewards. She apparently did not know as much about it as I would have liked. She kept saying only 2 people died and it was because they were using other drugs that made the PML more likely to occurr. She clearly wasn't up to date. Maybe some day I'll have the stones to clue her in or at least tell her about Tysabri (from what I know) so she can at least ask her/our neuro about things.

Any way, its a small world. And, MS is too common (albeit still rare).

Stay well.

Strk