I am very open about my MS but I understand why some people are not. I have spoken several times with a man who has only shared with his wife, one other colleague, and with me. Even his siblings, parents, and son don't know. He has his reasons. I didn't have to take a blood oath, but almost.

I've always "known" about MS, as my father had it, but I actually only knew of two or three others until I got diagnosed. Then they started coming out of the woodwork. Every other person I spoke with said "Did you know that so-and-so has it?" Or "Whatsisname's brother has that."

MS so often has invisible symptoms, and we don't always go around wearing 'I Have MS' tee shirts, no wonder there are people such as yourself that never heard of it pre-diagnosis.

Perhaps there's an indirect (sneaky) way you could advise this woman. For example, could you or your wife contact her, maybe even by mail, and tell her that since the conversation you had learned thus and so, and give her links or other sources?