I really do not understand your question. I think TK did answer it. Lesions may show up before the flare. A flare can last for weeks or months. You can experience severe damage or may completely recover. Or you can be somewhere in between. For example, I had my first severe flare three and a half years ago. It lasted several months. I did not recover completely. I did do a five day course of iv steroids. I do remember my neuro saying that perhaps I received the steroid treatment too late. I was not prescribed the steroid treatment until several weeks after first experiencing symptoms.