Starting a topic because this has been bugging me for a while and can't seem to find much info out there.

I struggled for a long time to get a diagnosis because my MRIs remained stubbornly negative for years despite multiple attacks of ON and 6 months of L'hermitte's in 2004, plus all the general paraesthesias we all know and love. I did not get lesions showing up until 2010 and when they did, they were whoppers (half my left optic nerve and C2-C7 contiguously).

I was recently hospitalised after complaining of severe lower back pain and left leg numbness/weakness that quickly progressed into foot drop and being unable to walk, which gradually resolved over a week or so. MRI showed it wasn't a disc problem, but it also showed no lesions, at which the neuro's response was basically 'idk lol guess there's nothing going on there'. Now due to my past experience I believe this was a relapse, and it certainly presents like one. Except there was no MRI evidence.

I guess my question is, how common is this? Is it possible this is just how my body does it? That some time in the future I'll get my routine scan and bingo, big new lesion somewhere? It's all so confusing