Welcome Joy!

Some places offer discounts for MRI's. Call around and see which place is the cheapest. Do you have a medical school close by? Sometimes you can get a free MRI, although not often, at some of the schools or if a place is testing their new MRI machine. I did that once when I was first diagnosed. The radiology place had just opened a new clinic and needed test subjects. I didn't have insurance at the time and my neuro's office told me about it.

MRI's are a useful tool for getting a diagnosis but they are only part of the diagnosis. Clinical findings are important as well. Some MSers have had a lumbar puncture as part of their diagnosing process. Unfortunately, with MS there is no set test to diagnose it.