No kidding, Dej...especially when I have a remission and feel so much better...then the denial begins and I say to myself, "I don't have it...no way..."
Guess I just want to be normal...don't we all?

Very true, Debbie. The denial begins when we are in remission. The bad thing about this is that when a flare hits again, it hits our emotions hard. I had to really work on the denial thing and am doing much better now; accepting that I have limitations. I still overdo it all the time - I haven't quite gotten the concept of pacing. I am a full on person and always have been. It is really hard to change a 40+ year old personality trait/habit.

What is this "remission" thing you all speak of?

I feel like all my stuff has been fairly constant for the last few years.

Really, I have noticed things get better at times, I think it's just this year has been a big pain in my neck for stuff. Had diplopia over the summer, got half a numb body in the fall, rest of the body went numb a couple of weeks ago and I've been having annoying vertigo or just occasional balance issues where I'm not exactly dizzy, just kind of wall walking.

I havent really questioned the fact that I've got something neurological going on...I've questioned what's causing it a few times. This thread has reminded me of the whole question of Lyme disease and now I'm wondering if I can afford to get tested for all the co-infections of Lyme disease like I wanted to a few years ago. (it's a $600+ test)

For RRMS there are periods of relapses (active disease activity) and remissions (no disease activity). I like my remissions as the symptoms are less severe. Heck, who wouldn't like that. LOL

Since it does not appear you have had a remission, is it possible, assuming you really do have MS, that your are SPMS or PPMS? Something you may want to discuss with your drs.

It's kind of my nature to question EVERYthing, so yes, I sometimes think, "what if each of my symptoms relates to other issues, and I don't REALLY have MS?"

I was diagnosed Relapsing/Remitting because of a couple of flares of numbness and then TN which lasted a couple of weeks and went away. But that was maybe 5 or 6 years ago, and I stay pretty much the same.

Am I SPMS? Maybe. LALALALALALA...I'm not listening, I don't want to hear it.

Some of my "what if" is part of my personality, but I think part of it is awareness that people DO get misdiagnosed.

I probably needed to put a "/sarcasm" on that sentence. I do think I've had remissions, it just seems like I get something new every few months. MS sure is a pain in the...ahem!

No, I never doubted my diagnosis. Double vision with nystagmus, lesions on my MRI and negative blood tests for mimics made it pretty hard to ignore.

I never doubted mine either.

I was diagnosed with RRMS back in 1977 and there were no tests available at the time to verify my doctor's "guess". All he had was the history that I gave him and his own gut feeling.

Even back then I knew he was right. For the first 5 years or so I was having 2 or 3 relapses every year. Over the years that time frame has eased greatly, so now I only have one every 2-5 years.

Almost ten years ago I had my very first MRI, and it was only then that the diagnosis of MS was confirmed.... nearly 25 years after my doctor gave me my diagnosis on a gut feeling.

So, if you do indeed have RRMS, as time goes on, do the relapses lessen with time?
Over the last 5 mos., my remissions only last a month and then I seem to get an uptick in symptoms for about 3 mos., at least that's what's been going on. And the relapses seem to be worsening...I am so confused about this part of MS...I just don't get it.

I've quit trying to guess which "kind" of MS I have. Some days I feel really good....almost like I don't have anything. That rarely lasts long. I am usually always a little "tipsy" and off-balance. It's just my new normal.

If I have a day where I feel good I'm learning to just enjoy it. If I have a day where I feel bad I try to convince myself that it'll go away pretty much the same way it appeared. In it's own time. I don't doubt that I have MS. I know I do.