Well I've been posting on BT2 for awhile but never formally introduced myself. How rude!!!!!! I'm 56, been dx since '97, had to quit work in '99. got SSD in '01. Being on SSD allows your body to heal some. I was a member of the old, old briantalk back in 97. I have been married to the same man for 32 years now, have two daughters, ages 25 and 29. The oldest has one daughter, age 5 and another due in November. It hasn't been an easy pregnancy at all and we will all breathe a sigh of relief if she lasts till 40 weeks and everything is fine. I get my grandaughter for as long as I can take it in October during her fall break!!!!!!!!! My other daughter got married last June, was one of the many new marriages here before their spouses were deployed. Her husband comes home sometime late next month or early November. It has been my prayer that he comes home before my other grandchild gets here!!!! This daughter just bought their first house. It was kind of difficult buying a house with him in Iraq but they had a wonderful agent and we thank God for the internet. I have a wonderful little kitten. I guess that's all for now.

Sally, I forgot to say I LOVE your puppy avatar. So cute! And you're right, it is wonderful to have my Teddy Support Squad. My cheersquad also includes a giant kitty cat, a giant rottweiler cross golden retriever, and a golden retriever (who is large but not giant :D ).

I'm really so glad I "came out" - this seems like a great forum with so many nice people.

Daphne, I hope you get answers soon too! You're right, the whole diagnosis process can be very nearly soul-destroying.

I also wholeheartedly agree re early treatment. When I was diagnosed with the PPMS, I was kind of shattered when the neuro told me they wouldn't give me CRABs or anything because in his experience it made things worse with PPMS. Not that one desperately wanted to inject oneself regularly, of course, but to me it was better than being told "go home, don't get stressed, don't get hot, don't get tired, don't get infections and enjoy your life". Which is verbatim what this neuro said. He clearly failed Bedside Manners 101 while studying. Not to mention Real Life 101!!

I love your Signature line, Teddy.:D

Oh goody, you're an animal lover too. Yep, that's my little Shih Tzu. He thinks he's a Rottweiler..LOL

Hi everyone

I posted a few days ago and introduced myself, but I thought I would hop on here since it is a great thread and a great way to get to know each other.

I was dx'd RRMS five years ago - a couple of months after the death of my Mum - which was a time of incredible stress. I probably lost fifty percent of my vision, a lot of my bladder control, most of my balance and I was tingling, buzzing, 'shocking' and falling about most of the time.

I was lucky in one way - no problems getting dx'd - my MRI looked like I had left my brain out in a snowstorm, so it only took one consultation and one MRI to confirm.

Started Beta a few weeks later, and amazingly, I have had no further disease progression since then. I still have residual cr*p going on - like double/blurred vision, fatigue, poor balance, brain fog and so on.

In a way, MS was like divine intervention for me - a routine MRI found an unruptured brain aneurysm so I was able to get that clipped before it blew. Open brain surgery is no picnic, but it's better than the alternative (if it had ruptured I would most likely have died or been a vegetable).

I am 37 and have two kids (10 and 13) and a gorgeous husband who worships me. So apart from a few health hurdles life is pretty darn good.

Anyhow, nice to meet you all

Lyn :)

Ahhh...animal lovers! :D

Lets's see here...3 yr oldsaint bernard, 1 yr old basset hound, 3 kitties, and a cockatiel. My kids altogether have 3 rats and 2 parakeets. :p

Yeppers, ANimal lover too!

Sally, I thought my signature line was pretty funny too, especially given my circumstances! I am definitely an animal lover. Our animals are a part of the family. My sisters have shih tzus and they're pretty tough too... :D

Our cat rules our animal family. My poor dogs are scared stiff of him. They won't walk within a three feet radius of him, they won't even look at him. I think kitty thinks he's the rottweiler of the family! It's pretty funny, the cat purposely sits in the dogs' way and they'll hang their heads, avert their eyes and kind of shuffle around, tails between legs, trying to work out how to get around That Evil Cat.

Daphne, you win the giant-est dog contest and the largest assortment of animals contest! A St Bernard would dwarf even my two. They're lovely dogs.

Hi Lyn - I'm an Aussie too, sunny Queensland! Nice to meet you!

Our family have always been animal lovers. When my girls were at home we had, sugar gliders, orphaned wild bunnies and robins, we had a sheltie for about 12 years before we had to put him down and now i have a wonderful domestic short hair kitten. My girls have dogs and snakes now!!!!!

Dogs and Snakes??? Do they play well together..LOL?

What a lovely post, Sally. My name is Chris. I am married to a wonderful man for the past 9 years, and so far we are childless except for our chocolate lab, Dylan. I am a Certified Nurse Midwife in a very busy practice, and sometimes wonder what I am doing still working full time, although I do adore being a CNM.

I've been diagnosed for over 10 years and was in the original Tysabri Trials also known then as Antegren. I was on both Avonex, and Tysabri during the trials and am still here to talk about it. I'm slated to go back on Tysabri towards the end of Oct., as soon as the infusion center gets certified by the TOUCH program. We are hoping to have children in the future, but right now both my husband and I are very wrapped up in our careers.

I hope you are doing better. Have you had your appointment with your physician yet? I look forward to getting to know many others on here as well, but because of my schedule, my appearances here are spotty.

Chris

I also forgot to mention that I am originally from the UK. I've been in the US now for 11 years, and this is where I met my husband. Are there any other Brits out there????