Hi Jenn, sorry you have to sign up for this forum but you will find lots of warm support here. Yes, it can get overwhelming in the beginning. I believe in using the drugs and went for aggressive treatment because i was so fearful of becoming disabled.

BUT, I did not start taking actual medication until about 5 months after my diagnosis. I guess I was lucky because there were no problems. I've had MS for 5+ years now and no relapse either (knock on wood!) A month's delay to think things through and weigh your options is perfectly reasonable. Good luck with your choice.

Hi Jenn

Nice to meet you. I was diagnosed in 2001. I started out really aggressively (that is to say, my MS had probably been around for quite some time and I ignored it because it came and went, but when I was diagnosed, I had lots of lesions and it smacked me around pretty hard).

My neuro didn't really give me a choice of whether I should or shouldn't go on one of the injectables - I just had to choose which one - which was a good thing, because it really put the brakes on what the doctor thought was going to be a very speedy and nasty disease process. So, nearly 8 years on Betaferon and three and a half on Tysabri when Beta got to hard to live with.

Now, eleven years on, I am still mobile and still doing the majority of things I like to do. Who knows, I may have been doing it without the drugs....but somehow, I don't think so.

Everyones disease is different, and everyones course is different - it is a hard choice for many, but is was a relatively easy one for me.

Cheers

Lyn

Hello and Welcome! We are a very special club - you will find we are a good bunch, full of some off beat humor and "ben there, done that" knowledge.

One thing I woud add: check with your insurance company. Most of these drugs are "specialty tier" classified, thus many of us have to obtain it from a specific pharmacy/mail order pharmacy; that phamacy can tell you your out of pocket costs. Knowing how much a drug costs you may be helpful information to have up front (they can be downright pricey).

Hi Jenn, sorry to meet you under these circumstances, but this is the
best place to be for support, when you have to blow up about this horrible
disease.

We try our best to answer questions, sometimes we are better to talk
to then a Dr.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Jappy