So, I guess I'm a little confused. I think my question is pretty basic and something that most newly diagnosed people would want to know, but I can't find the answer anywhere.
Basically, my question is this: Does a diagnosis of Relapse Remitting MS ALWAYS lead to Secondary Progressive MS? In essence, I'm trying to figure out if everyone who has MS will eventually become disabled. I know that MS is a strange disease that is literally different for everyone, but are there some hard and fast rules that apply in this area?

Well, Rissa, the short answer is "nope" not all cases of RR end up going down that road. We have some people here who have been RR for their entire lives and no one in their worlds even knows they have it.

You hit the nail on the head when you said that it's different for each of us. It helps me to just live each day and not dwell on "what-ifs", life has enough fun packed into its days.

That's just it, there are no fast rules for MS, but SPMS would likely be the progression of RRMS. It was for me and many others.

However, with the new DMDs and other Meds, there is always the chance that the typical RRMS will stay that way for a longer time.....not cured, but maintained.

I hope that's the way it works for you, Dear One..

We know that a number of people with MS are never dx, and autopsy studies have shown that 8+% of the general population actually has MS upon death. That's a lot of people that don't ever progress . . . however, I'm assuming you mean those of us who are diagnosed and not benign.

Statistically, "After 10 years, 50% of people with relapsing/remitting MS will have developed secondary progressive [Weinshenker et al, 1989, Runmarker and Andersen, 1993, Minderhoud et al, 1988]. By 25 to 30 years, that figure will have risen to 90% [Ref]."

That doesn't sound very encouraging, but those statistics may be changing now since many of us have access to DMD's earlier in the game. That's the only stat I could find in my notes though . . .

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/whatisms.html

http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/bo...urol/NHMS.html

Cherie

I agree and think it is important to make plans now for the what-ifs. Hopefully we won't need to face the worse case but if we do we will be better prepared than if we never considered this posibility.

Thank you all for your input. I don't know where I'd be without y'all!

I agree it is important to plan for the "what if's", but at the same time we should not allow the possibility of the progressing to SPMS to control our lives.

I agree, Barb. I think a good philosophy to have is: "Expect the worst, hope for the best."

I think I had RRMS early on. I remember when my symptoms would come and go. Mine progressed, but the way I look at it is, I can adapt. I always have, and it's not that bad. I don't look at what I could do and cry anymore. I just think..ok, is there a way I can do this, and if not, what else can I do. For me I'm an artist, so I switched from painting to photography for now, and am working on learning to paint with my hands not working.

I don't worry about the progression at all anymore, I just wonder how I'll have to adapt.