That stigma thing, yea got it a couple of times. The worst one was a doctor.

I'm on the hunt for a new OB/GYN since my last one became very rude after I told him I was DX'd. I was like, "grow up, a lot of my other docs, including my dentist, also have other MS patients."

Sadly, this still happens all too often.

None of my doctors have treated me any differently since I got diagnosed with MS. I did have one doctor that I met after getting diagnosed, when he found out that I had MS, he just looked at me sadly and said "I'm sorry", and seemed to act like he thought I was going to die during the History chat that we had the day I first saw him.

After that, he was a complete a**h*** to me. But, I got the feeling he was an a**h*** to all his patients.

If anything, my regular doctor is more willing to listen to me when I ask for a test of something that I want checked. (going to get my thyroid checked soon, and ask him to check again for a possibility of gout...my left big toe can barely move right now)

My relatives that know about the MS dont treat me any different, except that they seem to think I'm making up the whole MS diagnosis. (my mom is a hypochondriac, and apparently I'm guilty by association) and being treated like a hypochondriac by family really isnt any different than it was before I got diagnosed...they thought I was a hypochondriac then too...except now they're not afraid to say it to my face.

This was my ENT actually. Although he didn't say "sorry" (he knew it was MS from his own experience in seeing it in the medical world), he asked, "Did you go to University? Did you graduate? You're in for a life long fight". He had the sorry expression on his face.

Maybe he truly did feel compassionate for me knowing all the bs I had been through with doctors tossing me out antibiotic prescriptions and dismissing me before him. Dunno. But I can't dislike the guy. He was the one that 'found' the MS, because he listened and sent me for the MRI. So I do owe him

I have always found it interesting that almost everyone I know or meet either has a family member with MS or knows someone with MS.

I think the number of people with MS is under reported by more than we will ever know.

well, the numbers look a little high for here.

there's under 300,000 people in my country...

at a rate of 5-20 per 100k, that means... 15 - 60.

I personally know of four here, and they're all expats.

meaning, they already had MS before they arrived.

I checked with a half-dozen doctors, and they know of NO Belizeans with MS, except one, who was raised in the US from infancy, and returned as an adult.

since MS is virtually unknown here, it's a ^#@* to get standard meds like Baclofen...

Ugh. I can't even imagine.