Hey! Nobody showed ME a secret hand shake..I feel so left out..
I love your avatar, Thumper..Great rhythm!
Sorry for the MS dx, but it is a relief to at least know it's not all in your head (just a couple lesions worth)..You'll do fine with the shots, I'm sure. Copaxone is a good first choice for many, even though daily shots seem daunting now..Read up on 'em all and I'm sure you'll make the best choice for you. Besides, it's not like you're married to your first choice or anything..If it doesn't work out for you, you can try something different..
Welcome to NT, and know we're all hear pullin' for ya!

Sorry you've got MS, but glad you have answers

Welcome and hugs,

I remember all too well how shocking it is to be diagnosed with MS. Definitely do your research and decide what you would like to try with regard to medications. Everyone is different but fwiw I've been on Copaxone for almost 4 years now and have been doing good, knock wood.

People with MS seem prone toward depression so that is something I keep in mind and don't hesitate to get help if necessary.

Wishing you well,
Jules

Sorry about the dx, Thumper.

Even if you've waited some time to hear this, you will go through a period of grieving; shock, denial, bargaining, anger, etc. I made some irrational decisions in that first year, so cut yourself some slack if things don't go along as you might hope for a while.

This is a great support network, with many caring and knowledgable people. Glad you found us.

Cherie

Sorry about the DX, but glad you found us.

I'm a needle phobe, and I chose Copax for my first DMD. So far, so stable.

I still cringe and tighten up when others come after me with a needle , but can give them to myself now with no problem. It gets to become routine.

If you can use the manual method, it's a lot better as far as site reactions go. Wish I could do it, but have to stick with the AI due to loss of fine motor control needed to do otherwise. But there are a few tricks learned along the way that makes things easier even with the AI.

The right AD can be helpful. It's helped me some, since a little depression can make the fatigue even worse than it already is. Remember though that not all AD's are created equal, so it might be trial and error to find the right one for you.

I'm glad you got answers, Thumper, but sorry for the DX.. We are all in the same boat, here, just paddling along at different speeds.

I was on Avonex and then Copaxone for about a year....the shots were a breeze..er..after awhile. I was lucky and had no site reactions with Copaxone or side effects.... I hope you're as lucky and it works to keep you stable.

I'm glad you are here ..and we are here for you, too..

Hi Thumper and welcome, sorry to hear about you dx, you will get used to the needles, I used to do mine manually AND autoject for the harder parts, don't worry, you will get used to them.

Again, Welcome

Joe

another way to help with some of the depression is to just get into the social threads and write it all out. thats what i did a few weeks ago and as small a gesture as it was being able to spill that whole mess did help quite a bit. i guess i skipped the denial part and went straight into anger and didnt want to throw that all at my wife. i wasnt even expecting that anyone would read what i had written but just getting it out, telling someone made a difference. i still have that big blue binder my neurologist gave me full of stuff for the copaxone. i remember thinking if they spent less money on the big blue binders and other marketing junk how much less expensive the drugs could be. once i found out how much the copaxone was one of the first things i did was look up alternative treatments for MS. theres one you drs probably wont be telling you much about. theres a few of us here who use it.....LDN. low dose naltrexone. some of use use it alone and others use it along side the copaxone. its sometimes controvertial, because its not fda indicated for MS. plus its already available as a generic so theres not much money left to be made from it. so it probably wont be getting a whole lot of clinical study for its uses in auto immune issues. you can catch more info about it at www.ldninfo.org
its done some good things for me and a few others around here.

Hi Thumper,

Sorry about the DX of MS, but glad you got answers anyway. It can be hard not knowing what's causing the symptoms.