I grew up just north of New York City, so I fall into the northern climate bunch. However, I was always a big outdoorsy kid. In fact, I was out in the sun so much that I figured some day I would develop skin cancer! I never had mono or any of the other suggested viral triggers. I have always been very healthy, only being in the hospital to pop out babies. I never had any MS sx until two years ago, at age 58, when I woke up with my left side paralyzed. At first the Drs. thought I had had a stroke, then my MRI showed a big, honking lesion that at first they diagnosed as a brain tumor. My neuro said MS because apparently I had other old lesions. Since then, I have been fine (got about 95% of function of my left side back), knock on wood.

Go figure.