Thanks for reading my book!

I have actually been fortunate in a lot of ways - got married to a wonderful man when I was 19 - yep, still married after 33 years! - had my daughter when I was 20 and my son at almost 22. I had a whole space of time while they were growing up with very few, if any, symptoms that were severe enough to slow me down.

I have a beautiful almost 10 yr old granddaughter that I was healthy enough to really play with (like a kid, I did ) and we are very close.
I'm trying to convince her to want to be a GOOD neurologist, by the way - she is certainly smart enough - and maybe she'll revolutionize the way the docs deal with their patients.

I work with a fantastic set of people and have bosses that are the best - they have been so supportive!

My neighbors are so helpful to my husband and I; they bring us home baked GOODIES, call and check, volunteer whatever help we need (my husband suffered a severe TBI last year and is doing very well, but isn't his old self yet and get's tired much easier - this stress isn't helping him at all), and sometimes just sneak over and do things without asking!

I'm just surrounded by loving, caring people, and when I'm not in a bout I have a very fulfilling life.

Truely, my only complaint is life is that I keep with no answers and hearing the same condition names come up over and over, repeating the same ole tests over and over, and the bouts come closer and last longer so I dunno if it's time to go on disability, hold out for a dx this time so I can get treated - sell everything we own and go (umm-that sounds good!) or what. I'm just getting really tired of , you know?

But I am so much luckier than so many!

You take care!

How long can MRI show no lesions with MS?

I'm not sure a Neuro could even answer that

I didn't have lesions when diagnosed and I never had another MRI until 2005. Because of that I have no idea when lesions first started showing up.

In 1986 I was given a clinical diagnosis based on a positive LP, symptoms and neuro exam.

I really don't know but I hope you get an answer soon. Not just to the one posted but whether or not it's MS.

And I'm sorry we as a team dropped the ball in responding to you.

So how long without lesions showing up on an MRI? About eight years for me.

My presenting symptom was Peripheral Neuropathy. I was told it was ideopathic for a few years until my neuro noticed that my reflexes were getting more brisk. Since that was not normal for PN, he sent me to a MS neuro who told me that the lesions that showed up in my spine were "normal" and come back in 6 months. I had a remission and got my general practitioner to prescribe another MRI (again with contrast) and no lesions were found. I took both MRIs to a third neuro and she said that I had MS (duh!). Lesions that come and go are MS. The second neuro also did a Lumbar Puncture (spinal tap) but it didn't show any Obands. That is not unusual with mild MS.

So that is my history and I have had only one MRI since. It showed no lesions. I had the MRI done because I was having extra heavy balance problems. Currently I have all of the fatigue and balance problems in addition to my peripheral neuropathy (demylination of the nerves in my feet).

I've heard of some people who have yearly MRIs but they usually have severe or primary progressive MS.

I've been on Betaseron since I was diagnosed by neuro number three. Still go in 2X a year to neuro but no MRIs. Hope this answers your question.