My sister has had neurological symptoms for several years now. Recently, it became much worse and she now has numbness in her hands, lack of balance, and slowed reaction times (she's 37). Furthermore, she says her neuro did a pinprick test and that she has no sensitivity to pain on one side of her abdomen. She just got her MRI results back and there were six lesions in her brain! Mostly "around the edge" but at least one was "deep". Still, her neuro said it was "inconclusive", and so she's running a host of blood tests and set up an MRI of the spine.

Is there anything else to conclude other than MS? Apparently, she had an MRI done two years ago when she'd been experiencing numbness in her hand ("carpal tunnel"........not), and there were lesions even at that time....although the neuro at that time never told her!!!!! Her new neuro commented on it, and said she wasn't sure if the lesions on the new MRI were new or not from that time. None of the lesions lit up with contrast dye......what does that mean?

And, dumb question but reading online confused me, what are lesions? I thought someone once told me that it was scar tissue, but then I read that it's due to lack of myelin and if the myelin re-heals, then the lesions will actually disappear. ?!

At what point does she come out of Limboland? The neuro didn't schedule a lumbar puncture, and I read online that it isn't even required anymore (when my neuro suspected MS four years ago, I had TWO lumbar punctures....my sister said no way no how will she have one). But with six brain lesions and all sorts of serious MS symptoms that have lasted or come and gone over at least two years, wouldn't a doctor call it at least *probable* MS? Heck, my neuro said "probable MS" for me and all I had was two spells of symptoms within a two month period (never had lesions, so the diagnosis fell by the wayside, and now I just am treated for seizures that started during that same period). Thoughts?

I feel sick about everything, but my sister seems very matter-of-fact. She says she's already had to learn to adjust to her condition, label or not, which I can understand. I'm just hoping they treat her instead of leaving her in limboland!