[stdoubt]

Perhaps it is a silly question, but it has been bothering me for some time...

I was diagnosed with MMNCB about 3 years ago, after symptoms began to become apparent a couple of years prior to that.

My symptoms have been fairly mild so far - I have experienced a very slowly deteriorating loss of function to my right hand (with some very visible muscle atrophy, if you chose to look). I can still type pretty well, and my handwriting is no worse that it has ever been (which doesn't say much, frankly ). I chose not to pursue any treatment at the time of diagnosis, as I felt that the limitations imposed on my by my condition were not worth the risk of a blood borne infection from IVGN. Also, I understood that the treatment may be effective initially, it would not last and would need to be repleated after increasingly shorter durations for the rest of my life.

Recently, I have begun to notice a slight weakness in my left calf, which is causing me to limp a little, and is making strenuous cycling difficult. I am a fairly active person, so this concerns me far more that my hand.

I also have another complication - I am currently living in Australia with my family on a temporary visa, and fully intend to apply for permanent residence in 3 years when I get the opportunity. However, there is a medical test requirement for the visa, and while i have private health cover, so never expect to impose on the public healthcare system, I suspect that should I seek the expensive IVGN treatment, or even confirm my diagnosis in Australia, it may predudice my future visa application.

So I suppose my question is, Is delaying treatment the right thing to do?

I'd like to wait for as long as possible, not only because of the visa requirement (and plausible deniability ), but also because it seems to me that I should carry on for as long as possible without treatment, so that if my symptoms do progress to a far more debilitating state, I can try IVGN for the first time and expect a much greater result when I really need it than now when the MMN is a minor inconvenience.

Thanks,
Nigel