How long does diagnosis take?
My daughter was diagnosed at around age 32. I am 61 and a recent abnormal brain MRI and multiple symptoms is indicating that I may have MS, also. I see a neurologist in early August. How long does a diagnosis take? My daughter's took a year! I thought I was too old to be diagnosed with MS at this point. Yes, I can look back over the years and identify many health issues that could have been "flares." My daughter was the one who asked me to look back and think about these times. How long do flares last? Do they tend to last longer as one gets older? Thanks for sharing yoir thoughts and experiences with me.
Hi
. Waiting can be awfully stressful. I hope you are able to keep yourself distracted so that the time passes a little more quickly. Since you have already had an MRI and you have a neurologist appointment coming up so soon, it probably won't take long. If the neurologist finds evidence of MS in the clinical exam and/or the MRI, he or she will likely order a lumbar puncture. The doctor should be able to make a determination once those results are in. So it really depends on how long it takes to schedule the lumbar puncture. Every MS journey is different so it is hard to say how long a typical flare lasts at any age or whether yours might last longer with age, if you do have MS. By definition, a flare (or relapse) involves a worsening of symptoms or the appearance of new symptoms for at least 24 hours. You might recover after 24 hours or the flare might last for months. Flares also vary in severity. The worsening symptoms might be very mild and have little impact on your day-to-day life or they might be debilitating. I wish I had more definitive answers for you, but MS can be elusive. Over time, most MSers get to know their own triggers better and become better able to identify flares. I hope that you do not have MS and that the abnormalities found on your MRI are harmless, but if you do have MS, know that we are here for both you and your daughter. I know that it is hard, but the best thing you can do right now is to keep busy. Super busy. Find activities you can fully immerse yourself in between now and your appointment. Worrying will only make you stressed and stress can make MS symptoms worse. Please keep us posted if you feel comfortable doing so. I will be thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member) Thank you so much for your reply and all the great info you provided. The hardest part right now is waiting to see the neuro and getting the tests that will help determine what is going on with me (although, with each passing day, it looks more and more like MS). It takes forever these days to see a doctor and have tests done. My right leg is a hot mess right now, very weak, my knee and ankle give out on me unexpectedly, and I feel like there is a tight band wrapped around my ankle and calf that I cannot get to "release." So I am limping when I walk and probably causing more problems because of that. Hi
. I hope you will consider getting a walker or using a quad cane for now just to keep yourself safe. I'd hate to see you get hurt. On an unrelated note, I see that our system automatically assigned you a generic username when you registered. I wanted to let you know you can change it to something that suits you better, if you like. Just click on your member icon in the upper right corner. From the drop-down menu that appears, click "Account Settings." On the Account Settings page, you will see "Change your username." Type a new username into the box and click "update username." - Lori (Team Member)
Done!! Thank you for the directions! I have NO problem getting a cane....I appreciate the suggestion. So many people are too proud to use a cane or a walker...but I am not! 😁 I have actually already brought this up to my husband. And....my father-in-law had a "Cadillac of Walkers" which my husband very smartly held on to after his father died in 2018 at age 92. So I have that to use, also.
I am so glad you have no issues with it,
. I needed a cane for almost a year before foot surgery I decided to celebrate it by finding a beautiful one. It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I wish more people were as comfortable with the idea as you. I hope you are able to enjoy the weekend ahead! - Lori (Team Member) PS. I replied to another comment not realizing you are "Lorijo." I am glad you were able to successfully change you username.
