I was diagnosed with MS in October 2006. One morning in February I woke up with a strange pain in the left side of my head. It lasted a few days and then I lost most of the feeling from my head to my fingertips on my left side (of course I am left handed). I went to the doctor for a couple weeks but I didn't feel like he was taking me seriously and just kept giving me pills without running any tests. I thought maybe it was a pinched nerve so I went to a Chiropractor against my doctors recommendation. In his words a Chiropractor would only "make me think I was feeling better". After 12 appointments without it getting any better he ordered an MRI of my neck. I went for an open MRI (never again) and it took almost 3 hours. The MRI showed a possible lesion that could possibly mean it was MS. I then went to a neurologist who ordered an MRI of my brain and an EMG. The EMG came back fine. The MRI showed some lesions but was not definate for MS. The doctor said it was probably some kind of a stroke but not really a stroke (whatever that is supposed to mean). I asked him why my legs and feet hurt so badly and he said it was because I was "getting older". I wanted to find another neurologist but all the docs in that area are part of a big neurology center and once you go to one of them you can't change doctors. In the meantime I found a new internal medicine doctor who was wonderful. She found a neurologist who was new in town and not part of the Neuro center. He felt right away that it was MS and did a spinal tap, another MRI and an EMG to find out. He gave me a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis on October 27, 2006. He ordered 5 days of Solu-medrol then started me on Betaseron. About 1 month later he was basically run out of town because he wouldn't join the neuro center. I then found an MS clinic that I loved. The doctors are great and they have an awesome support group. In April I moved from Ohio to El Paso, Texas and have found the lack of MS facilities frustrating. One year after diagnosis and after 2 attacks my Neurologist suggested a blood test for neutralizing antibodies. The levels should have been around 20 and mine were over 400. I then switched to Copaxone and have had no attacks for 4 years.  My left hand and arm are still numb and I have a lot of burning pain in my legs and feet. I get a lot of muscle spasms all over my body. The fatique is horrible sometimes and I have some cognitive issues which worsen with stress or heat. The heat effects me terribly! I do a lot of research and try to read everything about MS that I can get my hands on. My friends and family and I had a team "The Crew for the Cure" that walked in the Massillon MS Walk. I would like to continue to fundraise and walk in El Paso. It makes me feel like I am doing something worthwhile to help fight this disease. I love to meet new people who understand what it is like to live with this disease. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming but we have to stay positive.