STARTING HAVING TROUBLE WITH LEGS HURTING AND CHRONIC FATIGUE IN 1996 BUT CONTINUED TO WORK AND GO TO DOCTOR AND DO TEST. IN 1999 WAS SENT TO NEUROLOGIST AT DUKE WITH SUPPECTED MS AND A CURRENT MRI WITH LEISIONS ON IT BUT AFTER 3 YEARS AND NO DX ASKED FOR RECORDS AND WENT TO NEW NEUROLOGIST AFTER GOING TO MS MEETING IN MOREHEAD CITY AND WITH NEW MRI AND OLD ONES HE TRIED FOR SPINAL TAP X 2 AND CAME UP DRY SO WE DID A LOW BACK MRI WHICH SHOWED BLACK HOLE AND LEISIONS HENCE MS DX. ALSO HAD 5 BAD DISC IN LOW SPINE AND 1 IN MID BACK.

I AM VERY DETERMINED TO STAY INDEPENDENT AND OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. AT THE MS CLINIC AT UNC CHAPEL HILL, NC THEY SAID WITH MY BRAIN DAMAGE I AM ALL ATTITUDE. THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO LIVE WITH A CHRONIC DISEASE THAT IS TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE LIKE MS. WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND BE HAPPY WHEN YOUR FEET HIT THE FLOOR YOUR LEGS HOLD YOU UP AND GO AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IGNORE THE PAIN. YOU CONTROL IT NOT IT CONTROLING YOU WITHOUT DRUGS.