I was diagnosed in Nov 2000. I was exhibiting all the symptoms that my mom was experiencing at the time, but she didn't do anything about. The sore back, the dragging foot, stumbling (when nothing was in my way!), the clumsiness, dropping items when I thought I had tight grip, difficult writing even my name. I thought something is definitely wrong here, and I needed to do something about it. I was only 25 years old, just starting my life. I made an appointment to see a neurologist, and after an MRI and various nerve and reflex tests, what I was told changed my life forever. 4 simple words... You Have Multiple Sclerosis. I couldn't believe that there was something wrong with me, with me of all people. Then the typical first reactions started entering my mind-----what did I do to deserve this? Why is God punishing me? What is going to happen to me? Am I going to eventually be that guy in the wheelchair that people make fun of? Then I thought of something else---my mom. Could this be what was wrong with her? So I forced her to go get an MRI and hope for a better outcome. But that wasn't the case. She was diagnosed in Feb 2001, and was far more advanced than I, having been misdiagnosed for 7 years prior. I got on medication immediately (Avonex), and all the symptoms that I was having disappeared. My mom followed suit, but her MS progressively got worse. After my step dad died in 2004, my mom went into care facility, unfortunately due to the fact that I physically could not look after her and her needs. And then it hit me---like a ton of bricks. I got up one morning for work, and I couldn't walk, I couldn't even stand up without holding onto something, and even then I was falling over. I guess it was all the stress with my mom, and working a lot of hours. But most importantly, it was not listening to my body, and it was screaming "SLOW DOWN AND REMEMBER ME?!". It was the dreaded relapse that we all try to avoid. Well, this one did a number on my balance and equilibrium. Sadly, my mom passed away in Mar 06 to causes other than MS. I switched medications in Feb 06 to Copaxone and then finally back to Tysabri in Dec 06, and am still on that until the next great drug emerges. But I am grateful that I am still here. I am grateful that despite that I have MS--the disease, it does not have me--Kevin the person...and it never will. No matter how hard it tries to win!!