Know Multiple Sclerosis

I was talking to someone recently who said his doctor would not give him an official diagnosis until he had MRIs which were at least six months apart. I'd never heard of this. I checked it out and it turns out that this is not very common. A lot can be left up to interpretation with an MS diagnosis - there's not one test which will prove conclusively that it's MS. It's usually a combination of MRIs, a spinal tap, and a study of patient history.

It underlines the importance of getting second opinions. When I was diagnosed, it was an easy decision to do this because my initial neurologist was so bad. But, even had he been a good doctor, I still would want to seek another opinion. With something as important as a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, it certainly doesn't hurt.

I encourage anyone going through diagnosis to get another opinion, even if you like your current doctor. A patient must be his or her own advocate.