Well, the results came back from my spinal tap and they showed the presence of proteins that are markers of MS. It doesn’t mean that I have MS, but it is consistent with MS. In addition, I still only have the one lesion as opposed to the 9 they usually look for in an MS diagnosis.
My doctor has recommended that I start treatments for MS. These treatments don’t do anything for my current symptoms, but they are supposed to help in slowing down the progression of the disease. They consist in getting shots either every day or every other day and have a variety of side effects.
I have several reservations about these treatments. First of all, it still isn’t clear that I do have MS or that I will get MS in the future. Right now, I have a single lesion on the spine. Usually, they want to see 9 before giving a diagnosis of MS. It isn’t clear that my symptoms will get worse without treatment.
Now if the treatment just involved taking a pill or two with minimal side effects, or offered some hope of getting better, I’d go for it right away. But daily shots with the possibility of “flu-like symptoms” don’t make me jump for joy. Oh, and I’ve been reading about people’s $1200 a month copay for them too, that also makes me happy.
I’m also not sure how we’d know if they are working. I mean sure, if there’s a flare up, we’d know they weren’t, but in the meantime, there’s no telling. I’m going in tomorrow for a meeting, I’ll discuss my reservations and wee what he has to say. I gotta be frank, I’m leaning towards not starting those treatments….