Hi there, sorry about your diagnosis. It is a lot to take in, just take it one day at a time and remember that although MS is serious and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else, there are a lot worse things out there! I was dx 10yrs ago and went through all the emotions anger, denial, depression etc. Then I dediced I needed to take control (as best as MS lets you) I educated myself by reading everything the doc gave me and I connected myself with the National MS Society (best thing I ever did!) They have reading materials, support groups, online support, financial assistance programs etc. I met a lot of people with MS, some you would never know and some who had it bad, but what I learned from them is that the saying "I have MS, MS doesn't have me" is so true.
I started on Copaxone for the 1st yr. I had a lot of injection site reactions and taking a shot everyday really s**cked! I hated my neurologist too (cold and uncaring, not what a newly dx person needs!) so it was a rough year. I managed to get myself into an awesome neurologist one who took the time to talk to me and care about my feelings we decided to switch to Rebif. The 1st month was rough with flu like symptoms but then they went away for the most part and shots were only 3x week! Did that up until last year when I started getting terrible headaches. My neuro said that tends to happen to some with long term use. He told me to hang in there because there were some new oral drugs on the horizon. I am happy to say that in January of this year I switched to the oral drug Gilenya. Was the best thing I ever did! No side effects, no shots, no relapses!
As far as my MS for the most part I am stable. I deal with a lot of weakness, pins and needles and numbness, but nothing debilitating. Over the course of 10 yrs I have had 3 major attacks which cause me to miss work and need Solu-Medrol IVs, I recovered from each attack with only a little residual side effects.
Please feel free to ask me anything. I actually was a Support Group Leader for the NMSS for a few years. Best advice I can give is to educate yourself and find a neurologist that you truly like and trust!

Take care,
Sheila

I liked going on the msworld chat and asking questions in the early stages. Those guys know their stuff! I had no idea what was going on and they answered a lot of my questions about what different terms meant, etc. when I got tired of reading. I decided on Avonex which is once a week injection. I do the shot myself now without any problems. I can tell by the end of the week when it is time for my shot again because my left leg gets numb. I probably will not opt for the oral treatment until its been around for a good while, just my nature to be cautious and skeptical. I like Avonex for now and I seem to be doing quite well on it. Best wishes to you!

All in all, it's going to come down to what suits your lifestyle the best, as there are advantages and disadvantages to all of the therapies. I'll be thinking of you as you grapple with these decisions; all the best to you!!!

That is the best advice, it is a personal decision on what you feel comfortable with and what works for your lifestyle. Because everyone's body and everyone's MS is different, you can ask 10 people for their reccommendations and get 10 different answers. You may even have to try several before finding the "right" one for you. Just be sure that you get informed and decide what you want. Good luck and keep in touch.