> He also wants to
> start an injection program, possibly (avonex might be spelled incorrectly)
> at
> this time without giving any definitve test results. I'm going to get a
> second opinion. If anyone can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Dear Sabre Fan (I didn't get your name):
I was first a TMer then a year later diagnosed with MS. By all means get a
second opinion if it will make you feel better. I trusted my neurologist and
still THOUGHT about getting a second opinion. LOL...but I didn't. When my
doctor said he wanted to me try Avonex, I said okay. Then he said it was a
once a week shot in the muscle and I said okay. I said okay because I
thought my insurance would never pay for it so I didn't really have to worry
about doing the shot! I was really spooked two weeks later when I heard the
insurance had approved me for Avonex. I thought about it long and hard (and
whined a whole bunch--any of the old timers on this list could verify that!).
I finally decided that if my neuro, who I trusted, thought I should be on
it, and my insurance, who is tight with money like most HMOs, approved
it...the least I could do was give it a try. (it costs around $866 a month
here). It has helped me a lot. I still have problems but I don't have all
of the ups and downs that I had before--I was having small attacks that only
lasted 3 or 4 days but came every two weeks. So, as far as I'm concerned I
made the right decision. MSers are lucky that there are drugs now to treat
certain types of MS and I think we should try them if given the chance. If
it doesn't work out, you can always quit. How will you know until you try?
And besides MS can be very difficult to get a positive dx--the doctors will
often say probable or possible MS or 90% sure, etc.
Any questions? I'm always willing to try to help if I can. By the way, I've
been on Avonex now for a year.
Sharon M. (from Arizona)