What were the first symptoms that you experienced?

@BWroke Oh wow, did you wake up like that one day? I can't even imagine how scary that would have been!

I had issues with my vision and then my balance. I would trip a lot and fall occasionally and my family and I thought it was funny until it kept happening and happening. I thought it was an inner-ear thing and eventually after the whole rounds of scans and tests it was MS.

My earliest symptom began as teen i think. To save money dad kept house temp set @ 65 F and I was constantly cold, but i could take hotter temps comfortably than mother or dad. Then at age 40 roughly, tingling pins and needles in arms, hands and legs most noted showering. The tingling was follow my loss of manual dexterity which led to lost jobs that required manual dexterity. became officially disabled in 2006 age 54. was SSDI till last year when turned 66

I've been having double vision and blurred vision for about 6 months. I had an MS test for my eyes just as the COVID shutdown occurred. Finally got the appointment for cataract surgery, but I'm wondering if this will help the double vision. I definitely have cataracts so it has to be done. Supposed to have MS eye test sent to the cataract doctor. Guess I'm worried that I still won't see well and will have to give up driving. 

I had some minor tingling in my thigh in 1993 but it disappeared shortly after. In 1997 I took a light spill off my skateboard and couldn't get up, had extreme vertigo and vomiting at any larger than slight movement. Then I was diagnosed and months later I was no longer afraid as the vomiting after falls symptoms gradually diminished in intensity the completely disappeared. 

In 2005 I was on a 3 mile hike and noticed my foot dropping but hiked several miles more a year later without it reoccuring. In 2007 I noticed clear symptoms with balance, coordination and muscle spasms while skateboarding. I didn't stop skateboarding until 2015.

Now I use a cane mornings, a walker in the evenings and a wheelchair for walks longer than 2 blocks.

I had noticed tingling on the ball of my right foot for a few weeks.  Then the palm of my right hand started itching as well.  A few weeks after that began, my knees started to give out occasionally.  I was unemployed at the time and not really active outside of my home so I kept ignoring things. 

Finally one night the right side of my face began to feel numb and my speech began to slur.  I call an ask-a-nurse line and she advised me to head to the ER in case I had had a stroke.  I was checked and a stroke was ruled out. After a cat scan, a mass was discovered on my brain stem.  I was sent to a larger hospital for further tests and they did an MRI, evoked potential and spinal tap, and finally diagnosed MS in June 2011. 

I had three days of IV steroids and went home after a week with a walker.  I was started on Betaseron injections and after about 6 months and some PT, I graduated to a cane.  I began going to the gym regularly and have been without the cane (except for long walks) since summer 2012. I still have balance issues, difficulty finding words, and vision problems but life keeps going on.

Hi All!  

The first MS symptoms that I had were:  1)  No balance;  2). Major headache;  3). Very blurry and double vision; 4). Very painful neck and back;  5). Chronic fatigue; 6) Loss of memory;  7) major heat intolerance; 8) No concentration; 9). Inability to drive for long periods of time; 10). Loss of energy; 11) Slurred speech; 12) Itching; 13). MS Dementia;  14) Feelings were on my shoulders because I felt so bad;  15). Swelling.

Off of the top of my head, this is all I remember.  Later, I became very depressed.  All that I cared to see were my two sons.  Everyone else seemed to step on my toes.  I really tried to be my normal kind, loving self, but I would just snap at times.  I was working and worked very hard and long hours as an accountant for a school system. Having previously worked for another school system, I informed my current employer of what I saw in the future.  Sadly, my employer did not want people to follow rules nor did he care about system theft or being accountable for monies spent.  I felt that I was one big ball of stress.  My experience nor my solutions were wanted. The employers that I mention, only cared about themselves!  With my MS, this job was a very hard pill to swallow.  My illness continued to get worse while my immediate supervisors continued to try to make themselves look totally innocent. All the while, making remarks about my illness but never was an ADA plan put in place for me.  I was employed by this system as long as my body could take it.  I removed myself from this stressful environment.  Physically, I felt much better.  Mentally, I was a bundle of nerves.    

I have continued to feel bad and talked with Social Security concerning what my future held.  I was approved for Social Security Disability within a few short weeks.  My MS Specialist completed his part of the paperwork while continuing to remind me that he never wanted me to go back to work after I was initially diagnosed.  

Wow, it's so interesting to me to read where all our stories and symptoms align and diverge! I also had vision issues, headaches, fatigue, and balance issues. I also had a bit of tingling but at the time I had done something to my elbow so I assumed it was a result of that.

I woke up with loss of vision in my left eye. As the days passed I began to have balance issues & feeling drunk when I walked.

My first symptom was walking and stability . Then I developed memory and cognitive issues. 

@ that visonv part sucks going g thought that as we speak