I'm 63, let my health insurance lapse 6 months ago, wierdly began to notice vertigo, inability to balance on one foot (restarted yoga), bumping into things, tripping on the sidewalk, unusual vision problems, difficulty thinking decisively about the same time. And I can run anymore - I'm all scrunched up and never achieve a long stride (used to run marathons) When I mentioned this to a physician friend she said MS, loud and clear. I called a good friend with MS who said the same. Thinking back, it's been at least 15 years that I experienced electric shocks very rarely in the neck when I turned my head quickly, I've had intermitent excruciating pains under my left scapula for 10 years (thought it was a desk chair, computer work). Just recently, associated with tightness in the deltoid muscle, I can't lift my right arm directly up over my head - it bows out at the elbow and just won't go complelty vertical - but my left arm shoots straight up there. My thinking seems fuzzy and shallow, not sharp.

I've always been phyciaally active, thin, lively, lifted weights moderately, loved dancing, been coordinated.

My question is - I don't want to go for a diagnosis until I think through the issue of health insurance and pre-existing conditions (my old plan will take me back but they cover meds at $1500 per year) but am madly busy at work and cannot wade through the fine print on all forms the different companies I've contacted are sending me - what difference does a diagnosis make? As far as I've been able to read there's symptom treatment only. Does anythig slow the demylenation?

I think I my mylin is degrading pretty slowly and that I'm re-mylenating, else my symptoms would be more progressive.

Is there an MS specialist out there with experience of a lot of MS cases and a variety of MRIs who can tell me if anything slows down demylenation and if there's a treatment regime that helps one to re-mylenate?

I thought I'd let this thing take its course, get my will in order, and get a gigantic dose of phenobarb in Mexico next week for reserve for the future, as the utimate solution. No kids, pets,or relatives, just work and the occasional magenta sunset in the purple dark beyond the mountain.

Thaks for everyone's time - please, informed opinions only.