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Hey, I'm Anna-Maria and welcome to my channel. I was diagnosed with MS in 2018 at the age of 27. Since my diagnosis, I researched the condition and was inspired to create a YouTube channel to discuss MS related topics, beginning with my MS story. My journey to diagnosis took around three and a half years, which isn't wildly uncommon, because MS is such a complicated condition, with a wide range of symptoms. For most people, diagnosis is a multi-step process. I experienced my first relapse in January 2015. I was working night shifts at the time and it was super cold out and I was feeling quite rundown actually. After my night shift came to an end, I woke up in my bedroom - in the middle of the day mind you - to find that actually, my room was quite dark. I was confused for a while before I realized that my vision was partially lost. I presented to my GP who advised me to go to Moorfields Eye Hospital A&E. It was there that I was diagnosed with optic neuritis, which is inflammation of the optic nerve. Now, MS was mentioned as a possible cause. But given the fact that I had been rundown, I was also told that potentially the optic neuritis could have been brought on by a viral infection. So when I was offered an MRI scan I naively refused, thinking that I didn't have MS; MS doesn't run in my family; and that's just not me. I was physically fit and I didn't believe that there would be more serious underlying cause for my present symptoms. So given the fact that this was my first episode of optic neuritis, I wasn't offered any treatment - which would have been steroids - and I was sent on my way and my case was closed. It was around two years later that I experienced my second relapse. I am a little embarrassed to say that I am a regular user of Botox injections and I went for treatment in July 2017. I had anti-wrinkle injections put into my forehead and I woke the next day with double vision. Now, my initial thoughts were that the double vision was caused by the anti-wrinkle injections because that is listed as a possible side effect on the disclaimer that you sign prior to having them done. Nonetheless, I went to my GP who again sent me to Moorfields Eye Hospital and it was there that I was offered a second MRI scan. I had an MRI scan August 2017 and I was actually told at the time that my results were clear, that there were no abnormalities on my brain, and it was concluded that potentially the symptoms that I was experiencing had been caused by the Botox. On this occasion, perhaps the Botox had somehow gotten into a blood vessel which reached my left eye and was affecting the muscles in the corner of my left eye. So I went about my business. Eventually I regained vision, 20/20 vision which I have today, and life went on as normal. In May 2018, I received a letter from Moorfield's Eye Hospital to say that actually, they'd made a mistake and there were abnormalities on my brain and that there was a lesion on my brainstem which would have caused the vision problems that I had been experiencing. I speculate as to why this mistake was made and how it was uncovered at a later stage. Just to give you a bit of background, in May 2018 I bought my first home and I had applied for life insurance and critical illness cover, and of course gave the life insurance company permission to access my medical records. And that may have been what had triggered Moorfield's Eye Hospital - who I gave the life insurance company consent to contact - an indication. They may have then at that point realized that they'd made a mistake. But thankfully they did write to me to let me know about that mistake and I was invited back into the hospital in June 2018, where I was provisionally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I say provisionally because the diagnosis of MS, as I said before, is a multi-step process. In order to conclusively diagnose MS, you need lesions within space and time. So, you would need two MRI scans within a period of time of each other. One should evidence lesions and the second should evidence more lesions; and then that would demonstrate lesions within space and time. So, at my June appointment, I did request a second MRI scan which I had in August 2018, and that did in fact show more lesions on the brain and I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. From Moorfields Eye Hospital, my case was transferred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square London. In the interim of my case being transferred, I experienced my 3rd relapse, which was numbness and tingling in my left leg. At the time, I began researching medications for MS and I was drawn to Alemtuzumab, also known as Lemtrada. In 2018, to meet the criteria you needed to have been diagnosed with highly active relapsing remitting MS, which is what I had. My consultant agreed to put me through on to the treatment. Unfortunately the criteria has since changed and it's no longer used as first-line therapy, so if you're newly diagnosed here you'd have to look into medications and make a decision based on what is available for you today. I had my first cycle of Lemtrada in November 2018 and I'm due to have my second cycle this month, which I will be vlogging for the purpose of this channel. I must admit that the last year and a half has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I can talk about it quite a matter of fact right now but if you'd met me a year and a half ago I was a train wreck. It's a tough pill for anyone to swallow and I took it pretty badly but if you're newly diagnosed and you're watching this video, please take it from me that I can draw many more positives than negatives from my experience. It's not as bad as it might seem right now and actually, no matter what you're faced with; you will adapt, you will adjust and that's what life is. You know, it's constantly a struggle for many people, and this is yours. This is ours, I should say. And it could be, it could be much worse. And that's not what you want to hear right now, but I think what helped me get through this was knowing that any situation can always be worse and actually I'm quite privileged knowing that this is a condition that is chronic, it's not terminal. It's a condition that can be managed. It's a condition that is being investigated and new medications are being brought out. Not only have I taken a medical approach to managing my MS, but the diagnosis also inspired me to change my lifestyle and that's the biggest positive that I take from this experience. Without the diagnosis, I wouldn't have changed my diet, I wouldn't have become more active. You know, if you had met me a year and a half ago, I was eating so poorly. I was moving from my desk at work to my sofa at home. Without this, I didn't realize or there wasn't a sense of urgency for me to change my lifestyle. So, okay, it's a negative experience but actually it's done me some favors. I will talk about my diet and lifestyle changes in another video but for now, thank you so much for taking the time to watch my video and again for the newly diagnosed, just know that it's not as bad as it might seem and there's lots of support online. Join as many forums as you can and reach out to people around you because you will find that you are loved and that there is hope. Please like and subscribe if you'd like to see more content and also follow me on Instagram if you're on there. Thank you, bye.