My aunt was diagnosed with MS in her early 30's. Her daughter is my age and we've been really close since we were just little. I remember everytime they visited she was worse and worse, to the point where she was using a walker. She was using honeybee stings to help. Unfortunately, on their last trip to visit us, she knew something was wrong with her but didn't want to tell the rest of her family and ruin their trip. She had breast cancer. By the time her breasts were removed, it had already spread through her bones, and she passed away at the age of 38, while my cousin and I were still in high school. :(

I am so sorry for your cousin. The worse part of this disease is that it attacks people in the prime of their life. My husband was diagnosed at age 34. He is now 39. I sincerely hope that your cousin and her family "wake up." After being a witness to what this disease can do, it is not something you can just ignore and it doesn't go away by itself. If your cousin was to seek treatment now, she could possibly stop the disease from progressing. While there is no cure, most treatments available keep the disease from getting worse and the sooner you get on them, the better chance you have of staying well longer. My husband was in denial in the beginning as well. He went a whole year without medication until he suffered a relapse that took his speech. He was unable to talk for two weeks and with steroid treatment he was able to recover. After that, he learned his lesson and has been on his meds religiously. Please try to talk to your cousin. I know it is a difficult subject to bring up, but if she wants to be healthy for her daughter, she owes it to herself to get help.

I urge everyone at the first sign of anything wrong, seek help. So many diseases now can be put in remission, long before it gets bad. If you can't or won't do it for yourself...then think of those who love and need you. Early treatment is usually so much easier than the treatments later on. My husband was diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis and since he caught it early on he is in remission. He still takes medication, but is able to do things, continue working and is pain free.

You're right...I should try talking to my cousin; it's just SO HARD to bring it up. In a strange way, I think we all feel that if we don't talk about it, it just MIGHT go away....which I realize is ridiculous. I mean, she's been doing so well since her initial relapse, it's easy to see why she refuses to believe there's anything wrong with her. ::sigh:: my parents will actually be visiting her next week, and my mom (a doctor) will try to talk to her into seeking medical help. We'll see how it goes. I'm scared for her; I'm afraid that like your husband, she'll have a major relapse before she seeks help. You're right, she owes it to her family to get help.

Accepting things like this is never easy. I can totally understand how you all feel. My husband and I have new "respect" for this disease as it has shown us how ugly it can get if it is ignored. I wish you and your family the best of luck. Since your mom is a doctor, she is the best one to get through to your cousin. She is very lucky that she has all of you to love and support her through this.