Hi, youknow I just learned about Scotland having the highest MS stats. I learned this reading about the lady who wrote the HARRY POTTER books. Her Mom had MS. It was also sad to learn how many people had no MS meds in the UK. Ever since I read this I have been wondering if I got a gene from my Dad's side. My Dad is the first generation born in USA his parents were from Ireland.
Since I moved to Vegas 10 years ago I have not gotten that much sun. Heat is too extreme so I stayed indoors alot.
How is you hubby?

probably because it runs in familys.my grandmother-aunt-uncle -cousin and myself all m.s.

I would love to mail your partener. I was on Avonex for 1 and half years. But had to quit do to excessive illness, and painful ,bruising injections. Ilove meeting, new people with MS and I am happily married for 16 yrs. my email is kimraz71@gmail.com, just email me and we can work or the mail corespondence ;)
Hugs
Morgaine
ps I live in the United States.
I love having pen pals and would love to cheer up your partners days and offer encouragement.

I've been on Avonex for 9 years now. I still get slight reactions but nothing like the first 3 or 4 years. It really seems to be working. lI am really doing well and haven't had any reall serious problems for a long time.
I read about Scotland and other parts of Europe that is because of the lack of exposure to the sun and the latitude of the Country. The less Sun the more prevalent. Which causes lack of vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficincey is one of the things they have found out is a factor. I also parent who has some Irish or Welsh in her. The ms society has so much helpful info. Genetic combinations triggered by exposure to virus and latitude all are factors. I like I said am lucky enough to be now considered beign ms. I hope to stay this way but that could change at any time. 13 years now and doing very very well. Good luck and keep up the injections.

I'd be happy to mail your partner. I'm on Avonex (almost a year now) and the side effects aren't nearly as bad as they first were. I live in a state in the US which has one of the highest rates (or so I'm told) of MS in the country. Just send me his address and I'll write to him...or invite him to join the MS community here online!

Michelle (aka Eloise)

I just ran across your post. I've been on on Avonex for 4 years.
What the stats I have read said waas that people of British Isles descent are moe likely to develope MS.

It is really interesting how different areas are so full of MS...I'm in the Seattle (USA) and we have higher numbers here as well.

I tried Avonex but I got all the bad side effects...so now I'm on copaxone which for me is working pretty well (hardest part is remembering to take it every day).

Hope you meet lots of people soon, there must be tons around if the dx rate is so high.

Also...nobody in my family other than myself have the MS diagnosis.

Hugs,

Kristin

I live in Ontario Canada. Really high rate of MS here. I work with 3 other people that have it. In our jail there are about 150 staff. I am on Avonex. I hate it. I have been on it almost a year and still get bad side effects.

I know a lot of people in Scotland on LDN. must be easy to get there

Irony is: my mother had breast cancer so my sister and I made sure to have regular mamograms. No, we both have a neurological disease instead. I have MS and my sister has epilepsy. No telling where the stuff comes from. No history in our family.

i learned about the UK and Scotland having high incidents of MS by reading a book called "Up a Creek with a Paddle". Can't remember the author's name, but she wrote it about her husband, who grew up in Scotland. They finally immigrated to the US, but he tried LND and had great success.
I wonder how many of those of us with MS are of Scottish heritage? I am, although my ancestors came here in the 1700's. Just a thought...

Yep, Mary Bradley. She lives near me, compared to Ireland/Scotland. LOL

oh googly moogly...this proves it... my great great great something is from Ireland...luck of the Irish? :(

I don't have a history of MS in my family.I noticed when I was taking a shower that the heat bothered me ,but I thought that was because of the steam.I also noticed that if I got to hot that would effect me,but at the time I didn't know I had MS symtoms.

Interesting topic! I was born in Oklahoma, but grew up in East Tennessee. Moved back to Oklahoma (where my Mom & her family are from) right after I turned 18...which was right after my mom died of Breast cancer. There's a team of MS specialists there, in East TN...who go all over the Eastern coast giving seminars. They not only say that ALL Fibro patients are either misdiagnosed...or they are "early stages" of MS...but ALSO that there is a very high concentration of MS cases there in East TN (as there are Fibro cases). Odd...Oak Ridge Nuclear Plant is there! I thought of this whenever I read their comments about East TN. Hmmm???
~tj