BC and MS, how did this happen?

beckward

I was dx with MS in 2006, and with BC in 2008, after two years on Copaxone.  I can hardly believe it, and wonder if anyone else had their dx's so close, too.  I'm doing extremely well with both.  I'd love to hear from anyone else with same thing.  They're both female issues, so there have to be a bunch of us.   

Beth 

jamiebeth

I was diagnosed with familial spastic paraplegia in December, 2010, a year before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. MS and FSP share some of the same symptoms: muscle spasticity, incontinence, fatigue, foot drop, etc. Btw, I'm only 41.

Good luck!

SuBeGal

Our stories sound very similar.  I was dx with MS in 2010, and with BC in 2012, after 6 months of Rebif followed by 8 months of Capoxone. Neuro wants me to stay on Capoxone.  BC is DCIS and i go for lumpectomy in 2 weeks.  I hear Tamoxifin and radiation are to follow.  I'm handling it all very well, although I am nervous about the drug combination.  I'm treating all of this as a wake up call to live a better life.  I made many healthful changes when i got the MS dx, but there is still some room for improvement.  I'm reading 'Younger Next Year" and hope that's how I'll be feeling. At least our garden is in harvest so there's lots of good anti-inflammatory eats.

I hope you sailed through your treatment and are doing well.

Sandyflats

I'm a long time MSer (Winnipeg is the capital of the MS world, I sometimes think) and recent BCer. Given that they both affect women more than men (MS and BC), I think it's not that rare to get both. I know a couple of other women with both. I also did Copaxone.

topless

I've got a nasty history of auto-immune diseases. When I was 24 I developed sudden onset Fulmanating Ulcerative Colitis with a toxic mega colon. As a result of that my entire large colon, rectum, and anus were removed and I've lived with an ileostomy since. In the early '80's I started to have symptoms of MS but an MRI was negative. Over time I had more symptoms and an MRI and spinal fluid test in 1999 indicated MS. I was on Copaxone for 8 years and also had 6 infusions of Novatrone during that time. Now I am secondary progressive and am on my 2nd year of Tysabri infusions. Last year for my 60th birthday I got Invasive Mucosal beast cancer in my left breast and elected to have a BMX so I didn't have to try going through radiation and chemo. I knew I wasn't In any shape to try that horror show on top of worsening MS. I also have Interstitial cystitis (PAIN).

I use a leg brace and a cane to get around. I also self-cath because of bladder retention. I have pelvic nerve damage from the first surgery and so have chronic pain in my butt and left leg. I can't sit for long or lay on my left side very long without having nasty pain that even Fentanyl and Dilaudid don't relieve. So because of the pain I am getting off my iPad now. You are not alone.