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Kim Ledgerwood

HealthyWomen's Editorial Director

As HealthyWomen’s editorial director, Kim oversees the production of all content and ensures that it is aligned with our mission and meets our high editorial standards.

Kim is an editor and award-winning copywriter with more than 25 years of experience. She started her career as a copywriter and broadcast producer at the Southeast’s largest full-service advertising agency, The Tombras Group. Since then, she has worked for a wide variety of clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to indie authors across multiple industries and topics.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, as well as a master’s degree in advertising from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She lives in Towson, Maryland, with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of pets.

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Newly Diagnosed with MS? Here Are 10 Questions to Ask Your Neurologist.

Wondering how an MS diagnosis will affect your life?

Conditions & Treatments

March is MS awareness month.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S., and women are at higher risk than men. While we still don’t know exactly what causes MS, the disease occurs when your immune system attacks your brain and nerves — most likely because of a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Symptoms can vary from person to person, come and go, and also mimic other conditions, so the journey to getting a diagnosis can be a long one.

Read: FAQs About MS >>

Once you’re finally diagnosed, it can be a relief to have an answer — but it can also be a scary time that comes with its own set of questions.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with MS, it’s important to see a neurologist you can trust to oversee your care. But it can be hard to remember what you want to ask when you’re in the office, so we’ve put together a list you can take with you.

Here are 10 questions to ask your neurologist following an MS diagnosis.

  1. What type of MS do I have?
  2. Is MS fatal or will it shorten my life expectancy?
  3. Is MS hereditary?
  4. Will I have new MS symptoms over time?
  5. Will my MS symptoms get worse over time?
  6. What kind of tests will I need and how often?
  7. What are the available treatments for MS?
  8. What are the possible side effects of any medication you recommend for me?
  9. Will I have the same MS treatment my whole life?
  10. How will my life change, and how can I better prepare myself for those changes?


Resources

HealthyWomen’s MS Support Finder

National MS Society — Find Support


This educational resource was created with support from Novartis.

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