I went thru a similar process as you and didn't really think about all of the
symptoms I had over the years until I read about MS. I then began to really
think about the time I was 11 and my body would jerk until I dropped stuff. Then
nothing again until I was 17 and had stomach issues... etc etc. As I went from a
few years to a few years I had many symptoms at the same time all worse than
before. I still don't have an actual diagnosis other than Probable MS because I
had no spots on my MRI a few years ago. They have just ruled out every other
thing possible, lol. (I think that's why they call it "practicing" medicine)

You'll be put through many tests probably and hopefully you will get a dx or
atleast some medication to help you. Don't give up tho and certainly don't
listen to a Dr who just passes off your symptoms as nothing. If you have to
switch drs then do so. I have switched several times until they listened to me.
I had some drs suggest I was just under stress. I would laugh, roll my eyes and
say, "Yeah, I'm stressed because you think I'm making this up. See ya"

Good luck on your journey. We're here to listen or help.

PS: As far as the "the hand is there but not really there" feeling. I think all
of us have had that feeling at one point during our disease. It's hard to
explain to someone who's never experienced it, they look at ya like you're a nut
case. Someone once explained it to me like this.... If you take a lamp and just
cut the casing on the cord and jiggle the wire, the lamp will go off and on
sporadically as the electrical cord is being moved. It's similar in people with
MS. Our signals have to jump over these spots so we have no feeling, or we have
pain or lack of control. Explain that to someone who has never experienced it
then they look sympathetic, not ignorant.

Tali