THIS WOMAN'S DOCTOR
DIAGNOSED HER WITH MULTIPLE
SCLEROSIS.
SHE TOOK POWERFUL INJECTIONS
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
TURNS OUT SHE NEVER HAD MS AT
ALL.
11 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.
SO MUCH COULD HAVE BEEN.
ORB YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
IN APP ACTION INVESTIGATION,
JASON STOOGENKE FOUND OUT SHE'S
NOT ALONE.
THIS IS SCARY.
YOU SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
DIAGNOSED WITH A DISEASE BY
MISTAKE.
LET ME SHOW YOU.
HERE'S HOW HER MEDICINE.
YOU GET THE IDEA.
NOW IMAGINE TAKING THIS EVERY
OTHER DAY FOR 11 YEARS
UNNECESSARILY.
12 YEARS AGO 2007 I WAS
STARTING TO FEEL SICK.
I WAS STARTING TO WRITE FUNNY.
SO MANDY CAMPBELL WENT TO
THE DOCTOR AFTER SOME TESTS
CAME DIAGNOSIS.
SO THE DOCTOR SAYS YOU HAVE
MS AND THE FIRST THING THAT
WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
UM, AM I GOING TO BE IN A
WHEELCHAIR.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
I'M 26 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
FOR WORK?
FOR YOUR LIFE?
ABOUT TO GET MARRIED.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE KIDS?
BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF THE DEATH
OF YOUR OLD LIFE.
CAMPBELL STARTED ON THIS
MEDICINE.
IT'S A SHOT SO YOU DO THAT
EVERY OTHER DAY IN YOUR ARMS,
THE BACK OF YOUR ARMS, YOUR
STOMACH, YOUR LEGS AND YOUR
BUTT.
FOR HOW MANY YEARS?
11 YEARS.
A MAJOR HOSPITAL STUDY
RECENTLY FOUND NEARLY 18% OF
PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS HAD BEEN
MISDIAGNOSED.
THE RESEARCHER SAID A STROKE,
MIGRAINES OR EVEN VITAMIN B 12
DEFICIENCY CAN LOOK LIKE MS.
THEY SAID THE DIAGNOSIS OF MS
IS TRICKY, NOT A PERFECT
SCIENCE.
WHAT MAKES MS SO TRICKY TO
DIAGNOSE?
SO I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS
THAT IT'S A TECHNICALLY A
DIAGNOSIS OF EXCLUSION.
DR. ALLEN WAS NOT CAMPBELL'S
DOCTOR.
BUT SPECIALIZES IN MS AND
AGREES THE DISEASE CAN BE
DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE.
THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE
YES/NO TEST THAT IF IT'S
POSITIVE IT MEANS YOU
DEFINITELY HAVE MS.
HE AND OTHER EXPERTS TOLD ME
YES, IT'S GREAT TO FIND OUT YOU
DON'T HAVE MS, BUT IF YOUR
DOCTOR THINKS YOU DO AND IS
WRONG YOU CAN LOSE TIME
TREATING WHATEVER YOU DO HAVE.
AND YOU COULD TAKE MS MEDICINES
UNNECESSARILY, MEDS THAT IMPACT
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
THE MAIN CONCERN IS THE IMMU
KNOW SUPPRESSION.
THERE'S A LITTLE INCREASED RISK
FOR EVERY DAY RUN OF THE MILL
INFECTIONS.
CAMPBELL LIVED WITH WHAT SHE
THOUGHT WAS MS FOR THOSE 11
YEARS.
THEN IN DECEMBER 2017.
I STARTED GETTING FEVER AND
CHILLS EVERY DAY.
AROUND 3:00.
ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND
CAMPBELL ENDED UP AT A
DIFFERENT DOCTOR.
WITHIN FIVE MINUTE THE HE
SAID YOU DON'T HAVE MS.
SHE WAS THRILLED TO HEAR
THAT, BUT DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS
RIGHT UNTIL SHE STOPPED TAKING
THE SHOTS.
YOU'VE BEEN OFF EVERYTHING
SINCE AND.
NO PROBLEMS.
FEEL LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN
BEING AGAIN.
11 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, SO MUCH
COULD HAVE BEEN.
OR YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
WHAT DID YOU MISS OUT ON?
THAT I DON'T KNOW.
UNFORTUNATELY SHE STILL
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ILLNESS SHE
HAD THAT STARTED ALL OF THIS.
ONCE YOU GET MS YOU DON'T LOSE
IT SO IT'S NOT LIKE THOSE
MEDICINES CURED HER.
IT LOOKS LIKE SHE JUST NEVER
HAD THE DISEASE TO BEGIN WITH.
I WAS THINKING COUPLE
THOUSAND SHOTS.
SHE DIDN'T NEED TO I CORRECT
HERSELF WITH AND HAD TO ENDURE
THAT.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE?
IF YOU CAN, MAKE SURE YOU
SEE A NEUROLOGIST WHO
SPECIALIZES IN MS. YOUR
INSURANCE SHOULD COVER IT.
AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU GET A
SECOND OPINION.
ESPECIALLY HERE IN THESE
SITUATIONS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
GOING TO ANOTHER DOCTOR JUST TO