Dr. Karl Gross experienced his first symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1999. At the time, he was a successful neurologist in Colorado and had had his own private medical practice for 12 years. When he suspected that he might have MS, he went to see a fellow neurologist immediately to confirm his suspicions and get a formal diagnosis.

"As a neurologist, I was used to being the one who diagnosed other people with neurological diseases. So it was strangely ironic to be the one receiving the diagnosis."

For Dr. Gross, starting treatment immediately was a "no-brainer." He did the research and began injecting his medication every other day.

He also realized that he would not be able to continue working the demanding schedule of his medical practice. Aside from feeling fatigued often, Dr. Gross knew that he would need to tell all of his patients that he had MS, and he suspected that many patients would find that difficult to handle. "Think about it: if your child has a fever, headache, and stiff neck and goes to the ER, would you want a neurologist with MS to do the spinal tap?" Many potential MS effects would interfere with practicing as a neurologist, and all of them could occur unpredictably and put patients at risk.

Shocked and confused, Dr. Gross and his wife, Cassell, found it difficult to cope with the diagnosis at first. But in the end, he and his wife have learned to work through the challenges that the disease posed to their relationship. Cassell is Dr. Gross’ biggest source of support.

When Dr. Gross started to tell some of his friends and other family members about his diagnosis, he was surprised by the range of reactions. "Some of my close friends, many of whom were neurologists, were actually not as supportive and seemed more devastated than I expected them to be."

He was very scared to tell his parents. Aside from being elderly and having preconceived ideas about MS – a family member with the disease had died about 30 years earlier – his parents were already facing their own crises. Around the time of his diagnosis, Dr. Gross’ father was undergoing extensive cardiac surgery. So he waited nearly a full year before telling them.

But when Dr. Gross finally told his parents, "they said, ‘okay, you’re a neurologist, so you know what to do and how to treat it.’ I have to admit, when my parents were pragmatic and even somewhat nonchalant about it, it was not the reaction I expected. I was surprised and sort of relieved. They took it better than some of my neurologist friends." He now realizes that people with MS need to prepare themselves for unexpected reactions when disclosing to family and friends.

With his career as a practicing physician behind him, Dr. Gross now uses his wealth of medical knowledge to lecture and give presentations about MS and its treatments. He also is able to spend more time listening to opera, traveling, and reading science and philosophy books.