FIRST THING:
***MS is NOT a "form of AIDS". Your friend is flat wrong. MS is a disease of the autoimmune system (as is AIDS) -- but there ***is no other connection between AIDS and MS. AIDS can be transmitted through blood transfusions (and other ways). There is NO evidence that MS can be transmitted this way.
SECOND: Giving blood. There is a lot of controversy around this. In general,some of the thinking goes like this: "We don't know what causes MS. We don't think it has anything to do with blood, but we really don't know. So why take a chance? Why give blood and then find out later that indeed there is some connection there, or that MS is caused by a virus which can be transmitted by contact with blood?"
Having said that, though -- some blood centers will accept our blood, others won't. Mine won't. Lots of people are real committed to donating blood. If you are, you should ask at your local blood center, and see what their response is.
THIRD: Yes, "foci" does mean lesions. Read your report again.. it says the "foci" are LESS than 1 cm in size. Large, but LESS than one cm in size. Perhaps that will make you feel better?
Truth is, I have no idea how large..or small..my lesions are. All my MRI says is "multiple foci, too many to count". Size and number are not all that significant anyway -- it's location, and what impact they're having on your ability to function that matters. Nothing's changed from the moment BEFORE you read your report to now, has it? Lesions that are "not active" are a good thing, but that can change, too: lesions become "active" when you're having a flare, or exacerbation. Let's hope that doesn't happen for you, for a long time!
FOURTH: Doctors. If your "second opinion" neuro is more responsive than your first, by all means, feel free to switch. And talk to your family physician...is he willing to deal with your MS, with consultations with the neuro? Many of us with MS don't see a neuro at all unless there is something dramatic that happens with our situation -- change in number or intensity of flares, or a medicine reaction, or.....
Often, once a diagnosis is made, and treatment plan established, the neuro is happy to send the patient back to the primary care doctor, treatment plan in hand (or forwarded to the doctor), with the comment: "Yes, the patient has MS, here's what I recommend; if you have questions, contact me.."
It may even be that you don't need that second opinion, and your primary will take it from here. Mine monitors my blood (I'm on Betaseron and there is a slight risk of liver problems...none so far, in 12+ years...), asks about spasticity, renews my prescriptions for the Betaseron and Oxybutanin, asks about anything else related to my MS.. and for example, at my recent physical, talked specifically about my need to see a neuro with these comments:
"well, if everything is pretty much the same as last time, I don't see the need for you to undergo that expense and trouble to see one. If something happens that's different, or you really WANT to, I can refer you, but if everything right now seems the same, I don't think it's necessary..." My mother used to say something similar: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Your MRI sounds pretty clear that you have MS, though. I'm sorry.