Multiple Sclerosis: Defined

Mommy & Abigail 

What exactly is Multiple Sclerosis? I've had many people telling me that they are glad I am all better and other people telling me that they are sure I will beat this. While I appreciate all of these warm wishes, I want to be sure that everyone understands how serious this really is. I've had a few customers that have acted as though I had a case of the flu and was now on the mend, and one even told me not to bother with the medicine the doctor prescribed but to just drink sugar water with lemon because that will fix me.  MS is not something that you can overcome or beat. It isnt going anywhere. Like other diseases such as cancer, my MS could go into remission and there could be months or maybe even years where I remain relatively symptom free, but this crazy thing will always be lurking. I myself am still trying to come to terms with that overwhelming information. It is not just a temporary hiccup, but a lifestyle changer. I will not let it define me, but I cannot ignore it and keep going unchanged as I always do, or I may wake up one morning and realize that I have made myself so much worse. My doctor informed me that there is currently no cure. I will always have MS and the chances of another exacerbation or flair up is extremely likely. Though no one can say when or how serious it may be. The course of treatment that the doctors prescribe is an injection (Copaxone) that I would give myself every single day for the rest of my life. This injection is noted at slowing the progression of the disease by 30%. There are many people who have had MS for decades and are still able to walk and function pretty normally. While others end up wheelchair bound and perhaps require a catheter or go blind. Where my course falls only God knows. However, I intend on doing everything in my power to steer myself on the path to growing old and running around chasing my grand kids when I'm 80 or so. :)  Along with the injections, I plan on doing a ton of research on the benefits of diet and exercise to help keep me as healthy as possible. And since new advances in the treatment of MS are taking place all the time, perhaps sometime along my journey a cure may be found.
  Here is a little info on MS from the National MS Society Website, for those of you who may not know too much about it.  Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.  The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur.

Most people with MS learn to cope with the disease and continue to lead satisfying, productive lives.

  As of today, I am walking a whole lot better. Most times no one would have any clue that a short time ago I could barely walk and was forced to drag a dead leg behind me that could not lift itself 2 inches off the ground.  My skin is much less hypersensitive than it was. My hands though are another story. Both hands are still completely numb and tingly. It makes doing a great many things difficult. Typing or using the mouse it still extremely slow going and exhausting. Picking things up or carrying things is also difficult. I cannot generally tell if something is cold or wet however I am very sensitive to heat and temperatures that didnt bother me before feel scalding now.  Thankfully the tight sensation and swelling around my mid-section has gone down quite a bit from just 2 days ago even. It's not totally gone and if I push myself too much in a day it gets worse, but it seems to be getting better.  My neurologist told me the other day at my followup appointment that my spinal fluid did show MS. He said that with lots of people it takes a long time to diagnose MS, but not with me. I am a textbook case. In a way I guess that is good. I'm thankful it didnt take a long time to figure this out and get me on the road to repair.  I can do most things for Abigail---I still have trouble with the million tiny snaps that you find on every article of baby clothing, but I am able to do mostly everything else and that is all I really care about.  I will keep you guys updated as I discover new things with diet and exercise and hopefully I can keep any flairups away for a good long time. The neurologist also gave me the most wonderful news.  Abigail has a 98% chance of never developing MS. That makes all the difference in the world. He also told me that there is no reason I would not be able to have another baby in the future when/if we decide that Abigail should become a big sister. So those are all great things!  The downside---the medical bills have started rolling in! LOL