This is the start of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness week. 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. (National MS Society web site)
There are four courses that this disease can take that vary from mild to moderate to severe.
1) Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). Newly diagnosed individuals are most commonly diagnosed with RRMS. There is clearly a defined period of time where an individual has an attack or flare up followed by partial or complete recovery periods.
2) Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS). This is when the person has worsening neurological function from the beginning and with no real relapse period of time. Approximately 10% of of MS patients are diagnosed with PPMS.
3) Secondary-Progressive MS (SPMS). This usually follows when a person with MS starts with RRMS, but then the disease worsens more steadily with no complete recovery period. Before drug therapy became available 50% of people with RRMS developed this form of the disease within 10 years. Data is not sufficient enough to tell if this time frame has been delayed.
4) Progressive-Relapsing MS (PRMS). This is the rarest course that the disease can take and around 5% of those diagnosed with MS fall into this category. When people are diagnosed with PRMS they steadily decline from the beginning and you can see clear worsening of neurological function with little or no recovery between relapses.
Many have trouble imagining what their lives would be like without the ability to move, but I know the effects of MS personally. I was diagnosed with MS is February 2009 and mine is still at the Relapsing-Remitting Stage. I was told that research has come a long way over the years and that people are able to live full lives as long as they take care of themselves. I made the decision right away to go on a preventative medication, Copaxone. I was very nervous to start this treatment because the only way you can take it is to inject it into your body every day. All I thought about was I have a husband and at the time we just had my son and I was going to do this to keep myself healthy. I did go off of the treatment for about one year so we were able to have our daughter, but I have since gone back on the treatment and endure these injections every single evening.
Overall, MS had not had that big of an effect on my body. I forget, itch, go numb, drop things, stumble and get dizzy, but that is few and far between. I have triggers that bring these attacks on so I have learned to avoid those things. I am hopeful that I will not be in that 50% of RRMS patients that progress into Secondary-Progressive MS. The reason why I am so hopeful is because of events like MS Walk Twin Cities. Every year in May thousands of people gather at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis along with several other walk sites and raise money to help find a cure for MS. The walk will take place on Sunday, May 5th, 2013 and I have formed a walk team, "Susie's Stars. This will be our third year participating in the walk.
March 11th - March 17th is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. What can you do to help me raise awareness. . . .
WEAR ORANGE!!!
Tell people about what MS is and the effect it has on those suffering from it.
Join our walk team, Susie's Stars, and walk with us on Sunday, May 5th.
Make a tax deductible donation to the National MS Society through Susie's Stars walk page.
Donate silent auction items for the fundraising event that I will be hosting on April 20th, (details to follow).
Join us at our fundraising event on April 20th at Angeno's Pizza/Zimmerman Bar & Grill.
Here is the link for Susie's Stars MS Walk team. . .
Click here to join our walk team or to make your tax deductible donation towards Susie's Stars!
