Posts Tagged ‘multiple sclerosis’

As many of you may already know, last Saturday my sister in law was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Hearing the news of her diagnosis, I could suddenly relate to the feeling Wile E Coyote had every time he was crushed by the anvil, bringing him back to the harsh reality that his plans just weren’t good enough; that no matter what he did, he would always be inferior to the Roadrunner. Life is like that. Try as we may, there’s always going to be something we missed in the blueprint… some kink in the chain of events which forces us to realize that we’re just not in control. All the planning in the world can’t prepare us for certain things. The biggest issue when we meet circumstances like this is whether we bounce back or remain stuck under the anvil. There’s a lesson to be learned from that boneheaded, stubborn coyote we all came to know as Wile E: no matter how badly it hurts, you just gotta get back up and try again.

Approximately 200 people are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) each week in the United States alone. It is estimated that anywhere from 250K – 350K people are living with MS in this nation right now. To give you an idea of what these indivuduals, including my sister in law, are facing… here is an excerpt taken from Wikipedia:

MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical signals called action potentials down long fibers called axons, which are wrapped in an insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the body’s own immune system attacks and damages the myelin. When myelin is lost, the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals. The name multiple sclerosis refers to scars (scleroses—better known as plaques or lesions) in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord, which is mainly composed of myelin. Almost any neurological symptom can appear with the disease, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability and neuropsychiatric disorder.

MS takes several forms, with new symptoms occurring either in discrete attacks (relapsing forms) or slowly accumulating over time (progressive forms). Between attacks, symptoms may go away completely, but permanent neurological problems often occur, especially as the disease advances. There is no known cure for MS. Treatments attempt to return function after an attack, prevent new attacks, and prevent disability. MS medications can have adverse effects or be poorly tolerated, and many patients pursue alternative treatments, despite the lack of supporting scientific study. The prognosis is difficult to predict; it depends on the subtype of the disease, the individual patient’s disease characteristics, the initial symptoms and the degree of disability the person experiences as time advances. Life expectancy of patients is nearly the same as that of the unaffected population.

The truth behind this disease is that it will bring out a fighter in you that you never knew was there… and will create the necessity to strengthen the fighter you already knew existed. My sister in law has always been a fighter. {Those who know her are laughing right now thinking of just how much of a fighter she has always been!} She’s a strong woman and is lucky to have a husband who is a strong man… a loving man… a man who has been – and will be – there for her through thick and thin. But just think of all the people struggling with this illness on their own. It hurts my heart just thinking of San going through this even knowing she has the support of our family. When I think of the bigger picture – the thousands of people who are going through it alone, that makes my spirit cry.

Honestly, until now I had never given much thought to MS sufferers. For so many of us, until we have a experience with a certain thing, it never becomes much more than a mere blip on our radar. But now, it’s personal. It’s close to home. It’s on my mind. Do you know someone who has MS? Have YOU been diagnosed with this disease? I encourage everyone to reach out – educate yourself. Just like the fight against cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other autoimmune disorders, the fight against Multiple Sclerosis deserves our attention, our efforts, our resources… and our prayers. When you’re healthy, it’s so easy to take that for granted; to consider yourself lucky and to turn a blind eye to the issues others are facing. But ask yourself this question: What if tomorrow, it were YOU dealing with these things. Would you find it unfair that no one cared about your inner battle? … that no one rushed to your aid or found it worthwhile to provide you with support?

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