Multiple sclerosis is a cruel disease. It strikes people in the prime of their lives, often in their 20s or 30s, and then its unpredictability makes life a guessing game. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis can also be vague or confused with other diseases, making diagnosis difficult.
Some people with multiple sclerosis are not greatly affected and can lead a normal life. Others called the MS. No one knows why the disease goes one way, and a very different way.
I will tell you the story of my husband, Mitch, and how his multiple sclerosis symptoms have affected him for the past 16 years.
I saw first hand how devastating this disease is. Soon after our oldest son turned 2, Mitch started having strange sensations in his neck. Even in the arms and legs struggling to move. They would not do enough to do what he did.
I knew that in the past he had vision problems and could not see very well. He then admitted that the problems with my arms and legs were not new. He had it since he was a teenager. But the difficulties had come and gone, so that he did not worry about them for a while.
A neurologist diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis. We were shocked. What does this mean? What shall we do?
The answer to both is: No one really knew.
No one knows what causes MS. There are many theories: toxins in the environment, viruses, genetics. Whatever the trigger, MS occurs when the body begins to attack itself, improperly destroying the cells that create myelin, the covering of the body’s nerve fibers.
Then, stitches form scar tissue in the fibers that block certain nerve impulses to and from the brain. The nerves themselves degenerate in time. This can cause multiple sclerosis symptoms ranging from stupor to hypersensitivity to pain.
There is no or any development. There are a number of very expensive drugs that seem to slow the progression. Some alternative treatments include a high-fat diet, and even a series of bee stings. We researched some of these treatments, but couldn’t find anything that Mitch wanted to try.
Mitch’s had many of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis that we found to be typical in MS. He looked beautiful from the outside, but he complained that he could not fully feel his limbs. There was a sort of slow reaction between the commands of the brain and the message to the feet or hands.
In 1995, he left a job he loved – as a photographer – because it was increasingly difficult for him to drive a car confidently. At that time he was walking with a cane, but he began to fall more often. The following year he started using a wheelchair.
His vision problems are also related to MS. Mitch’s optic nerve, the big nerve going to the eyes, has dried up.
His balance is affected. his feet are numb all the time, so that it is difficult for him to find his footing. Walking is difficult, although he can still stand and take a few steps.
Other multiple sclerosis symptoms that Mitch has experienced are fine motor skills in his hands and fingers. It is difficult to pick up small items or twist the buttons. The sensations in different parts of the body are altered, or they are stunned or hypersensitive. It also started controlling bladder problems. As time goes on, other symptoms include shooting pains in the legs and feet, which he says are like electric shocks.
We have lived with MS for a long time. Nothing gets easier, despite frequent doctor visits. Sadness is also an issue. The incidence of depression for people with MS is higher than for other chronic diseases, and it is thought that depression may be another symptom of the disease.
Fortunately, not everyone with MS is severely disabled. And even though Mitch’s life has been affected by the disease, he is still able to take care of himself 90 percent of the time.
Mitch is now seeing a neurologist who specializes in MS, and while there are new treatments and ongoing research, there is always hope.
