Anyone Out There with Multiple Sclerosis?

My SIl has it - as do a few others I know. The Dx is serious but not all gloom and doom. It is certainly something that you can live with and live well. She is 10 years into her dx - she has since married and had 2 kids. Her eyes have gotten worse and her balance is a bit off (not noticeable) because she went off the meds to have her kids. When she is on the meds she is wonderful. The others I know have ups and downs but lead full lives - most would never suspect anything is wrong. I did watch a lady with very bad late stage ms years ago and that was tough - but I think the meds have come amazingly far from when she was dx.
Best of luck for a healthy report but take heart that is a livable dx.

I have 3 friends who have gone through MS testing, 2 had a positive diagnosis and one did not. The one who did not removed all artificial sweeteners from her diet and she stopped having the symptoms. The 2 that have MS are both long time "survivors". One is a child welfare worker (S) for the state and the other (G) has been an author of ADHD books, a licensed children's therapist, and a member of management at Wal-Mart.

(S) was diagnosed in the 80's and she decided she should put her affairs in order so that when she got in bad health she wouldn't be a burden on anyone. She bought a house and a new car, so that she would be pretty much maintenance free. Twenty years later she still has the car and the house. Her finance left her at the alter because he didn't want to watch someone he loved shrivel away and die slowly everyday...she got married a few years later to a wonderful loving and kind man and has had a wonderful life. She works every day and takes a medication regime that keeps her at her best.

My other friend (G) who has MS is a full time mom and active member of her community. She regularly takes her children to amusement parks and swimming activities, on island vacations and has regular fun filled days.

The one things she works hardest at is staying at her best by getting enough rest and not getting her body overheated by way of exercise, activities in the direct sun, stressing over stuff, etc...

Taking care of your body in a better way is something we should all do, it's the only one we get and we should treat it better. Just be patient and wait until you have the diagnosis. Then try the medication regime and find what works best for your body and take good care of yourself no matter what is going on.

My step-father has MS. He was diagnosed when he was about 50, which is pretty late for a diagnosis, and now he is 62. The symptoms and progression of MS can vary drastically. Don't scare yourself. Wait to see what the test results say. Hopefully you will have something that is easily treatable and you will be feeling like yourself again soon. Even if it is MS, treatment has come a long way and is improving all the time. I hope you get good news and feel better soon.

I have a friend that is in her late 60's and was diagnosed with MS when she was in her 40's. With proper meds you will lead a pretty normal life. She occasionally has a bad day, gets kind of confused or might have a day where her body hurts, but they are few and far between.

Kg, it would be better to wait to find out that your MRI is clear before getting scared. I know how you feel because I had to have both a CT scan and an MRI. My MRI was also to rule out MS.

That said, my hair stylist has MS, and she works full time. She isn't in pain, but she does have trouble with one of her eyes. She has a good doctor who has her on a good regimen of medicine.

It is something that has to be managed. The sooner the diagnosis, the sooner starting meds will keep the disease from progressing. And that is key.

Let us know you are - we are saying prayers that there is another answer to this for you, one that is easily fixed.

All my best,
Dawn

First of all, don't listen to Jed. Don't delude yourself....MS IS NOT REVERSABLE!!!! You may, if you are lucky, be able to slow progression, but once the damage is done, it's done.

It took 10 years for drs to diagnose my father with MS and they did it through an MRI.

There are four types of MS so treatment and mobility and symptoms will vary depending on what you are diagnosed with.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news so I won't tell all from our experiences just yet. I think you should just first get your diagnosis and then go from there.

my cousin (29) was recently diagnosed with MS. He also found out on an MRI when it showed the lesions. His biggest symptom/problem is some days he will get up and his legs wont work. They've been trying him on different medication and the newest one seems to be working. He's been dealing with it for about a year.

For our family, the scariest part was not knowing what was wrong with him. Did he have a brain tumor? A spinal tumor? Lupus? finally having a diagnosis after 2 years was a blessing, even if it wasn't the best diagnosis.

One of the moms at my daughter's daycare has MS and it doesnt seem to slow her down. She has her "bad" days but most days are good. She's pretty private, so I dont know much about her story, though.

Have you had a chiropractic check up? Have you had you nutriition checked. There are a number of conditions that may be covered under what you have said here.
Do these, and if you have any questions just contact me, be glad to talk to you.
best, k

Hi Kg,

I have a friend in NC that was diagnosed years ago. She goes to a naturopath in Ashville and has been completely symptom free for 10 years now. Nutrition and diet is imperative. Don't panic. Whatever you have, nutrition can help. One thing that can help you starting immediately is to remove all chemicals (pesticides, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, etc.) from your diet. Especially avoid fast foods. There are other ways to build your immune system as well. If you're interested in any of this I'll be glad to explain further.

Regards,

M.

hi darlin, my mom had m.s. She was approx 39 or so, idk. she cried & cried to me & my brother b/c of fear & unknown i think. that was 15 years ago though so a lot's changed since then re: treatment & dx. and yes, the MRI will show the lesions that are typically indicative of m.s. I had an MRI done for weird symptoms i was having and they found no lesions so they ruled it out. it is hard to diagnose. My mom's primary symptoms/concerns were tingling/numbness in her feet/legs. it was very uncomfortable for her. she had multiple problems and was morbidly obese. she used a motorized scooter for mobility, but don't compare!!! she was a lot older than you are now and obese which causes a whole 'nother world of pain in itself. from what i've learned/read/heard, m.s. seems to affect either your lower or upper part of your body. i've had clients w/m.s. that couldn't speak or feed themselves, then you've got my mom, who couldn't walk...but again - not just due to m.s. b/c i don't wanna scare you! :(
it's not as gloomy as you think sweetie, b/c just like w/any disease or problem, there's varying levels of it.
i'll say a pray for you tonight b/c i can't imagine how scared you must be, especially having your sweet little boy...but try to have faith it'll all be okay. so...if you believe in God here ya' go, "Faith is not believing that He can, it is Knowing that He will". (He will bring you through this, will make you feel better, will let you live your life happily & healthily w/your sweet boy even if you are diagnosed w/something). Good luck and take care... HUGS!!!

I know 2 people with MS. Both are in their 30's and have been diagnosed in the last year. MS symptoms can/will be different with every person because the "lesions" on the brain and spine cause symptoms based on where they are. I read up on it when my good friend was diagnosed in July and there are different types of MS but the most common type can be treated (not cured). Both my friends have "flare up's" which require steroid injections to stop the progression and "treat" the symptoms. For the most part, they were diagnosed early and live very normal lives. And with the treatment, hopefully will continue to. Fatique is the one symptom that effects them the most but you would never know either one of them had it unless they told you. I do know a spinal tap is the way to know for certain if it is MS. There are "rings" in the spinal fluid. An MRI of the Brain and Spine will show lesions which of course is an indicator but the spinal tap is more accurate. Both of them have a great prognosis and as scary as it seems, I assure you they are both doing wonderful and living normal lives with no restrictions.

MRI would show brain lesions or plaques and a spinal tap would have certain indicators that would make it easier to diagnose MS. My Mother has both MS and Lupus. My 10 years younger sister has Lupus too.

MS, like cancer and many other scary illnesses, can be reversed if you properly nourish and detox the body. That means getting off of processed foods and synthetic drugs and doing a regimen to clear out toxins, including heavy metal detox. When our cells don't get proper nourishment and toxins build up in our body we get sick - so we need to identify how it's happening and reverse the process if we wish to get well. Conventional western medicine mainly just treats symptoms instead of finding how to restore health so it offers a bleak prognosis. Natural and holistic healing methods offer a better explanation for illnesses and means of truly healing. I suggest you look into alternative medicine approaches and meanwhile get off of things in the diet like MSG and aspartame and hydrogenated oils and consider the hazards of pharmaceutical drugs you may have taken over the years.