Multiple Sclerosis

I have forgotten to mention the fact that I have MS. I was getting ready to take my shot (I have to give myself a shot every night) of a medicine called Copaxone. It reduces the number of relapses you have with MS. I'm doing quite alright with everything. I have the ever present numbness of my hands and fingers. It sort of feels like wearing a thin latex glove constantly, sort of a loss of sensation. How did it all start? Well, a little over two years ago I started having numbness on the soles of my feet. It would not go away so I went to the doctor. He couldn't figure out what it was so he sent me the get a MRI of my lower back(my first of several). That didn't show anything, so he sent me to a neurologist. During my wait for an appointment to see the neurologist (a little over a month) my numbness travelled from my soles of my feet to my entire feet (mind you this was both feet at the same time), the to the bottom part of both my legs, then the top part of both my legs, then my butt, then my stomach, then my chest - from there it went to my shoulders and down both arms. Believe me - by the time I got to see the neurologist I was a nervous wreck - but had pretty much figured out what I had. I had researched everything on the internet and had come to the conclusion that I had Multiple Sclerosis. Anyway - by the time I saw the neurologist I could not feel my hands and fingers at all, and that's a big deal - because I work with computers all day long at the newspaper office and me not being able to type correctly was affecting my job. To make a long story short - I was finally diagnosed after several MRIs and a spinal tap (of which I'll NEVER do again - the spinal tap was horrific!). I'm an old pro at MRIs though, they really don't bother me. My numbness in my hands have now subsided into a kind of loss of sensation. Kind of strange feeling, but I'm used to it. I've been in the hospital twice for relapses and had to be on a drip of steroids for several days. But other than that I'm quite well. I keep a positive outlook and that also works wonders. Here's more info if you need it:
About MS

What is MS, and how does it affect the body?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that damages the myelin sheath, or insulating material, that surrounds the nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.



The myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving plaques or scars called scleroses (which is where the name “Multiple Sclerosis” comes from). This damage or loss of myelin can prevent nerve signals from being conducted, or can cause those signals to be conducted too slowly.

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by attacks – “flare-ups” or exacerbations – which may be associated with plaques that prevent conduction of nerve impulses in the CNS. A period of exacerbation is also known as a relapse.

By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), your neurologist can track the effect drug therapy has on the development, or lack of, new lesions.

How MS affects people over time

No two cases of multiple sclerosis are alike.

While many people living with MS are affected with some level of disability, this is not true of everyone ... and among those who do have a level of disability, this level varies greatly.

Studies have shown that a majority of persons living with MS lead fairly normal lives. MS symptoms may fluctuate, and they may progress in severity. And many people have periods of no apparent symptoms that may last many years, but lesions can still be forming in the CNS undetected.

Because MS can vary so widely from one person to another, no predictions of the outcome for any individual can be made. Statistically, however, a person with MS today has good reason for optimism – especially with early treatment to minimize the number of attacks.

Who gets MS?

Multiple sclerosis is generally diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 40. Women develop MS at a rate of two to three times that of men. In the United States, the disease is more common among Caucasians, especially those of northern European ancestry. MS occurs most frequently in “temperate zones” of neither extreme heat nor cold.

In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 350,000 people are living with multiple sclerosis, and nearly 200 cases are diagnosed every week.