What is MS?
Updated: Apr 1, 2018
Either you've recently been diagnosed or someone you know has been affected by this disease. What is it? How does it affect the body? Where do I find the answers? Take a peek inside my journey to find out a few details about MS.
Here are a few facts about MS and my journey:
MS symptoms are variable from person to person and often very unpredictable.
It is difficult to diagnose. It requires an extensive amount of testing to determine when it could have started and how/if that patient is truly suffering from MS or some other differential diagnosis.
MS is caused by the damage to the protective covering of nerves in the brain and the spinal cord known as the myelin sheath and also by damage to the nerves themselves. Though it is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, the exact cause is unknown.
When first diagnosed, I went through extensive testing to rule out stroke, Gullian-Barre syndrome, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and spinal cord cancer, to say the least! All of which sounded pretty scary to me.
I underwent extensive lab testing, several MRI’s, and a spinal tap before being told what it actually was. I was offered treatment at that time, but decided to wait to see if and how the disease progressed before accepting such life-altering treatment.
There are 4 different types of MS:
Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)
Secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) - the most common type
Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)
Progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis (PRMS)
Current treatment includes, but is not limited to:
IV steroids (which is usually the first step in treatment)
Interferons
Copaxone
Tecfidera
** new disease-modifying therapies are currently being approved for MS - ocrelizumab (Ocrevus)
Stem cell transplant
“I underwent extensive lab testing, several MRI’s, and a spinal tap before being told what it actually was. I was offered treatment at that time, but decided to wait to see if and how the disease progressed before accepting such life-altering treatment.”
The Good News
Though there is no way to prevent MS and currently no cure, most people will have a normal life expectancy with some simple lifestyle changes and medications.