Education and Understanding

I am writing this blog not so i can whine and cry about my life, but in hopes to help others learn about MS. Learn about how it effects the body physically, but also emotionally.

First off i have to add a little disclaimer: I am learning everyday how this disease works from a first hand experience and i don't know everything by any means, so we will have to learn together. MS is very hard to diagnose due to not every case is exactly the same. What i am experiencing is not the same as another MS'er but only similar.

I feel the best way to start is by explaining what MS is because many people have no, or very little knowledge of it, and I am learning Knowledge Is Power. So please bare with me through this very dry material.

I'll start by defining Multiple Sclerosis. (MS) Multiple meaning more then one. Sclerosis meaning scar or lesion. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue. (sclerosis) When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur.




Most Common Symptoms Include:
Fatigue; Numbness; Walking, Balance, and Coordination Problems; Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction; Vision Problems; Dizziness and Vertigo; Pain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Emotional Changes and Depression; and Spasticity.


Less Common Symptoms are:
Speech Disorders; Swallowing Problems; Headache; Hearing Loss; Seizures; Tremor, Breathing Problems, and Itching


Many misconceptions about MS are that is is fatal, contagious, and there is a cure. MS in neither of these things.

Facts about MS:
Heat makes your symptoms worse. (no more hot tubbin for me)
Women are twice as likely to get it then men
MS usually starts to show itself in 20-30 year old people
There are over 2 million people in the world with MS, 400k of which live    in the US.

Alright i know that was a lot of info to take in. I'm sorry to put it all out there but i hope it will give you a good base of knowledge for if you choose to stick with my blog and join me in my journey.