Why is Multiple Sclerosis so Hard to Diagnose

The primary dilemma in the current way that multiple sclerosis is managed is that while early diagnosis allows for damage-sparing treatments to begin, diagnosing someone with MS too early increases the possibility of someone who does not have multiple sclerosis being treated for it unnecessarily . Most of the current disease-modifying drugs are taken by injection and cost anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500 a month. Betaseron, which is what I am currently taking, runs right about $2,400 a month. Besides being expensive and a frightening experience for the individual being told they have MS but there is also some risk with taking interferons, this means a person mistakenly diagnosed with MS inherits the risk of the medication without gaining the benefits. This would not be such a problem if MS wasn’t so hard to diagnose, however MS happens to be one of the hardest diseases to accurately

diagnose especially in its early stages. I ignored my symptoms twice believing that I was experiencing other health issues and never imagined MS; I was even diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency after having an attack and was not accurately diagnosed for another year and a half after being told to take a multi vitamin every day. You can see that the difficulty in properly diagnosing MS can have negative results for both individuals falsely diagnosed with MS and those who have MS and are misdiagnosed with something else.


I think I have mentioned before that I have at least 4 attacks before this last one that lead to me being properly diagnosed and beginning treatment. My previous 4 attacks all involved numbness in my hand, legs and feet and as the number of attacks increased so did the length they would last and the intensity of the symptoms I would experience. This latest attack has lasted since December 27 or so and has gotten worse not better. This is a large part of what can be so scary about being diagnosed with MS, all the unanswered questions.


All though the symptoms that MS patients experience vary most of us experience many of the same symptoms and share the same outcomes when attacks occur. When attacks do occur they can produce a multitude of symptoms which will vary depending on what functions the nerve-fibers that are being attacked normally perform. For example, when the nerve-fibers being attacked control aspects of vision then the patient’s symptoms tend to be vision related like experiencing a loss of visual clarity or double vision. When the nerve-fibers being attacked are those that control sensation then the symptoms usually include numbness or tingling in the extremities. In fact, visual and sensory symptoms are often the first symptoms experienced. But initial symptoms might instead consist of dizziness, weakness, clumsiness or difficulty with urination. The wide variety of symptoms that a patient may experience is part of the difficulty in accurately diagnosing MS.


The process of being diagnosed with MS is a process that involves 3 steps, the first of which is getting a clinical evaluation. If the evaluation finds no other explanation for the symptoms then an MRI is performed. An MRI can show irregular brain activity which are caused by the lesions and the damage they do, however just because you may have some lesions or abnormal brain activity does not automatically mean MS. If lesions or brain activity that is not normal is found then the last step is to have a lumbar puncture or spinal tap as it is also known. This procedure allows the doctor/s to examine your spinal fluid which helps in the diagnoses. Unfortunately the best that can be done right now is an educated “guess”, there is no definitive test that can say “yes you have MS” or “ no you do not have MS, It is just a process of elimination that aids doctors in coming to a hopefully correct diagnoses.


In conclusion, if you think you may have MS or you are experiencing MS like symptoms you need to see a doctor as soon as possible and discuss your symptoms with him or her. Additionally you should find out everything you can about the disease and whatever your diagnosis is you should get a second opinion just to be safe.

I am Multiple Sclerosis

I am Multiple Sclerosis

Hi, my name is Multiple Sclerosis. You know me as a chronic disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. I don't really like that name or title so lets stick with MS for short.

I can cause a variety of symptoms, which include:
- Changes in sensation
- Visual problems
- Weakness
- Depression
- Difficulties with coordination
- Difficulties with speech

Several people that I affect will lead full and often times even use the "R word" (Rewarding) lives. That isn't the case for everyone though as often times I can cause people the use of the "D word", being disability and impaired mobility in cases where my work didn't go quite as well as planned.

I, Multiple Sclerosis affect neurons, which are the cells of the brain and spinal cords that carry information. I'm quite crafty to choose these locations as they are some of the most important parts of your body, controlling the body, carrying information, and creating thought and perception. Around your neurons you have a layer of fat that helps your neurons carry electrical signals. Sounds weird, but it's true. My affect on Neurons is the gradual break down of this fat, throughout the brain and spinal cord, which will cause several different symptoms depending on which signals I am able to disrupt.

You might think that I work alone, but that is incorrect. I result from attacks by your immune system on its self. It's like a civil war inside of your bodies immune system. Because I happen as a result of this war, I am called an autoimmune disease. Once again I prefer MS for short.

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I recently found this website, Direct-MS, which is the homepage for a charity started in 1998 by families affected by multiple sclerosis. This grassroots charity has two goals the first of which is to” provide dependable, science-based information on the role that nutritional factors play in MS in order to who are affected by MS to make an informed decision on whether or not to use dietary strategies for managing the disease and for preventing it in close relatives.” The second goal the charity works to accomplish is to fund scientific research that properly tests the effectiveness of dietary strategies for slowing or halting MS progression and for preventing it in the first place.

Part of what makes this charity so special, and partly why I am supporting it in this blog, is that it is 100% operated by volunteers which means that there is very low overhead, this allows for 99% of the funds raised from donations and events they host to go straight towards funding scientific research and providing information on nutrition and MS. Additionally Direct-MS often provides information that is not available from most other MS related charities which typically focus on drug related therapies. I believe that nutrition plays a large role in MS as well as many other diseases. It is refreshing to see a charity pursuing this type of research and providing alternative methods for treating MS. If you feel as strong as I do about alternative treatments then I encourage you to visit Direct-MS and make a donation. Please be assured this is not an advertisement for this website nor is it an affiliate program, I am supporting this site because of the service it provides and the good they are doing.


James



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Booklet #1 Take Control of Multiple Sclerosis

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Confessions of a Middle Aged MS Patient

Diagnosed, What Now?

I have not talked to much about myself in my posts yet so I figured today would be a good day as I don’t have the energy to attempt to write something for which I will have to verify my facts or other such actions that I usually have to take to ensure that I am providing correct and accurate information to my readers.
It has been a little over 3 months since I have been diagnosed with MS and I am still having a hard time dealing with many of the symptoms I have been experiencing, simple things such as typing this post are not so simple anymore. Actions that used to come automatically are now a chore. It seems like every few weeks since my latest attack that lead to my diagnoses I have developed another symptom, I almost feel as though I am learning everything I can about MS and the more I learn the more symptoms that appear. I keep wondering when things are going to get better or worse yet, are they even going to get better. I keep hearing people say “I have a friend/relative who has MS and they lead a pretty normal life”, well there is nothing “pretty normal” about the way I feel every day. Even on my best day I am not even close to feeling normal.
Even though I do know that things will very likely get better it is a scary feeling not knowing when or if they will for sure, that is part of the problem with this disease, it seems there are more questions then there are answers. Even the medication I have been placed on is somewhat a mystery. I self-inject interferon beta-1b, also known as Betaseron, every other day as do many other people with have MS, interferon beta-1b and interferon beta-1a (Avonex & Rebif) have all been shown to help reduce flare ups the only problem being that they are not sure how they work to accomplish this nor do they know what long term effects there may be. That’s kind of scary for me to think about, this drug is supposed to help reduce the flare ups yet it seems like I have been having one constant flare up for the last 4 months. Additionally, I really don’t like the idea of not knowing what kind of lasting affect this drug may have on my body. I have started to wonder if I should stay on the drug or possibly put taking the drug on hold for awhile and see what develops with stem cell research. I know there have already been some positive results with some new treatment here in the Chicago area where I live that has gotten quite a bit of publicity. Of course another part of me is thinking that the best course is to stay on medication that has been shown to help many other people. It’s amazing how overwhelming this all this!
Although I was only diagnosed a few months ago I am sure that I have had MS for at least 8 years now due to some problems in the past that I, knowing what I know now, can attribute to MS. I believe the incident that took place back then was probably my first flare-up with the most recent one being my 4 and worst flare-up. The two in between have taken place in the last 4 years so that makes 3 very strong flare-ups in 4 years. The second flare-up took place while I was managing a car wash during the winter; I was working in water in Chicago winter conditions and began experience numbness in my hands for a few weeks but attributed it my job as it felt like my hands were getting frostbit. The third attack took place about 2 years ago and this time it was much worse with my legs, arms and hands becoming extremely numb as well as experiencing a hot/cold sensation up and down my back. This time I went to a doctor and was diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency and told to take a multi-vitamin every day, well that worked out well didn’t it. This last attack that has led me here began right after Christmas, twice in one week in the evening while watching TV I experienced this mind numbing sensation travel through my head, the sensation only lasted a few seconds but was incredibly debilitating. I returned back to work after the holidays and on my first day back 15 minutes after getting to work the same sensation started hitting me but this time it just kept coming one after another. For weeks they lasted, in varying intensities but always there. Certain things would trigger the sensation such as my wife coughing or the toilet seat slamming, it was very strange it wasn’t just a noise being loud because other loud noises would not trigger the reaction. After that that day at work it wasn’t long until many tests were ran and the results all were pointing to Multiple Sclerosis. Blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, a spinal tap and 2 neurologists later and here we are with me being diagnosed with MS, what now?



James Bishop April, 2009

Illinois State Senetor Dick Durbin Responds to Email

April22, 2009
Mr. James Bishop

Crest Hill, IL60403

Dear Mr. Bishop: Thank you for contacting me about multiple sclerosis (MS) and efforts to combat this devastating disease. I appreciate hearing from you. I have consistently worked to secure more funding for medical research, including MS research, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Congress approved increased funding for medical research in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, increasing NIH's funding by $937.5 million. NIH's overall budget for FY 2009 is $30.3 billion. This infusion of resources will help NIH fund research projects addressing a wide variety of medical conditions, including additional research including multiple sclerosis. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Projects also receive more than $1.5 billion for medical research in FY 2009.These investments in biomedical research can help enhance our knowledge about the underlying genetic risk factors and environmental triggers that cause MS. I am hopeful this work will speed the discovery of a meaningful strategy for improving the quality of life forAmericans who live with this difficult disease. Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch.


Sincerely, Richard J. DurbinUnited StatesSenator

RJD/ns

Multidisciplinary Approach Provides Expertise in the Management of Neurological Diseases!

Mayo Clinic Adoptes Multidisciplinary Management Pratices.

The Mayo Clinic uses a multidisciplinary approach when it comes to the management of neurological diseases which includes Multiple Sclerosis. With the approach that the Mayo Clinic has adopted patients can be assured that their needs will be met efficiently and that there will be support all throughout the process. Additionally this approach allows for a patient to receive an accurate and timely diagnoses, this is important in order to create and implement a treatment plan that will begin to improve the patient’s life. The Mayo Clinic takes a two pronged approach when treating patients with MS, not only do they manage the symptom of MS but they treat the disease before symptoms are caused from permanent damage.
The Mayo Clinic uses several different medications when it comes to treating MS and its symptoms. One of these is beta interferons, beta interferons are genetically engineered copies of proteins that occur naturally in the body. Just as there is not a lot known on what causes MS there is not a lot known about exactly how beta interferons reduce flare-ups and what long term benefits may exist but they have been shown to work well for many patients. There are two types of beta interferons, interferon beta-1a (Avonex & Rebif) and interferon beta-1b (Betaseron), all three medications are administered by self-injection. I am currently using Betaseron and have not as of yet noticed any improvement, of course I have only been using the drug for less than three months and I am sure it takes more time for the drug to begin working. There can be some small side effects, mainly injection site reaction and flu like symptoms; I however only experienced the flu like symptoms mildly and for a few weeks and I encountered no injection site reactions. Both types of interferons have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but only for patients who have relapsing forms of MS. Additionally interferons do not reverse the disease nor have they been proven to prevent patients from becoming permanently disabled.
Glatiramer is a substitute for interferons, and just as effective, that is also prescribed for patients but only those with relapsing-remitting MS. As with interferons Glatiramer is self-injected and can have side effects, these include shortness of breath after administering the drug and flushing.
The use of these medications is just one part of the Mayo Clinic’s treatment arsenal; they are used to specifically treat MS itself and not the symptoms of MS. In order to treat the symptoms of MS the Mayo Clinic employs the use of medications such medication as corticosteroids which are used to reduce the inflammation that occurs in nerve tissue and reduce the length of flare-ups. Side effects can occur after prolonged use, namely high blood pressure and osteoporosis.
To treat the muscle spasms or stiffening that many MS patients experience, the Mayo Clinic uses both tizanidine (Zanaflex) and baclofen (Lioresal). Both medications are taken orally and have their own specific side effects, tizanidine can often leave the patient with increased leg weakness and baclofen can cause dry mouth as well as drowsiness.
Many if not all MS patients experience one degree or another of fatigue, for me this is one of my worst symptoms and one I deal with every day. To treat fatigue the Mayo clinic may use an antiviral drug named amantadine (Symmetrel) or a medication used to treat narcolepsy called modafinil (Provigil). Both of these have stimulating properties which is what seems to help with a patients fatigue.
Additionally other medications related to specific symptoms that are experienced by MS patients are used as part of the Mayo Clinic’s management plan. Medications are used to treat such symptoms as pain and depression as well as bladder and bowel control problems. The Mayo Clinic’s patient management plan also includes physical and occupational therapies, meant to preserve independence, counseling, to help patients and their families cope with having MS and special therapies such as the plasma exchange procedure that has been developed by the Clinic’s researchers.
In conclusion, The Mayo Clinic’s multidisciplinary approach to managing diseases like MS provides an exceptional experience for those patients who are visiting the clinic. Thanks to researchers like those at the Mayo Clinic new approaches for managing and treating MS and other neurological diseases are leading to a better life for millions of people and their families.

James Bishop April, 2009

Multidisciplinary approach provides expertise in the management of neurological diseases!

The Mayo Clinic uses a multidisciplinary approach when it comes to the management of neurological diseases which includes Multiple Sclerosis. With the approach that the Mayo Clinic has adopted patients can be assured that their needs will be met efficiently and that there will be support all throughout the process. Additionally this approach allows for a patient to receive an accurate and timely diagnoses, this is important in order to create and implement a treatment plan that will begin to improve the patient’s life. The Mayo Clinic takes a two pronged approach when treating patients with MS, not only do they manage the symptom of MS but they treat the disease before symptoms are caused from permanent damage.
The Mayo Clinic uses several different medications when it comes to treating MS and its symptoms. One of these is beta interferons, beta interferons are genetically engineered copies of proteins that occur naturally in the body. Just as there is not a lot known on what causes MS there is not a lot known about exactly how beta interferons reduce flare-ups and what long term benefits may exist but they have been shown to work well for many patients. There are two types of beta interferons, interferon beta-1a (Avonex & Rebif) and interferon beta-1b (Betaseron), all three medications are administered by self-injection. I am currently using Betaseron and have not as of yet noticed any improvement, of course I have only been using the drug for less than three months and I am sure it takes more time for the drug to begin working. There can be some small side effects, mainly injection site reaction and flu like symptoms; I however only experienced the flu like symptoms mildly and for a few weeks and I encountered no injection site reactions. Both types of interferons have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but only for patients who have relapsing forms of MS. Additionally interferons do not reverse the disease nor have they been proven to prevent patients from becoming permanently disabled.
Glatiramer is a substitute for interferons, and just as effective, that is also prescribed for patients but only those with relapsing-remitting MS. As with interferons Glatiramer is self-injected and can have side effects, these include shortness of breath after administering the drug and flushing.
The use of these medications is just one part of the Mayo Clinic’s treatment arsenal; they are used to specifically treat MS itself and not the symptoms of MS. In order to treat the symptoms of MS the Mayo Clinic employs the use of medications such medication as corticosteroids which are used to reduce the inflammation that occurs in nerve tissue and reduce the length of flare-ups. Side effects can occur after prolonged use, namely high blood pressure and osteoporosis.
To treat the muscle spasms or stiffening that many MS patients experience, the Mayo Clinic uses both tizanidine (Zanaflex) and baclofen (Lioresal). Both medications are taken orally and have their own specific side effects, tizanidine can often leave the patient with increased leg weakness and baclofen can cause dry mouth as well as drowsiness.
Many if not all MS patients experience one degree or another of fatigue, for me this is one of my worst symptoms and one I deal with every day. To treat fatigue the Mayo clinic may use an antiviral drug named amantadine (Symmetrel) or a medication used to treat narcolepsy called modafinil (Provigil). Both of these have stimulating properties which is what seems to help with a patients fatigue.
Additionally other medications related to specific symptoms that are experienced by MS patients are used as part of the Mayo Clinic’s management plan. Medications are used to treat such symptoms as pain and depression as well as bladder and bowel control problems. The Mayo Clinic’s patient management plan also includes physical and occupational therapies, meant to preserve independence, counseling, to help patients and their families cope with having MS and special therapies such as the plasma exchange procedure that has been developed by the Clinic’s researchers.
In conclusion, The Mayo Clinic’s multidisciplinary approach to managing diseases like MS provides an exceptional experience for those patients who are visiting the clinic. Thanks to researchers like those at the Mayo Clinic new approaches for managing and treating MS and other neurological diseases are leading to a better life for millions of people and their families.

James Bishop April, 2009

FDA Approved Disease Modifying Agents

For this post I will be continuing my discussion on MS and more specifically treatments that many MS patients are currently using. At present time there is no cure for MS, however several medications and therapies are being used to modify the course of the disease, treat relapses or flare-ups, manage symptoms and to improve a patients function and safety. Used in conjunction with each other medication and therapy can greatly enhance a patient’s life.


FDA Approved Disease Modifying Agents:

· Avonex: Made up of the same amino acids (the major components of proteins) as the interferon beta that is naturally present in the human body, this medication has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with relapsing types of MS. Avonex is manufactured by a biotechnological process from a naturally occurring interferon and works to slow the accumulation of physical disability and decrease the rate of recurrence of clinical exacerbations. In controlled clinical trials Avonex has been shown to reduce the risk of the disability progressing, decrease the amount of exacerbations experienced, and showed that the number and size of lesions in the brain were reduced.

· Betaseron: Betaseron is like Avonex in that it is manufactured by a biotechnological process from a naturally occurring interferon. Betaseron is approved by the FDA for treating relapsing types of MS to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations. In addition, Betaseron has been approved for patients who have experienced a first clinical episode (clinically-isolated syndrome) and have features viewable with an MRI that are consistent with having multiple sclerosis. Both Avonex and Betaseron are taken by injection; however Betaseron is taken every other day while Avonex is taken once a week.

· Copaxone: Copaxone is a synthetic protein that stimulates the basic protein of myelin; the basic protein is a part of the myelin that insulates the nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain. Through methods not fully understood, this drug seems to act as a myelin decoy and keep the myelin-damaging T-cells from damaging the myelin. Copaxone is approved by the FDA to reduce the occurrences of relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. It is also approved for use in those who have experienced a first clinical episode (clinically-isolated syndrome) and have MRI features that are consistent with multiple sclerosis. Unlike both Betaseron and Avonex, Copaxone is injected every day.

· Novantrone: Previously only used to treat certain forms of cancer, the drug, which is part of a group of medicines called antineoplastics, was approved for MS and acts to suppress the activity of both T and B cells as well as macrophages which are thought to lead the attack on the myelin sheath. Based on findings from these studies, the FDA has approved Novantrone for reducing neurologic disability and/or the frequency of clinical relapses (attacks) in patients with secondary progressive MS, progressive-relapsing MS and worsening relapsing-remitting MS. Novantrone has not been approved for the treatment of primary-progressive MS. Additionally this drug is only used once every three months with a maximum of 8 to 12 doses total.

· Rebif: Like both Betaseron and Avonex, Rebif is a medication that is manufactured by a biotechnological process from one of the naturally-occurring Interferons. Rebif is injected as well however only 3 times a week. Rebif is approved for the treatment of patients who have relapsing forms of MS to diminish the frequency of clinical exacerbations and delay the accumulation of physical disability. The FDA has stated that “Patients treated with Rebif 44 mcg [micrograms] sc [delivered subcutaneously] tiw [3 times per week] were more likely to remain relapse-free at 24 and 48 weeks than were patients treated with Avonex 30 mcg im [delivered intramuscularly] qw [once per week].”

· Tysabri: Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody that is produced in a laboratory, its purpose is to hamper the movement of immune cells, that could be potentially damaging, that are in the bloodstream from reaching across the “blood-brain barrier” in to the brain and spinal cord. Tysabri has been approved by the FDA as a monotherapy (not to be used in combination with another disease-modifying therapy) for the treatment of patients who have been diagnosed with relapsing forms of MS to delay the addition of physical disability and reduce the occurrence of clinical exacerbations. Because Tysabri increases the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy it is recommended primarily for patients who have not responded well, or cannot take, an alternative treatment. Unlike any of the other treatments, Tysabri is giving by intravenous infusion once every 4 weeks.



These are just part of a larger plan of action when it comes to living with and treating MS. There are many other aspects of treatment that together make up a strategic treatment plan that works to bring a better quality of life to those living with MS. I am currently taking Betaseron which I inject every other day. After first beginning the injections I did experience flu-like symptoms which are somewhat common. However, as time went by the symptoms faded and now that I am taking a full dose I am experiencing no apparent side effects. I do not know how the medication is working or whether it is doing its job or not, some of my symptoms have faded somewhat, some have gone away and came back and some have gotten worse. I guess only time will tell.

I will be continuing this post with more information on treatments used for MS, including how alternative medicines can play a role in treating MS and the political news that may finally bring a cure to those living with MS.


Jamie

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

I’m sure at least some of you reading this blog do not know what Multiple Sclerosis is; well that’s what this post is going to be about. I will be talking a little about what MS is, what some of the symptoms are and what some of the current treatments are that MS patients are using.

MS is considered a chronic disease which attacks the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain, the spinal cord and the optic nerve. People diagnosed with MS can experience symptoms ranging from mild numbness in the limbs to more severe and debilitating problems such as a loss of vision or paralysis. These symptoms vary from person to person although most people do share at least one or more symptom. With MS, which is thought to be an autoimmune disease, the system which is meant to protect the body instead attacks the body, specifically myelin. Myelin is the fatty substance which surrounds and protects the nerve fibers that are in the CNS. Once the myelin is damaged scar tissue, or sclerosis, forms, additionally the nerve fibers themselves can be damaged. Once this takes place nerve impulses that travel between the brain and spinal cord can be interrupted or distorted causing the multitude of symptoms that can occur.

To explain this in more understandable terms you can think of the central nervous system as the electrical system in your house, the brain is like your breaker box, the nerve fibers are like all the wires running through your house and the spinal cord can be compared to all of your outlets. If that thick protective rubber coating around your wires gets eaten by mice then chances are when you flip on your lamp the electrical signal traveling to the lamp is not going to be received as intended, the wire may spark, melt or catch fire and the lamp most likely won’t turn on . Well this is quite like what those of us with MS go through every day.

I mentioned a couple of symptoms above however there are many more that can affect a person with MS. Fatigue is one of the more common symptoms that occurs in about 80% of all MS patients, this fatigue can be so strong that it can severely interfere with a person’s ability to function whether at home or at work. I mentioned the numbness that is common with MS and in fact it is often one of the first symptoms that a person will experience. This numbness can affect the arms, legs, feet, body and face. From personal experience I can say that, at least in my case, the numbness can get so bad I can’t feel my legs and feet and when I can feel them it feels like I am being poked with a million little needles. Another symptom is trouble walking, a loss of balance or coordination, so much so that it is not uncommon that those with MS are thought to be drunk when they are stone cold sober. Many MS patients suffer from bowel dysfunction while 80% suffer from bladder dysfunction. Dizziness is another common problem while vertigo happens somewhat less. Another symptom that is often one of the first experienced is vision problems, double vision, poor contrast, pain and heavy blurring can all occur. In addition severe pain, depression, sexual dysfunction, headaches, hearing loss, speech disorders, and itching can all take place. As you can see this is a wide range of symptoms and there are still others experienced by some people.
Well before I bore all of you with any more of this terribly exciting information I think I will end this post. I will pick up later with information on treatments that are currently being used and the good news from the political front that concerns MS.

Have a good day everyone.
Jamie




Jamie

A Little About Me: Continued

Ok, so on to my epic adventure. While in Michigan I started chatting online with the little known program called Yahoo Chat, yes I used to chat it up on there all the time, lol. Anyway I had met lots of very cool people on there and for quite a while there were a group of us that always hung out. One of those people is now my wife, Cherie. After getting laid off I decided to make a trip to Illinois to meet Cherie in person, I ended up staying and here I am today, married to a fabulous women with a fantastic step-daughter whom I cherish more than anything. Cherie and I married about two years after me moving here and boy what a time, I had family from Oregon, and Colorado here that I had not seen in 8 years or more, Cherie had all of her family and friends, Church, limo, reception, the whole works. Some time before we married Cherie had taken a job with a company called Career Education Corporation as an Admissions Advisor for Colorado Technical University Online. I know this is beyond unbelievable but shortly after she began working there I enrolled at that same school, hmmm funny how that works! It was just before this when I had my first symptoms of MS although at the time I didn’t know it was MS.

I was working as an assistant manager for a car wash in Joliet, IL and one of my duties was repairing all of the equipment and keeping the place running. During the winter, which it was, this could be a rough job, working out in subzero temperatures fixing broken water lines and such. Anyway during this time I started getting a numbing sensation in my hands that kind of felt like I was getting frostbite. After a few weeks it went away and I attributed it to my job. Well after starting school I took a new job, furniture sales, which allowed more time for school, it was about a year after working there that the numbness came back and this time moved into my legs and back. This time I went to the doctor and after a few tests was diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency, how wrong they were. It wasn’t until late December that new symptoms occurred, one day after returning to work after Christmas I started getting these very strange sensations in my head. It was like every neuron in my head was going off at once, throwing me off balance and temporarily basically stopping me in my tracks. They were coming in waves one after the other and made it difficult to function. I left work early and went to the doctor that day and started taking tests. One of the tests I took was an MRI which revealed abnormal brain activity which can be caused by MS. It can also be caused by several other things so a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, was done which verified that it most likely was MS. You see there is no real test that can say “yes you have MS” it is more a process of eliminating other things that could be happening. I guess the lesson learned here and one I hope you all take away from this brief history of my life is that whenever you experience something with your body that does not seem normal, GO TO THE DOCTOR!

Well folks that is it for tonight and for my life story. From here on out my posts will be more centered around what I am going through on a daily basis, in addition I will be posting a lot about MS to hopefully help educate many of you on MS. I would also like to start posting other peoples stories of living with MS, so if you or someone you know has MS and would like to have your story posted feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you. By the way I did graduate from College with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Information Technologies.


Jamie

A Little About Me

For this post I am going to talk a little about my background. I was born in Medford Oregon, which is where most of my family still lives, after living there for a few years, until about 2nd grade I believe, my mother and I moved to Reno Nevada. I was raised by my mom as my father left before I was born, I met him around age 20 and he claimed to not know about me but my mother swears he did, anyway, we lived in Reno until I was in 7th grade after which we moved back to Oregon to a town I still consider Home, Brookings. Ironic that a place I call home and love so much could be at least a part of how I ended up with MS, you see studies have shown that there is a higher rate of MS being diagnosed for people who have lived in Pacific Northwest than anywhere else. Of course no one knows why that is. I spent my teen years in Brookings more or less just like any other teenage boy who lives in a very rural setting does; I got in a little trouble here and there, did a lot of hunting and fishing, and enjoyed the summer days with my friends and family. As I mentioned, when I was 20 I met my dad for the first time. He was remarried and living down just outside Los Angeles and I moved down for a year with him and his new family. Unfortunately he had previously beaten colon cancer only to have cancer return. Colon cancer runs in his family, I actually need to get screened soon, in fact his brother and father both died of colon cancer. Anyway cancer returned a few months after meeting him after which I lived at University of Southern California’s hospital in LA with my step-mom and my half-sister while my father slowly died. After his death I returned home to Brookings, met a girl, went to work for my step-dad as a plumber for a few years until finally realizing that I CANNOT WORK FOR FAMILY, lol. I had a friend in Michigan, whom I had grown up with and gave a call to one day who said “bring your butt to Michigan”, so in fact I did. He just happened to be a cargo manager for a cargo airliner that at the time primarily shipped parts for the Big 3 automakers. He got me a place to live, got me a job and for a while things were beautiful. I loved my new job as a ground service technician for the airline. It was fun, it was exciting, it had great perks and it paid pretty damn good. Wow, I had a career, after just a few months there, not knowing anything about planes before I started, I became a supervisor on the midnight shift, several months later I became the supervisor on the day shift. I was moving up and moving up fast, my manager was studying for his pilot’s license and had it in the works to become a pilot for our company, USA Jet/Active Aero, the word was that I was going to be taking his place. Unfortunately the owner of our company had a heart attack on New Years in Vegas which lead to the V.P. of one of our departments taking over the company for a while. It was also around this time that Ford starting having problems with their SUV tires and sales slowed drastically, this lead to layoffs from which I should have been safe from however it just so happened I had really pissed off the V.P. who was now in charge earlier in my short lived career. So ends my stint in Michigan.

Alright ladies and gents, I think I am done for the night. I will pick up this fairly boring story tomorrow with “How I ended up in Iowa”, and folks, I promise you, it does not get any better, well until I get to how I ended up here in the suburbs of Chicago.

Until then, C’est la vie!
Jamie

Welcome!

Well hello and welcome to my blog, as you might already know from the title of this blog, my name is Jamie, well actually James but I go by Jamie, and as you might have learned from the About Me section, I have recently been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. What’s Multiple Sclerosis you ask, and why do I care? Well with this blog I intend to among other things teach you about MS and give you a little glimpse of what it is like to live with MS daily. As for why you should care, well maybe you have MS now and want more information on this very scary and debilitating disease, you could one day develop MS yourself ,God forbid, and be glad you read this blog and learned more about MS or perhaps you know someone who either has or could develop MS in the future, well, reading this blog would put you into the unique situation of being a friend they could turn to who has some knowledge of MS, treatments for MS, and how not only me, but hopefully others, who have MS deal with it on a daily basis. Of course in a sense we will all be learning together as I have only been diagnosed since January and am still learning much myself.


I hope you all enjoy reading this blog, learn a little bit about MS and help support me and my lovely family during these hard times.

Many Thanks,
Jamie