by Bazofts Revenge

Created on: July 02, 2007

It must be six years now since my wife started having problems with her legs. She had seemed to become more clumsy over a short period tripping over discarded shoes left by the door or tripping over pavement edges which she had clearly seen and had stepped over many times in the past. She had previously seen a doctor about pain in her knee and this was put down to a sprain due to an earlier fall! We as mobility worsened we were past along the medical chain, Physio's, Neurologists and then Hospital Specialists. By the time we got to the diagnosis part we knew an awful lot of things it could be such as Cancer of the brain or spine, ME, and MS and when the diagnosis came it was a shock and a relief at the same time. The shock part being that it was a condition that can eventually kill although this is rare (Most MS sufferers die from other causes). The relief came as MS is incredibly variable from person to person and the real Nasties such as cancer had been ruled out. Many people live for decades after diagnosis, Many also never need a wheelchair. It is unfortunate but understandable that well meaning charities show the stereotypical sufferer in a wheel chair to pull at potential cash donors heartstrings. I think I personally went through a period of grieving which lasted about 3 to 4 months. I was helped through some of this by a work colleague who had been in exactly the same situation a few years earlier. His main bit of advice was to remember to talk to my wife as often as possible whilst we still can as MS can unfortunately affect speech too. Work itself allowed the phone calls, Whatever time off I needed and flexible working hours.

Although long walks are now out of the question we can still have days out so long as journeys are planned so we know where all the toilets and seats are. We still have our shared loves of music and comedy and thats where I still see the real person who I fell in love with 15 years ago.

Memory is supposed to be affected too but you should see her in the Doctors telling the Doctor which pills she needs. She must be on 5 or 6 different types of tablet but she knows them all by their long names.

Please note I have referred to MS as a condition not a disease. A disease is something that is communicable where as no-one knows how or when MS occurs or starts to exist. It may be a disease, many think it is caused by a virus which lays dormant within the body and is triggered by stressful events or illness. It may also be in the persons genes. MS is not just one condition it is a collective term for a lot of conditions showing very similar symptoms. Therefore many people are diagnosed with having MS type symptoms. When the Doctors investigating MS can find the cause they can then set about finding a cure or at least preventing others from having to cope with this condition.

There are a few other conditions or syndromes misdiagnosed as MS one of which is called Hughes Syndrome or Sticky Blood. This syndrome can be alleviated with some very common prescription drugs and all that is needed to diagnose this are two blood tests taken a couple of months apart. Check this out on the web for full advice and talk to your Doctor or Physician if you need clarification.

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