TexOP - Randall
aka Maxx

Chat Host

In 1972, I was working smack in the middle of the computer revolution at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). We were the hot ticket of the emerging mini-computing industry as far back as 1970. Success came easy and so did promotions in such an exploding industry. We grew quickly to over 100,000 employees. And I had a secure job in the "spook" side  of DEC.

So when DEC offered a long-term disability policy- in my infinite wisdom I declined the offer. Due to a lack of response the plan was offered once more three months later.

This time I said "what the heck" tis only $7.50 a week. And there was no medical exam required !

Often times, after the fact, we can see things we didn't recognize at the time. Life was good and I was very healthy, I thought.

Enter multiple sclerosis.

My first sign of MS, unbeknownst to me at the time, was muscle weakness in my right arm and a tendency to cramp up when jogging. 

Perhaps a year later, at 34, I awoke with double vision to the right and normal vision to the left.  Prism lenses solved the immediate problem, and in 30 days my vision returned to normal. The eye doctor attributed the episode to some unknown virus.

About six months later I awoke with a slight tingle in my right thumb. This irritant became very significant and evolved into full scale numbness of the thumb and then the entire right arm! This too lasted about thirty days.

I still vividly remember taking warm up grounders at third base, and being amazed at how well I could throw and a few days earlier I couldn't even lift the arm.

I decided to find a neurologist who, upon hearing my story, concluded I had MS. He told me we could do a spinal tap but there was no known cure for MS or medication. He suggested we just be aware of odd happenings.

Next came numbness in both hands and weakness.  The disease then seemed to mellow out -perhaps a period of remission and I got on with life.  VERY slow progression occurred over the next several years.   

About this time along came this marvelous thing called an MRI that revealed three lesions in my brain. Thus confirming the 1972 diagnosis.

I continued working until 1991, when I could no longer work an entire day. The long-term disability policy kicked in and on the third day of every month for the next 10 years a check, just shy of my exit salary was electronically deposited in my banking account.

Could I urge all working MSers to look into long-term disability insurance?

And now, back to the future - it looks bright to me. The wife (of fifty years) has hung in there through all the ups and downs.

Randall.........well maybe Maxx...........or TexOP

Email me:  texOP