First Time Post

[Wife of Rick]

MY NAME IS SHARON AND I AM THE WIFE OF A VERY SPECIAL MAN. WE WILL BE MARRIED 40 YRS THIS JUNE, HAD 3 BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, SADELY LOST OUR MIDDLE CHILD TO HODGKINS AT AGE OF 33 JUST15 MONTHS AGO.

MY HUSBAND RICK, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MS ABOUT 2 YRS AGO. WE REALLY DON'T KNOW ALOT ABOUT MS, DRS DON'T SEEM TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT IT EITHER.

MY HUSBAND'S DRAGS HIS 1 LEG. HAS WEAKNESS IN HIS LEG AND HAS BALANCE ISSUES. HIS MRI SHOWS LESION IN THE BACK AND BASE OF THE NECK.

I KEEP READING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING EPISODES, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS. HE HAS PAIN IN HIS BACK BUT IT HAS BEEN MILD AND DR'S JUST GIVE MUSCLE RELAXERS, BUT DOESN'T CONNECT THE BACK PAIN TO THE MS. HE GETS PAIN IN THE LOWER BACK THEN IT MOVES TO UPPER BACK. FOR THE PAST4 DAYS THE PAIN HAS BEEN QUITE SEVERE, MOVING FROM BACK TO HIPS TO SHOULDERS, ALL SEEMS NERVE RELATED AND I FEEL ITS ALL CONNECTED WITH MS.

I GUESS I JUST NEED INFO ABOUT SYMPTOMS HE IS TAKING REBIF INJECTIONS WHICH THEY SAY HOPEFULLY IT WILL SLOW PROGRESSION.

PLEASE ANY INFO WOULD BE HOPEFUL.

THANKS

SHARON


** Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[Thomas Jackson]

Sharon , My son passed when he was 11 yrs old. So sorry for you. People better than I will help explain the "No two alike" MS path. I waited till I was afraid to move due to pain before I told my Dr. "If you can't fix it , ease it". Don't be like me. Best Wishes

[Maxx]

Hi Sharon

I'm Randall and have had ms for 40 years (dx'ed in 1972).
Simply put the term "episode is a period of time wherein one's ms symptoms increase in severity.

Episode's (attacks...flares...episodes...pick a term, all meaning the same thing) can be brief things -a matter of days or they can go on for weeks at a time.

Sharon - I choose to describe my history with ms as one example of the behavior of ms over time. It in no way is it meant to be typical or atypical. It is what it is- the course mine took.

1.The morning of December 1 awoke to find I had no balance - crashed into the bathroom wall- the world is spinning badly and I hug the carpet for dear life - till mecclizine( a med to combat dizzyness) arrives - 30 minutes later the world stops spinning and I am totally bewildered.

2. fast forward one month -numbness begins in right hand and proceeds up the arm followed by increasing loss of strength - arm goes limp(useless) - arm returns to normal and today I will win most arm wrestling matches.

3. The next 28 years - life and career go on - dotted with attacks of varying intensity and length.

4. Enough already I take advantage of a long-term disability insurance policy I purchased in 1988 and retire.

5. 2005 a really nasty attack occurs and with the help of my wife of 55 years we manage to overcome. Employing sensible lifestyle rules is no guarantee but they sure don't hurt.

So here I am at age 73 - able to walk using a rollator and ---will summer ever get here !!
Maxx...aka Randall Young

[kkitten]

Hi Sharon,

My symptoms are similar to your husbands.

I was diagnosed 13yrs ago - had pins & needles in my right arm. I also had occasional loss of balance.

After about 3 yrs I began noticing my right leg was feeling heavy & I started to drag my leg. About 3 yrs after that I had noticeable foot drop & walked with a pronounced limp. My balance has a tendency to come & go.

I use a Walkaide device which stimulates the nerve at the back of my knee & helps lift my foot with movement.
I have a lesion at the base of my neck that seems to be the one causing the problems.

Because of my manner of walking I get back pain & neck pain & it accelerates my fatigue.

I haven't had any huge episodes that I can really recall - its has pretty much been a small thing getting more noticeable.

I do get spasms too - in my neck & back - lower & upper- that cause pain & they are MS related. Baclofen was originally prescribed which I sometimes take, but I have also used Valium & Tramadol. each medication has its own side effects so i tend to change a bit.

Anything else I can tell you just ask. I go to a really good chiropractor & I trust him implicitly - there are a lot I wouldn't though so its a matter of trying things out & researching. You are doing the right thing for your husband by asking questions so keep up the good job.