Hello, I am new here

[Multijo]

Have been diagnosed with MS for 20+ years. Within the last three years I have also been diagnosed with RA and fibro. I am married for 26 years with no children. I had a demanding and fun job that I could no longer do as of last January. We had to make significant life changes since I needed to leave work but we were luckier than many others in that we had been able to have a safety net to help us transition.

I had noticed I was struggling with work and life about 5 or so years ago but with lots of support from my boss and husband and using my vacation time strategically was able to work.
Social life practically stopped but kept hoping I would "bounce back" but I not only didn't bounce in the right direction I worsened. Got to the point I rarely went into the office (too hard) and I worked mostly from home. As soon as my last conf call for the day was over, I collapsed into bed so I could do it again. I knew I was not performing well but I kept expecting some rest would do it as it had in the past.

I was stunned that I was not having an MS flare and further stunned by my docs diagnoses. I was so overwhelmed even the 40 weight loss (which should have been a clue) didn't cheer me up. I found the world of multiple autoimmune diseases scary. I am no sure who or what info to pay attention to! I have since learned that multis are not unique; there are many out there.

I enjoy reading, history, puzzles(some), theater, traveling some place I have never been. I especially love my husband, friends, and dogs.

I have read but not posted this site and decided to put a toe in the water to meet you.

Mutijo

[Tia1]

Hello and welcome! Sounds like you have lived an exciting life and that safety net is major. Where is your favorite place to travel? What type of dog?

[Seasha]

Hi mutijo and welcome!

So glad you put your toe in our message board "waters" and hope you find these waters full of warmth and compassion. We are all here to help one another!

I'm sorry you have more problems to deal with. As if MS isn't enough. I know there are many others who have more than one autoimmune conditions here.

Your journey of 20+ years and struggles with your work and social life are all too familiar with me. I'm also fortunate to have the support I've needed along the way after almost 27 years.

Sending you lots of strength and healing energy - please take care

[hunterd]

WELCOME TO MS WORLD! I do not know what questions you have, but please ask them here. Our members are very kind, and quick to tell their experiences during differing situations.
having to leave the workforce is a very hard issue to overcome. I am glad you were able to successfully adapt to a new life.
Autoimmune diseases seem to run in at lease multiples, it is very commonto not only have one, but to have two or three. When trying to deal with multiple issues(I am also diabetic and have Reynard's and TMJ) it is hard to pinpoint the cause.
I wish you all the best!

[Multijo]

Thanks for the welcome

WELCOME TO MS WORLD! I do not know what questions you have, but please ask them here. Our members are very kind, and quick to tell their experiences during differing situations.
having to leave the workforce is a very hard issue to overcome. I am glad you were able to successfully adapt to a new life.
Autoimmune diseases seem to run in at lease multiples, it is very commonto not only have one, but to have two or three. When trying to deal with multiple issues(I am also diabetic and have Reynard's and TMJ) it is hard to pinpoint the cause.
I wish you all the best!

You are kind and I am glad I reached out. I spend a lot of my time coordinating my care. To keep my docs on same page I update a document for them about once a month or more often as needed. I am amazed at all the drugs for managing it all!!
Is that usual?

my husband and I were also moving toward the Wahl diet. However in the last two months we have been moving houses and our good food times has been spotty along with our exercise. We are only a few weeks away from being in a new condo which is very downsized and should free up time to focus on health.

my questions...is it usual to have such an increase in number of meds? Does anyone have other tips for keeping docs coordinated? Anyone have any input on the Wahles diet?

thank you

[Multijo]

The dogs

I forgot!! Our dogs, Lucy and Buddy, are Coton de tulear, the mascot of Madagascar I hear. They are still pups a bit over a year old.

[Poppy7402]

I loosely follow the Wahl's diet as I figure it's better than doing nothing and it suits my food sensitivity - gluten.

I eat my evening meal for breakfast as I have the whole day to work it off and by eating a sufficient amount of protein early in the day I don't have the evening 'munchies'. I'm also less likely to deviate from what I allow myself to eat.

Interestingly, I think my grocery bill went down when I started eating this way as I basically just stick to the outside aisles of the supermarket.

[Temagami]

If you go all out on the Whals diet, please transition slowly to the very low carb part- I went ketogenic too fast and ended up with a fungal infection due to altered pH levels. BUT- I agree with her gluten and dairy free approach. My go-to breakfast is a HUGE amount of chopped steamed broccoli rabe with a fried egg on top (the egg gets steamed as I put a lid on the fry pan). Be aware that many gluten-free processed foods are mostly nutrient-light and calorie dense. I would avoid GF foods in a box for the most part. There is research that gluten increases T17 production in the intestinal lining (at least at the rodent level) and that is the type of T cell involved in MS.

May your new abode be comforting and a place to call home.

[Poppy7402]

. There is research that gluten increases T17 production in the intestinal lining (at least at the rodent level) and that is the type of T cell involved in MS.

Any chance you could post a link to an article on this?

Many thanks


Poppy

[hunterd]

"my questions...is it usual to have such an increase in number of meds? Does anyone have other tips for keeping docs coordinated? Anyone have any input on the Wahles diet?"

I think that it is usual to have the increase in medications because there are so many symptoms to manage.
What I do that seems to help my doctors is that I not only keep a current list of medications and the dosage amounts, but also what symptoms they treat.

[Temagami]

Poppy,

A quote- Collectively, our data indicate that dietary gluten influences multiple regulatory T cell subsets as well as Th17 cells in mucosal lymphoid tissue while fewer differences were observed in non-mucosal lymphoid compartments. (google PMC3302844 ncbi nih to get the article)

[Poppy7402]

A quote- Collectively, our data indicate that dietary gluten influences multiple regulatory T cell subsets as well as Th17 cells in mucosal lymphoid tissue while fewer differences were observed in non-mucosal lymphoid compartments. (google PMC3302844 ncbi nih to get the article)

Many thanks for the above. Here's a link that may interest you -
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/crii/2013/248482/

The sentence in the bottom of para 3 in the Introduction.