MS as seen thru Redman's eyes

[COPAXUSER]

Greetings everyone.....sgeno in seneca haudenosaunee,to you all...

My name is jeff and Iam new on here; so... but with creators help my heart will tell you my journey with ms as difficult a one as any i know of.

I was DX in 1976, however looking back symptoms were coming in late high school years....at the time i was hoping to make the olympic team in track.I was born to run .Then one day things came to a grinding halt...my body would not respond anymore.A few years went by with more problems...i do not think even the old ones who had gone before me could help...but somehow they did...i was rushed to ER with a dx of a brain tumor only to discover thru the late pres. kennedys neuro that i had ms

...I had never been so ill before.I started on acth with a shunt in my arm and steroids and such....In time i got a bit better with tons of therapy..learning to walk speak and just relearn everything like a new born...

Years passed but MS came on stronger... more tests more meds more therapy etc..then walkers canes and a wheelchair...i fought to walk even with braces..i was doing a bit better when on top of the MS a driver on a cell phone hit me broadside and cracked my neck and my spine...i had metal plates put in.. fusion from a donor on my spine and more..im wracked with depression and am treated for ptsd as well...AT one point i was on 25 meds plus avonex before that beta and later to copaxone.

My vision is bad in my right eye the most and my left side always feels like electric current or bugs are on me or thru me the pain between the ms and the injury is un bearable one. Each day i wake to thank creator for given a new day a new set of challenges, knowing full well what im up against.

When i can i rehab injured eagles and hawks not far from where i live. I ts very hard for my wife to understand ms esp when you have your limbs and such but they dont work most of the time...i keep my pain inside as i was taught long ago. I was an artist, jewelrymaker and craftsman esp for the first nations indian communities. I use what works that day and again give thanks for a new day..

May we speak again soon my family...this is all i have to say..and may the 4 sacred winds secure all of your walks!!! My MS is very much advanced but my faith in creator has made me a better person and my heart has advanced even farther
your friend
redman
jeff

*** Moderator's note - post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many members have difficulty reading large blocks of text. ***

[cocogirl]

Redman, welcome to MSWorld. You sound very strong in your fight. I have had many Cherokee, Choctaw, Pawnee, friends having grown up in OK. They were all very strong people as I sense you are too. I am 1/16 Tuckaho. My dad is such a strong man and that is where I think my determination has come from. Tuckaho's are a offshoot of the Cherokee tribe and Algonquin tribe.

I pray that you find the people to talk to here. I am so sorry for your pain from the accident you had. Your wife has a hard time with dealing with what really is not seen most of the time in MS patients. I know that didn't come out right but how can our loved ones understand what we don't really understand thoroughly.

You might enjoy going to the chat rooms. I do not go there but I have heard many say that they enjoy the one on one.

May you be blessed in the life your are given.

[jazzgirl]

Very nice to meet you, Redman.

[KoKo]

Hello Redman Jeff

Thank you so much for sharing your story - you certainly have been through more than I could ever imagine.

You are an inspiration, as your faith in the Creator doesn't seem to falter, even after all the setbacks.

You are truly special to rehab injured eagles and hawks, when you are also injured. That is love and unselfishness at it's finest!

We're glad you joined us and look forward to seeing you around here

Take care,
KoKo

[DancingPhalanges]

Welcome friend. Glad you found us, and I look forward to getting to know you.

Oh and it's soooooooo cool that you rehab eagles and hawks. I have a bit of an obsession...

[COPAXUSER]

Thank you my new family

I would like to share my heart and send my love to all who have welcomed me with open arms and i can tell you all walk in good way[native slang]i wish to speak to you all as my heart has plenty of room to listen and my ears have the time to hear.

Let us walk together if only in spirit my family...yes thats what i consider you all...my family..much to tell and even more to learn...i am most glad to have met you as it is no accident but creators way of putting the right people in your path.Iconsider the letters ms meaning My Song!

with much love your brother redman jeff

[nightflyer]

Hi Redman

Are you native american...Iroquois maybe? Just curious...how would I know...I'm Scandanavian...lol! Just wanted to say hello and welcome!

[COPAXUSER]

Sgeno to Snuzzer

Greetings my brother....yes i am Seneca Haudenosaunee...or onodowa gah ni...geny ha de eh...The term Iroquois comes from the French...we call ourselves the LongHouse people or Haudenosaunee...born of the Turtle Clan...I come to you as the great.... grandson of Sachem Cornplanter ,leader and chief of the Iroquois Confederacy...who gave to the U.S. its form of govt we all call democracy now...the Constitution written up by Madison,is actually the exact way we have governed for long time.He wrote it up , but we did the work long time ago. I hope this helps
redman

[COPAXUSER]

To Sparky10

Greetings Sparky10

Hope this day finds you well...YES MS is usually uncommon among ist nations people, however most of the northeastern tribes were mixed to build their nations/tribes back up,so that is where the genes etc play a role....also MS is found highly in the cold regions of the world and the top of the U.S. and Canada gets beyond frigid..Waiikon Takon is the great ...grandson of the great chief.Does it bother you i mention my blood and heritage....i did so merely to explain who i am.


I thought this was a place for all to meet and learn who suffer from MS....I question no man or think racism, because he is different in color of skin or religion...rather the heart he carries..My home is open to all and so is my heart.....i pray this answers your question and opens your heart
redman

[Tawanda]

Hi Jeff!
Nice to know you.

I don't think Sparky meant anything disrespectful in any, way, shape or form. M.S. sucks no matter what you are or where you came from. It is nice to have a place like M.S. world where we can all discuss our disease with people who really and truly "get it".

My spouse has never exactly been with "the program" either, so I stopped worrying about it. If things were reversed, who knows how we would react to our spouses' having M.S.? It's hard on everyone, and we all just have to muddle through it as best as we can, I guess.

[Sequoia]

I thought this was a place for all to meet and learn who suffer from MS.

Welcome, redman!

This is indeed such a place. I'm sure nobody meant to question who you are, or to exclude you in any way.

I'm 1/16 Hunkpapa myself and very proud of that part of my heritage. It's good to make your acquaintance.

[onlyairfare]

Southeastern US tribes were also mixed with first nation/Indians and Europeans.

I am 1/8 Cherokee, because my Cherokee great-grandmother married a white man and thus managed to stay in North Carolina instead of being forced out to Oklahoma on The Trail of Tears because of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Many lives were lost, and for some the way to survive was to marry out and look/act white.

Redman Jeff, thank you for speaking out on your (our) heritage. We don't always learn in school that the democratic tradition originated with the Longhouse people, or the Iroquois Confederacy. I did not learn about that until I went to college in upstate New York, where first nation tradition and history is much stronger than in Virginia, where I had 5th grade US/Virginia history that taught all about George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.

However we got here, here we all are with MS as one of our common links.

[COPAXUSER]

To Sparky10

Thanks for your reply....I dont know this person as i had to google up as well.Interesting enough tho, your post to me now appears on the internet after i googled up where full access was gained upon clicking upon it...those and these posts are for us here with ms not the world to see..i see there is no privacy only free entry into our site..

I have ms plus suffered from an auto wreck and severe depression and more...i never expected this i only came for help and friendship...my nerves are very bad i think ill take my meds and shot early
red