An Introduction to MS

“Kya aapko paralysis hai? (Do you have paralysis?)"

As my mom and I walked towards the mall exit after a fair amount of window and grocery shopping, a young man in his early 20s whizzed past us. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned around, staring at us. He walked back to us and, pointing to my legs, asked me, "kya aapko paralysis hai? (do you have paralysis?)" Not believing my ears, I stared back at him. He repeated his question. Unsure how to answer, I replied, "Nahi, kuch aur… (no, something else...)” Smiling sheepishly, he nodded and hurriedly walked away. He must have asked this because of my strange way of walking - right leg straight as a rod, making a small semi circle every time I brought it forward, instead of bending at the knee when I took a step.

This incident took place in 2017 and I remember it like it was yesterday. It made me think...would he have understood if I had simply replied that I had MS? Would it have made any sense? Absolutely not! Even amongst  friends, relatives and acquaintances, I discovered that very few knew what MS was. And the very few who did, reacted with shock and dismay. And that’s when I thought I ought to write about it. 

Hi! I am Divya. I have Multiple Sclerosis and this is my blog about life with MS. 

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, as it is commonly known, is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS), which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. All our nerves in the body are covered by a layer made up of fatty substances and protein called the myelin sheath. Think of it like the insulation that is found around the electrical wiring in our homes. The myelin sheath is that insulation on the nerves. This allows  the electrical impulses or signals from the brain to be transmitted efficiently along the nerves. For a person with MS, this insulation is damaged, bruised or scarred in some places in the brain or the spinal cord. These areas are known as lesions.  Just like a wire with improper insulation can cause problems, so do these lesions disrupt the transmission of the signals from the brain and spinal cord to different organs in the body causing extreme fatigue, balance issues, movement problems, brain fog (aka cognitive fog or cog fog) — which is thinking, concentration, focus issues; bladder and bowel control difficulty. MS also affects the optic nerve causing vision problems.  Every individual with MS responds differently to each of the symptoms.

According to studies, it is observed that people living farther away from the equator are more susceptible to MS. It is a proven fact that more women than men are affected by MS. The ratio stands at around 4:1 and is increasing. As per the latest data provided by the MS International Federation (MSIF), there are approximately 28 lakh (2.8 million) people diagnosed with MS worldwide. 

So much for information about MS..I have tried to keep it general. While I have been toying with the idea of putting it all out there for quite some time now, the actual decision happened during the pandemic last year. While many were trying their hand at acquiring new skills, revealing hidden talents, brought on by the absence of cooks and house help, I was trying to handle my inability to contribute to the smooth running of the family's activities.

But, I must give credit where it is due. And that credit goes to two people.  Both ex-colleagues and friends, Hetal would always be after me to have my content in place and played the bully when I kept stalling (I have her permission to refer to her as such!!). Then, there is Ratna Prabha. She is an intrepid writer and a blogger. I consulted her on the workings of a blog, about which I had no knowledge (which I'm pretty sure is obvious to people who do blog!). She encouraged me to “pour my heart out”. While I worried over the technical aspects of having the right settings in place, she told me to “forget all embellishments” and concentrate on content!! (Ratty, I hope you approve :)) ) She has her own blog Stories Made Simple which makes for some delightful reading. Do check it out!

I hope to share my experiences with this disorder and offer some glimpses of my day-to-day life with MS.

Until next time.. goodbye!