Symptoms and Types of MS

“Come fast! Fast!! Quick... quick!!”

“Hurry up, will you?!?!”

Words of advice? Never say these words to somebody who has MS. Not because they might get offended, but because they just cannot be fast or hurry up… for anything! Be it to catch something from falling down, or doing a quick turn to head back to complete a missed chore or simply if he/she has to go to the loo!! (And that particular activity takes up most of their time in a day-and night-because of the sheer  number of times they have to do it!)  Words like ‘fast,’ ‘quick’ or ‘hurry' have no place in an MSer’s vocabulary. They can only move at one pace. Imagine a three legged stool with one leg wobbling. It will most certainly fall, isn't it? That's how it is for someone with MS, one has to balance the whole body on just one leg, with the other not offering much.. So every move is a fight against trying to avoid falling and staying upright. In such a scenario, there is no question of trying to walk fast, ever. And that’s why the blog name. It clearly describes my way of walking; a few small steps interspersed with long pauses in between to catch my breath.

Fatigue is a very common symptom of MS. There are many more symptoms of MS, some of which even I have discovered only recently. The lesions in the brain, in the spinal cord and in the optic nerve cause inflammation and these then affect concentration and focus; cause bladder and bowel control difficulties, muscular spasms, tremors, vision distortions and loss of vision in extreme cases.

I have lesions in all three, and that seems to be the pattern for almost everyone with MS. What differs in each person is the number of lesions and the area affected .

MS has 4 types: 

1. Clinically Isolated Syndrome or CIS - This is the first episode of symptoms seen because of the inflammation and lesions.
2. Relapsing Remitting Multiple sclerosis or RRMS - Most people affected with the disorder have this type. Here, they have attacks of symptoms (relapses) followed by periods of recovery (remissions).
3. Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis or SPMS - People with RRMS eventually move to this type. Here, there are no relapses or remissions but a steady march of the symptoms. 
4. Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis or PPMS - About 10% of people with MS have this type. Here, the disorder steadily gets worse with time with little or no remissions.

From RRMS, I have moved on to SPMS. 

There is no known cause for MS and no known cure. Genetics as well as environmental factors are thought to cause MS.  Another belief is that it is a result of virus infections during childhood. Yet another theory attributes MS to the presence of parasites in the body. There is a huge amount of research going on, but that is material for some scientific journal write up.

 But, the picture is not all bleak and I cannot end this blog post without a mention about them. There are many individuals who have reversed their MS symptoms through changes in diet and lifestyle and through exercise. When you think of it, isn't that responsible for practically everything that happens to our bodies… and yet how many of us actually give the body the care it truly deserves?? Think about it and you will realize how much we take our bodies for granted, using and abusing them as per our whims. It is time to start caring. Your body is talking to you, all the time. You just need to listen.

Until next time.. goodbye!