MS Progressive Types: Primary Progressive and Progressive Relapsing

In the series of articles on Progressive MS for MS Central section of Health Central, the second one talks about Primary Progressive and Progressive Relapsing. It was published May 20. Here it is --

MS Types – Primary Progressive and Progressive Relapsing

Let's continue looking at characteristics of Progressive MS. I already talked about the different types of MS and focused specifically on Secondary Progressive. As this series continues, I will discuss research and clinical trials, medications, "a day in the life," and other topics relating to the progressive types of MS. Today the focus is on Primary Progressive and Progressive/Relapsing MS.

Remember, most MSers have Relapsing/Remitting MS (55-85%). Only a small minority of MSers have Primary Progressive (10-15%) and Progressive/Relapsing MS (2-5%). There is an information void for these types. That information can be confusing to the patients, and maybe even to the doctors who see so few cases compared to the other types.

(read more)

technorati tags: ms, multiplesclerosis, downthemspath, vicki, primaryprogressivems, progressiverelapsingms

MS Progressive Types: Secondary Progressive

In the series of articles on Progressive MS for MS Central section of Health Central, the second one talks about Secondary Progressive. It was published May 11. Here it is --

MS Progressive Types: Secondary Progressive

Secondary Progressive MS is the advanced course of Relapsing/Remitting MS. I recently talked about the different types of MS. Now I am looking at the characteristics of Progressive MS. As this series continues, I will discuss research and clinical trials, medications, "a day in the life," and other topics relating to the progressive types of MS.

First, Let's take a quick look at what it means to have Progressive or Chronic Progressive MS. Most MSers have Relapsing/Remitting MS (RRMS), so that is the type most people are likely to know a little about. Because the majority of MSers have RRMS, most information, including online articles and blogs, talks about RRMS. If a type is not specified, it is probably about RRMS. However, that leaves a void where Progressive MS is concerned. Because there is little information, many people do not know about Progressive MS, and that includes MSers.

(read more)

technorati tags: , secondaryprogressivems, chronicprogressivems, Vicki, ms, multiplesclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis - What Type Are You?

I have started writing a series of articles on Progressive MS for MS Central section of Health Central. The first article talks about the types of MS and their various labels. It was published May 4. Here it is --

Multiple Sclerosis - What Type Are You?

"Rose is a rose is a rose." ~ Gertrude Stein

A rose is a rose, but can we say MS is MS? After all, MS affects the autoimmune central nervous system, and that is true for every person who has MS. But after that it gets a bit murkey.

Just as a rose is identified by characteristics such as color, size and fragrance, so is each person's MS symptoms unique based on clusters, reactions, time lines, the course of the disease and any number of other idiosyncrasies. So yes, MS is MS, but not exactly. There are different categories or types of MS that provide us with some degree of understanding why symptoms of people with MS differ so greatly.

(read more)

technorati tags: ms,, multiplesclerosis,, typesofms,, Vicki,, relapsing/remittingms,, secondaryprogressivems,, primaryprogressivems,, progressiverelapsingms,, chronicprogressivems

World MS Day

Did you register yet? Join the world MS Movement. I did!

World MS Day is May 27. It was established by the MS International Federation and scheduled for the last Wednesday in May for future years. Register as an individual who has MS, who has a friend or family member with MS, or a group as a member of the MS Movement.

You can also register an event if you are planning an observation or you can donate to help.

Look at their map to see events near you or even other people who have registered.

technorati tags: worldmsday, msif, downthemspath,

"THE CAVE"

Paleolithic Bulls and Other Animals Crowd Calcite Walls at Lascaux, France

Poetry is so hard

without metaphor or simile.

Nature escapes me

Rhya’s earth, an illusion.

I rub my eyes and sigh

"You know no words".

What drives this need

to sit in quietness and pain?

What need at Lascaux

to picture deer and bull?

Just a bursting!

Ah! the humanness of it!

The rapture, when words were few.

V

What's the Dumbest Thing You Ever Heard?

Almost every disease or condition has an annual awareness campaign or a walk to raise funds. I know MS does. There are news articles, friends telling friends, and even television coverage. So much information is shared, yet we continue to walk and campaign to raise awareness. Hasn't the public learned enough yet?

Well apparently not. Julie Stachowiak found a survey by the UK MS Society to see how much the public knows about MS. Almost half - 40% - could not name even one symptom! Many confused MS with another condition all together. There is much left to learn.

Julie continues with a link to her previous post when she asked MSers about the dumbest thing people have said to them about their MS. These are good. Sadly, they are also familiar. Read them here.

I can relate. As I read through the comments, I thought of a couple I had heard.

• The week I was diagnosed, before I had a chance to make plans, a coworker asked me how long I planned to work. I told him I would probably go home around 5:30.
• When I thanked a woman for opening the door for my scooter and me, she said, "I wish I had one of those [scooter]. Sometimes I'm lazy, too." LAZY? LAZY, TOO?

Somehow, I think other MSers have heard things just as silly or insulting. Insensitive or thoughtless comments and questions are not exclusive to MS.

What have you heard?

technorati tags: , downthemspath, ms, multiplesclerosis, msawareness, juliestachowiak, ukmssociety, mssurvey, vicki

Requiem by John Updike

It came to me the other day:

Were I to die, no one would say,

“Oh, what a shame! So young, so full

Of promise — depths unplumbable!”

Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes

Will greet my overdue demise;

The wide response will be, I know,

“I thought he died a while ago.”

For life’s a shabby subterfuge,

And death is real, and dark, and huge.

The shock of it will register

Nowhere but where it will occur.

— JOHN UPDIKE