# It Looks As If I Have MS **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680 "2011-11-02T20:32:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/21 "2011-11-03T16:40:27Z")
Sad news, but it’s the first step towards getting treatment. Medical science is making progress in this field, and hopefully an effective treatment for you will be found soon. A friend of mine is a nurse and is tangentially involved with [this area of MS research](http://mssociety.ca/en/research/meddmmo-bonemarrowstudy-feb05.htm). I think it’s fascinating; wouldn’t it be nice if it could be cured by an autologous stem cell transplant? Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/22 "2011-11-03T17:46:02Z")
Thanks! At least I know it’s nothing I did to cause this. Diet, exercise, not smoking, not drinking, none of that would have made a difference. So I think I’ll have a cigar and a Newcastle 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/23 "2011-11-03T19:48:07Z")
I am sorry to hear your news. Wishing you the best. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/24 "2011-11-03T20:42:09Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Thanks! > > At least I know it’s nothing I did to cause this. Diet, exercise, not smoking, not drinking, none of that would have made a difference. > > So I think I’ll have a cigar and a Newcastle 😃 Enjoy - cheers! Not knowing is worse than knowing, for me, so I understand your reaction. Good luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/25 "2011-11-03T21:58:11Z")
Thank you. Thank you all. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/26 "2011-11-04T01:40:56Z")
Now that you know, **BMalion** , you can go on to treatment. Until earlier this year, my sister worked in drug trials for MS. There are some pretty amazing drugs out there. I also have some friends who don’t let it stop them. One is ex-military, just published her first book, and is currently out on a book tour. The cure may not be out there yet, but the treatments…yeah, they’re there. Be aggressive with finding treatments, and have fun living your life. Best wishes… -D/a ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/27 "2011-11-04T01:45:03Z")
I will! I may not walk well, and I might trip and fall, but I’m not going to slow down, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/28 "2011-11-05T04:34:18Z")
So sorry to hear the bad news, **BMalion** , but glad you’re taking it well. And your symptoms could certainly be worse, so I’m sure you’ve counted your blessings. And just think: someday you could become President!: [Jed Bartlet - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Bartlet) ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/29 "2011-11-05T05:34:03Z")
I don’t even know what to say. I understand the jangly, not-able-to-control what’s going on. But for me those periods were brief. I had a great friend in my writing group who had MS. Sometimes he came in using a cane, sometimes not. He was very intelligent, intuitive. I think he had the same spirit as you. Take heart. All is not lost. People care. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/30 "2011-11-05T11:45:20Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > I don’t even know what to say. I understand the jangly, not-able-to-control what’s going on. But for me those periods were brief. > I had a great friend in my writing group who had MS. Sometimes he came in using a cane, sometimes not. He was very intelligent, intuitive. I think he had the same spirit as you. > Take heart. All is not lost. People care. Thank you. I’ve been using a cane for the last 2 years, I hope I can avoid the walker for awhile. I don’t know about president, how about Lord High Executioner? ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/31 "2011-11-05T16:38:38Z")
My wife has secondary progressive MS, so I’m very sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Hopefully you have the relapsing-remitting kind and one of the drugs will do the trick for you and keep the flare-ups to a minimum and your quality of life as high as possible. Within the first year of my wife’s diagnosis she did half of her lifetime dosage of Novantrone to slow what was a fairly rapid progression (even though this is a heavy-duty anti-cancer drug, she said while she was one it was the best she’s felt), she is on Rebif and receives prednisolone infusions once per month in an attempt to keep the progression down; so far, it’s worked pretty well. She is getting a little weaker over time, but is still able to move around some. The lesions are not increasing in number by very much year-over-year. Her primary symptoms are fatigue, some spasticity from time-to-time, and a general inability to feel her arms and legs. Even with the last she’s retained her ability to walk, likely due to large muscle memory. She uses a rollator (a walker with a seat) on the rare occasions she leaves the house, but tires so easily that it’s not something she does very often, as she gets exhausted just getting cleaned up. > [@](#): > > MS runs in my family. My dad and one of his sisters has it. I have a fear that one day I’m going to discover I have it. I’m almost 33, but my dad wasn’t diagnosed with it until he was in his late 40s, IIRC(he’s 60 now.) To the best of my knowledge, there’s no familial component to MS. Keep us abreast of the situation, and best of luck! ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/32 "2011-11-05T17:08:18Z")
> [@ptr2void](#): > > To the best of my knowledge, there’s no familial component to MS. There is, but it’s complicated by environmental factors. If a first-degree relative has it, you have a 4% chance of getting it. If your _identical twin_ has it, you have only a 40% chance. High enough not to be random, but low enough to be clear that genetics is not all that’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/33 "2011-11-05T17:22:10Z")
> [@ptr2void](#): > > To the best of my knowledge, there’s no familial component to MS. > Keep us abreast of the situation, and best of luck! From [here](http://www.msfocus.org/causes-multiple-sclerosis.aspx) > [@](#): > > While MS is not believed to be a hereditary disease, having a family history of MS(particularly in a parent or a sibling) does make a person more likely to develop it. In a family in which one parent has MS, the risk that their children will develop the condition is estimated to be between 2 and 5 percent. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/34 "2011-11-05T17:48:26Z")
Sorry to hear about this. I too hope that the treatments will be a help to you. ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/35 "2011-11-06T15:34:34Z")
Ah, I see. There just has to be an environmental component to it. My wife blames it on her multiple trips to the Far East. 😉 I don’t believe anyone else in her family has a history of MS, and most of her relatives lived to ripe old ages. Thanks for the learning! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/36 "2011-11-07T01:04:05Z")
It took everything I had just to take the trash to the curb.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/37 "2011-11-07T01:26:23Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > It took everything I had just to take the trash to the curb.☹ But you did it. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/38 "2011-11-07T01:45:52Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > But you did it. > -D/a True, thank God. That’s a comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/39 "2011-11-07T17:35:11Z")
I have MS with very similar symptoms as yours. My treatments of Ampyra and Rebif have (so far) been very successful. Insurance has been a bear. Fell free to PM me for my e-mail if you need someone to talk to. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680/40 "2011-11-07T18:04:53Z")
> [@Reloy3](#): > > I have MS with very similar symptoms as yours. My treatments of Ampyra and Rebif have (so far) been very successful. Insurance has been a bear. Fell free to PM me for my e-mail if you need someone to talk to. Thank you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-looks-as-if-i-have-ms/601680.md?page=3)