Living with MS
Article about: ms, MS celebrities, MS treatment
Living with MS is somewhat akin to a constant roller coaster ride up one day and down the next. Depression with a twist, if you like. After finally being diagnosed 7 years ago and opting for Copaxone as my treatment of choice, I am no closer now to a “normal” life than I was when this all began. I must admit I am grateful for the so-called CRAB drugs and their availability to me, but I, like others with this malady, hope and pray for a better (non-injectable) modality which quite possibly will arrest, if not reverse some of the damage done to the myeline sheath by this devastating disease.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for those of us carrying the dubious distinction of being afflicted by MS, more and more celebrities are being diagnosed and publicly acknowledging their disease. This makes the likelihood of a new modality on the horizon that much more of a possibility. Once an orphan disease, MS is now pretty much main stream. Scary wouldn’t you say? From the very beginning, Montel Williams was my inspiration and I have to tell you, when he announced his “retirement” from daily TV I had a major set back in my depressive state. I thought “Oh no, he’s worse and can’t go on doing his daily activities.” I hope I am wrong about this, but after seeing him on many of the talk shows and one of the awards shows, it is clear to me that he is suffering the effects of the degenerative nature of this disease at quite possibly the same rate as I. Hopefully he will continue to be a force to reckon with; still attending senate hearings and pushing forward with his foundation so to find a cure for this monster and not give up as did Annette Funicola and ride off into the sunset in a motorized wheelchair.
As stated before, I chose Copaxone as my drug of choice even though it is a daily self injected toxin with horrid side effects (bee sting reaction to that of large scale welts the size of a small state) but lacking in the side effects of the other CRAB drugs (nausea, vomiting, liver enzyme depression, etc.). Unfortunately, the disease carries with it side effects such as chronic constipation or diarrhea (in my case constipation), depression, mood swings, gait abnormalities, numbness, tingling). I am fortunate, so far, to be able to walk unassisted and function somewhat normally, although I admit I do cry a lot and my mood swings make menopause look like a cake walk! I am also grateful for the support of my husband and son as they have seen to it that I am treated normally and don’t allow me much time on the so called “pity pot”.
Living with MS is no easy task, but it is bearable at the moment. Having been employed within the pharmaceutical field, I follow closely the drugs for this disease in the pipeline and hope each day that the one most likely to come to market next is my panacea. But, until that day, I live my life pretty much just like everyone else one day at a time, one step at a time, being grateful for the time given, not looking back but looking to a future free from MS.
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