Phil and Macy

Phil and Macy

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Four types of Multiple Sclerosis

Recently there was an excellent website article about the four types of multiple sclerosis. Some of the types are very foreign to people because the effects of the disease are rare and uncommon. I have one of those types.

The following is a comment I wrote on that Facebook post.

I have Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Unknowingly I was afflicted with it since 1999. I was diagnosed in 2009. At that time I was walking with a cane. Since then I have I have progressed to a wheelchair that tilts and belts me in. My left arm no longer works. I can slightly move my left leg and my right leg a little too. My right hand and arm barely function and my thumb no longer works very well. Most of the time I can force my right pointer finger out enough to run my iPad. Some days I am able to log into my PC and use my voice recognition software.

This article is really good at explaining the different types of MS. My type is somewhat uncommon so people get the wrong impression when they hear I have MS. When I was first diagnosed I looked into all four types and read about Primary Relapsing. This seemed like a horrible horrible disease and worse than mine. Then I met Justin who has this type. He was diagnosed at 17.
Now it is no longer merely academic. I now know someone who is afflicted. My emotions range from anger to sadness. This is followed by more anger and more sadness. I hate this disease and I hate when young people are afflicted with it. I am in my 50s and have had many unaffected years. My children are raised to being adults. I’ve done most things that you would ever want to do. To find out there is a worse type of MS makes me want to cry out “help stop this disease”. Not for my sake (I am too old for any help to be approved before I’m in my 60s) but for young people like Justin!

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