Progressive Talk

By Doug Ankerman

The word “progressive” brings to mind images of broad, dynamic thinking.

Progressive is fresh.  Progressive is modern.  Progressive is revolutionary in every aspect.

Progressive was NOT me in any way, shape or form.

Just look at me as a kid.  Absolutely nothing progressive.  Big ears.  Big head.  Eddie Munster hair.  Shy.  Backward.  Sucked my thumb till I was eight-years-old.

My progressive aversion continued well into adulthood till finally being tagged “Secondary-Progressive” years into my MS journey.

It was the first-time I had been “progressive” at anything.

Though my new-found classification never bothered me because I figured I had had Progressive MS since day one.  I never experienced the ups and downs of Relapsing-Remitting.  It’s always been a gradual downhill slide.  Like the most boring roller coaster ride ever.  Like a driveway tilted just enough to let the rain run to the curb.

Having the label “Progressive MS” was no biggie to me because it is just that – a label.  Someone’s opinion.  A moniker.  A mark.  My hope is you feel the same way.

Whether your MS is RR (Relapsing-Remitting), SP (Secondary-Progressive), PP (Primary-Progressive) or CP (Chronic Progressive), it doesn’t matter.  MS doesn’t define you.  MS doesn’t limit you.  So don’t let it change you.

After twenty-two years I have come to accept my progressive MS…it’s my not-so progressive sense of fashion that continues to embarrass my wife in public…

But I LOVE my cargo shorts, honey!

All this progressive talk reminds me today, March 28th, is the first-ever Progressive MS Day, a day raising awareness for those living with the most debilitating forms of the disease.  You can help spread the word in your social media by using the official hashtag: #ProgressiveMSDay.

Join me as I give #ProgressiveMSDay a well-deserved sitting ovation.

Keep moving my friend.

*Doug writes about MS and other stuff on his humor blog at myoddsock.com, Facebook.com/myoddsock & on Twitter @myoddsock.

Share Button

MSAA Publishes New Booklet About MS Progression

Aside

We here at MSAA are pleased to announce another new publication, Understanding Progression in MS. This valuable resource is designed to help people with MS and their loved ones better understand what is happening when progression in MS occurs and provides a number of treatment options – from the newest approved disease-modifying therapy to symptom management and wellness strategies.

Understanding Progression in MS includes:

  • An overview of the background information and details of the types of MS
  • An overview of how progression in MS is thought to develop and how it is evaluated
  • Current treatment options, noting specifically how treating inflammation differs from treating progression
  • Detailed information on several prominent symptoms and symptom management
  • Strategies for healthy living with progressive MS

Check out this latest publication and view or order your copy today!

 

Funding for Understanding Progression in MS was made possible by Sanofi Genzyme.

Share Button

Me, Myself, and MS

By Marc Stecker

Beginning at the moment of diagnosis, people with multiple sclerosis face a rogue’s gallery of disorienting circumstances. The long process of socialization that starts when we are children never prepares us for life with a chronic, potentially disabling illness. Newly minted MSers often find themselves thrust into an alien landscape without the benefit of any maps or navigational aids, left to find their way through a haze of fear and confusion. The social compact which we are taught almost from birth – work hard, play well with others, and your rewards will be reaped – is smashed to smithereens by these four simple words: “You have multiple sclerosis.”

Among the countless aspects of life impacted by the MS are our relationships; both the external we have with others and the internal we have with ourselves. Several studies have shown that the divorce rate among couples with MS is significantly higher than those of the general population. Adding the responsibilities of “caregiver” to a spouse or lover can be too much for some to bear. Many friendships are held together largely by shared experiences. If a person with MS is no longer able to engage in their previous level of social activity, those attachments can fray and sometimes break entirely. Old relationships are often replaced by new – some of my closest friends are now other people with MS, who understand the complexities of this odd life without need of explanation.

Perhaps the most important and least acknowledged relationship affected by MS, though, is internal, the one a patient has with themselves. Facing the realities of life with a chronic and potentially debilitating illness forces one to reshuffle priorities, reorient and sometimes abandon long-held hopes and dreams, and ultimately grapple with who they are at the very core of their being.

Nothing defines the notion of mortality more sharply than being diagnosed with a serious illness. Gone are the illusions of invincibility that we cling to as we strive to climb the social pyramid. Patients with more benign disease may be able to keep up appearances, but deep inside aspects of life that had long been taken for granted are revealed to be not birthrights but precious gifts, subject to being yanked away by the whims of an inscrutable universe.

For the first few years after my diagnosis, when I was still able to work and socialize much as I had before the onset of my illness, at times I felt as if I was a covert agent, possessed of a vital secret kept hidden from the world at large. As my disease progressed and hiding in plain sight was no longer possible, an inevitable reckoning began to take place. I was left to confront aspects of my emotional history that had long been stowed away in the dusty recesses of my psyche.

When my accumulating disabilities forced me to retire, effectively bisecting the narrative flow of my life into “before disabled” and “after disabled”, I found it almost impossible to not look back and contemplate the roads not taken, the opportunities missed. Might a different choice made here or there have allowed me to avoid the trap of multiple sclerosis, or to have lived a richer life before the onset of disease? A question without answers, of course, but also a line of inquiry that begs for the illumination of self-awareness. As the Persian poet Rumi wrote, “the wound is where the light enters.”

MS led to my pondering the me who lurked within, stripped of the material trappings of my healthy life, which more and more became useless as my disabilities mounted. I soon saw that those adornments often served as a sort of camouflage, shiny trinkets employed to distract the overly curious, myself included. Who was I with soul stripped bare by the harsh realities of chronic illness, naked in this strange new world?

I discovered facets of my personality that had been long neglected and rekindled interests and passions that I’d almost forgotten existed. I recognized and then worked on abandoning self-defeating habits I wish I’d been cognizant of when I was well, behaviors that served no purpose other than to hold me back, then and now. I came to understand the power of forgiveness, extended not only to others but also to myself, and that absolving myself of past mistakes was far more challenging than pardoning the misdeeds of others. Indeed, kindness to self can be the hardest form of kindness to practice.

Oddly, I am more at ease with who I am now than I ever was back in my healthy days. And though I’m loath to grant any positives to my experience with this disease, it would be foolish of me to deny the self-knowledge and maybe even the touch of wisdom that multiple sclerosis has granted me. Although creeping paralysis is becoming an ever-greater presence in my life with each passing day, I am and will always be more than my disease. I’m not a unicorns-and-rainbows kind of guy, and I chafe at platitudes about the universe only giving us as much burden as we can bear. But I will say this: getting sick and eventually quite disabled has weakened my body, yes, but it has also strengthened the spirit within

*Marc Stecker lives with his wife in New York City. He was diagnosed with Primary Progressive multiple sclerosis in 2003, and started writing his MS themed blog, Wheelchair Kamikaze, in 2009. As the name of his blog implies, Marc enjoys scaring the bejeezus out of pedestrians on New York City streets by zooming past them in his power wheelchair. To date, there have been no fatalities.

Share Button

New MSAA Guest Blogger

Meagan Freeman

I am thrilled to join the MSAA organization as a guest blogger, and I would like to introduce myself. My name is Meagan Freeman, and I am a licensed family nurse practitioner, blogger, MS patient and mom of 6 from Northern California.

I was diagnosed with RRMS in 2009, after experiencing dense numbness of my right torso. This was numbness like no other I had felt, like my torso was not even a part of my body. I was in the middle of my Bachelor’s program in Nursing, working as a full time ER nurse, and a mom of 6 at this time. The diagnosis was devastating, and demotivating. Quitting school was something that I thought about almost immediately, and over and over for months. I tried to ignore those demotivating voices in my head. The ones that say, “you should just stop now. What is the point? Take the easy road, forget it.” I was halfway through my Bachelor’s program, should I quit? I was just going to end up in a wheelchair. Bedridden. Nonverbal. Just like my grandmother. What was the use of finishing school? What was the use of doing ANYTHING now? Images of my grandmother raced through my mind. My maternal grandmother was incapacitated in my memory, due to a long battle with progressive MS. These images were terrifying to me, and I pictured myself in that same state.I thought about quitting school many times, but fortunately I continued.

I finished by Bachelor’s degree in 2010, and began my Masters in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner program that fall. It was the greatest challenge I had faced since diagnosis, and I would not be allowed to take “short cuts” because of my MS. This was the first time in my life that I realized that my disease would not grant me any free passes. I would have to achieve and complete this program purely on my own, despite any illness.

An important lesson I learned during the 3 years of higher education I pursued as an MS patient was that we are capable of self -defeat. It would be so much easier to quit, right? On those difficult, painful, fatigue ridden days? It is so tempting to give in and take the easy road, and many people succumb to this path. It doesn’t require MS, either; many individuals find any excuse to give up and take the easy road. You must find that voice that encourages rather than discourages. Find that voice that will carry you through those days. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, so make the choice to be the hero of your own story. You have the ability, now you just need the psychological strength.

On my graduation day, in May of 2012, there was light. Spring, warmth, and brightly colored flowers surrounded me like a renewal, out of the cold winter and into the sun. Every detail of that day is frozen in my memory, never to be erased. The smell of the freshly cut grass, the slow march into the ceremony, the smiles. Like a wedding or the birth of a new baby, this was a day that would live in my mind for the rest of my life, though there was a sense of disappointment along with the accomplishment. There was a pre-graduation let down, and I knew that with the completion of this goal, I would need another. Yes, this was a successful endeavor, but what would be next? For now, I could not focus on anything but that moment. This was a day to spend celebrating, laughing, and feeling a sense of pure joy and relief. Why trouble myself with the future today? Today was a day just to be present.

After graduation, I began to practice in a primary care office as a nurse practitioner. I saw many patients during my day, managing chronic illnesses and performing physicals. I experienced the irony of being both a healer as well as a patient, and some days were not easy. I also began to write more frequently, which was always my lifelong passion. I started to blog, and it was incredibly therapeutic to get feelings down on paper. Today, I have the opportunity to blog weekly on my website, and guest blog for several wonderful organizations. I am happy to be able to pursue these things, and with the support of my husband and family, I hope to continue for many years to come.

Being the “hero” of your own story is the theme of most of my writing today, and I encourage every MS patient to think of life as a story that will someday be told. You have the power to make that story whatever you want it to be, so make it incredible, powerful, and positive. Make that story one that will inspire generations to come. You have the power to achieve anything and everything, regardless of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

*Meagan Freeman was diagnosed with RRMS in 2009, at the age of 34, in the midst of her graduate education. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner in Northern California, and is raising her 6 children (ranging from 6–17 years of age) with her husband, Wayne. She has been involved in healthcare since the age of 19, working as an Emergency Medical Technician, an Emergency Room RN, and now a Nurse Practitioner. Writing has always been her passion, and she is now able to spend more time blogging and raising MS awareness. She guest blogs for Race to Erase MS, Modern Day MS, and now MSAA. Please visit her at: http://www.motherhoodandmultiplesclerosis.com.

Share Button

Highlights from the 2014 American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting


MSAA News Update
Please read MSAA’s article summarizing highlights from the American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN’s) 66th Annual Meeting, which was held in Philadelphia and concluded in early May. Neurologists from around the world attended this exciting conference, where the latest findings in MS research and treatments were presented.

Topics highlighted in this article include:

  • Updates on approved treatments for MS
  • Study results on experimental treatments
  • Medications under investigation for progressive forms of MS
  • Pregnancy information for individuals taking disease-modifying therapies
  • and much more!

Read the full article on highlights from this year’s American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN’s) 66th Annual Meeting

Share Button

Comprehensive MS Research Update Now Available from MSAA

MS Research Update

The 2014 edition of MSAA’s MS Research Update is a comprehensive overview of the latest research findings on the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, as well as many e,perimental treatments. This update features ground-breaking studies not only with medications, but also in areas such as stem-cell research, therapies for myelin repair and protection, biomarkers, genetic studies, and more.

In addition to the e,citing research aimed at relapsing forms of MS, a number of studies are also looking into the treatment of progressive forms of MS. To assist individuals interested in learning more, studies involving progressive MS have been highlighted.

Read MSAA’s latest MS Research Update here.

Share Button

MS News Update – Highlights from CMSC 2012

Highlights from The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers’ Annual Meeting

MSAA has posted a new online article giving highlights from this year’s Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers’ Annual Meeting. MS experts from around the country attended this exciting conference, where the latest findings in MS research, treatments, symptom management, and patient care were presented.

Topics highlighted in this article include three new drugs presently under review by the FDA (teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, and alemtuzumab), while also giving the results of the Copaxone® study with lower-frequency dosing. The article explains the difficulties in understanding progressive forms of MS, presents the findings through different types of brain imaging, and provides information about a new study. Biomarkers, surrogates, and cognition are addressed in detail as well.

Read the full article on highlights from this year’s Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers’ Annual Meeting.

Share Button