October, 2001
Meet the Phenomenal Mrs. B

We've all long since heard about "Mrs. C" (Mrs. Cunningham) on Happy Days. Now this Mrs. is BRANDI in Harbor City, who has Multiple Sclerosis. She is also caregiver for her husband Ron, who also happens to have Multiple Sclerosis.

How do two individuals having a disability such as MS meet? Ron, working as the West Coast Regional Patient Service Director the for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, was responsible for the coordination of newly diagnosed patients. Brandi, had been recently diagnosed in the High Dessert of California (by a traveling physician whose only concern was a monetary payment and not the welfare of the patient) came to M.S.A.A. in Beverly Hills and asked if she might become an unpaid volunteer. That was seven years ago. Brandi and Ron left M.S.A.A. and organized a new non-profit company to assist the handicapped, disabled, or accident-injured in the community. Ron and Brandi have been coordinating the newspaper, established in 1995, and it has grown in the handicapped community.

Each year, the paper, My Handi-Capable Reporter, also sponsors a holiday get-together whereby children in many local hospitals will receive Holiday Gifts and be able to partake in the festivities. This year we've expanded our annual event to include a Senior Citizen Nursing Home. You might ask why. This year we were fortunate enough to get involved with this organization and thought to ourselves, "thank GOD for this organization". We know that we're not ready for a Nursing Home but some of our readers already reside in one.

Let's be realistic, knowledge can never hurt one, but a lack of such knowledge might. Next year, we will highlight such facilities in the SouthBay.

Now lets get back to our main story

WHAT IS M.S. (MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which predominantly affects young adults during their most productive years. Genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to MS, but a specific cause for this disease. Pathologically, MS is characterized by the presence of areas of demyelination and T-cell predominant perivascular inflammation in the brain white matter. Some axons may be spared from these pathological environments. Disease begins most commonly with acute or subacute onset of neurologic abnormalities. Initial and subsequent symptoms may dramatically vary in their expression and severity over the course of the disease, that usually lasts for many years. Early symptoms may include numbness and/or parenthesis, mono- or paraphrasis, double vision, optic neuritis, ataxia, and bladder control problems. Subsequent symptoms also include more prominent upper motor neuron signs, i.e.,. increased spasticity, increasing para- or quardriparesis, incoordination and other cerebellar problems, depression, emotional ability, abnormalities in gait, dysarthria, fatigue and pain are also commonly seen.

"Remember, heat is to us, as cryptonite was to Superman:" RBoehm91.

Neurological findings, clinical observation, results of Magnetic Resonance Imaging , spinal fluid examination (presence of oligoclonal bands and/or elevated IgG index) and sometimes tests of evoke potentials constitute the basis for diagnosis.

Differential diagnosis for MS includes other demyelinating diseases of the nervous system, often of a viral or postinfectious origin. Among them are encephalomyelitis, transverse myelitis, as well as other immune-mediated conditions, which affect CNS, such as sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematous, Vitamin B-12 deficiency, etc. MS is classified according to its clinical course into several categories: benign, relapsing-remitting (the most common variant), progressive-relapsing, primary progressive and secondary progressive. There is no curative treatment available for the MS. However, a number of medications can be used to treat the diseasesymptomatically. Corticosteroids are medications of choice for treating exacerbations. Interferonß-1B (Betaseron.) as well as Interferonß-1a (Avonex.) are successfully used to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses. Copolymer 1 is now being investigated in clinical trials and also appear to decrease the disease activity. Specific medications are also available to treat fatigue, pain, spasticity, bladder control problems, etc. In the future, medications aimed at reducing specific autoimmune response, and, possibly, medications designed to assist in remyelination will help improve the quality of life of MS patient.

There are certain conditions that affect those with M S:

1. Heat
2. Any food containing aspartame
3. Non-activity