I just got a call from an old girlfriend who thinks she has been diagnosed with this. First doctor sent her to a neurolgist to confirm.
Serious Question - Does anybody know anything about the disease MS?
by JWoods 16 Replies latest jw friends
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drwtsn32
My ex was diagnosed with this. From what I understand, it is basically an autoimmune disorder. The body attacks the nerves in the brain causing lesions (this is what they look for in an MRI in order to diagnose it). It starts off with relatively mild effects but those effects increase over time (usually).. to the point of causing someone to lose the ability to walk or even causing death.
Some treatments are available that may slow or almost stop the progression of the disease.
I may be wrong, I said this from memory...
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drwtsn32
BTW, I think many have MS and it never progresses to the point of them losing the ability to walk or actually dying from it. I did not mean to imply that it always goes that far.
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Meeting Junkie No More
Latest studies on this disease (from what I have read) seem to link it to a deficiency of Vitamin D during gestation (children with spring birthdates in northern hemispheres), probably among a host of other contributing factors. Supplemental Vitamin D probably won't hurt - get levels tested... also bee sting therapy (apparently helps many).
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sweet pea
I've known 3 people with the disease - 2 of them have it pretty bad and it seriously impacts on their life, the other one is in remission and lives a normal life - you'd never know he has it.
We were Noni distributors at one time and one of the above mentioned sufferers used to take it regularly and noticed a real difference in her symptoms. However, beyond the various elastoplasts for this condition, there is no cure.
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drwtsn32
also bee sting therapy (apparently helps many)
Uh, no... that treatment has been shown to be completely ineffective. And it has never been promoted by actual medical doctors.
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JWoods
Thanks to all.
Rhonda had an MRI and they think they see a lesion...this is why they sent her to a specialist. She was complaining that she had lost feeling and muscle response in her left hand. First they thought it might be a stroke, but now this.
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Meeting Junkie No More
drwtsn32 said: 'Uh, no... that treatment has been shown to be completely ineffective. And it has never been promoted by actual medical doctors.'
The fact that it has not been promoted by actual medical doctors is probably a point in its favour, imo. Some 'actual medical doctors' have a very vested interest in what they 'promote' and also in what they 'show to be completely ineffective'. I do not know of the severity of JWoods' friends' condition, but in some very debilitating cases, this therapy has been the only thing that has worked and users swear by it, despite the pain. Of course, such improvement and endorsement is always dismissed with the old 'anecdotal' evidence label. For the record, I am not promoting it; just mentioning that it is out there and can be investigated.
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drwtsn32
The fact that it has not been promoted by actual medical doctors is probably a point in its favour, imo.
Only if you believe there is a conspiracy in the standard medical community to keep people sick.
Of course, such improvement and endorsement is always dismissed with the old 'anecdotal' evidence label.
Yes, because if all you have are anecdotes and the results are not backed up by controlled studies, we know the treatment actually does NOT work. Humans are VERY prone to suggestion. That's why placebos "work" so well, especially the more invasive they are. You have to weed that out, and blinded, controlled studies are the only way that can be accomplished.
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Meeting Junkie No More
Ha, drwtsn32, you must be a doctor! It's ok - I actually like some doctors.
The good thing is that eventually, after listening to this 'anecdotal evidence' for several years, blind, double-blind and controlled studies are being 'considered' and from what I understand, already in the works re: the bee venom therapy. The problem with a 'placebo' issue, in this case, is that the placebo has to at least be as painful as the bee sting; a difficult situation to be sure. But the medical machine moves slowly, and I sense they are coming around...hallelujah!
The usual modus operandi, from what I have seen, is to 'promote' the hell out of something, e.g. hormone-replacement therapy, thalidomide, cholesterol-lowering drugs, blood pressure drugs, etc. to name just a few, 'backed up' by all kinds of glorious blind, double blind, controlled studies, and then when things go sour and you have a 'couple of deaths', do a recall, and let the still living sue for 'damages'. The conspiracy is not to keep 'people sick'; it's to keep the drug cartels in business, whatever it takes...and PROMOTION is the key.
Just my 2c!