International Multiple Sclerosis Month - May 2011
Melissa van Wyk* is a 35-year-old high school teacher from Port Elizabeth who kept herself healthy through daily walks and a sound diet. She always thought she had been very careful to take care of her health, so it came as a great shock to her when a year ago she suddenly started struggling to walk, even short distances, and always felt exhausted. She says it was like her legs weren't "listening to her brain". She decided to visit her family doctor immediately.
Melissa's doctor sent her to a neurologist who booked her for a brain scan. The scan was done later that week and the neurologist was able to use it to see what was wrong with Melissa. She had a disease of the brain and central nervous system called Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
A disease of the central nervous system
Melissa was in shock. She wasn't sure what MS was but she had heard it was very serious. The neurologist explained to her that researchers are not completely sure what causes MS, but they have an idea that it may be triggered by a viral infection. Some individuals are more susceptible to developing MS than others. It is for example more prevalent among people of European descent than those of African descent and more common in women than men. We also know that MS is not contagious, and it is not passed genetically from parents to children. The disorder is most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, but can be seen at any age.
MS attacks the myelin sheath, which protects the nerves within the central nervous system. These attacks can cause the flow of communication between the nerves to become interrupted and sufferers to go through periods in which they can feel they are losing the ability to control their bodies.
Possible early symptoms
There is a range of early symptoms that can be experienced and you should be sure to visit your doctor should you experience them. This is because early treatment can help to prevent flare-ups of the disease. Early symptoms can include:
A progressive disease
Doctors say the disease affects each individual differently depending on which parts of the brain and nervous system are attacked and how serious the condition is. In some cases it can be devastating, attacking the brain, spinal cord and nerves of the eye, causing a number of different disabilities. Some people experience severe fatigue and loss of mobility when the disease progresses. There are those whose illness progresses to the point where they completely lose their mobility and have to use a wheelchair. Other individuals are not so severely impacted by the disease and live normal lives.
Most people with MS get occasional relapses, each of which tend to advance the progress of the disease. It is a progressive degenerative disease, which means that it tends to get slowly worse over time. In between these MS bouts or flare-ups, sufferers may live completely normal lives without any deterioration.
A loss of independence
When her illness first struck, Melissa was concerned she may have to give up her work as a teacher because she found she was experiencing coordination problems and sometimes even had trouble standing. At one point she even had to ask for the help of her sister because she was having a lot of difficulty getting around at home. She said it was scary to lose her independence in that way. What was more encouraging, however, was the fact that the symptoms passed after a few weeks and she was then able to get back to her teaching, which she loves so much.
Treatment reduces the number of relapses
There is no cure for MS but a range of new treatments is available to treat the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. These are able to extend the time between relapses as well as reduce the total number of relapses and their severity. Some people respond to treatment better than others. Melissa is one of those who has responded well and has had no further problems since her first attack.
She says that she is not as fearful of MS as she was when she was first diagnosed. Her doctor pointed out that most patients with MS can expect to live as long as anyone else and with advances in treatment, many of those years will be productive and free of serious disability. Melissa has accepted that she is in a new phase of her life and prepared to face whatever lies ahead in her future.
If you would like to know how GEMS can assist you to obtain more information about any of your healthcare needs, you can contact the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and wellbeing.
*The member's name has been changed in order to protect her identity.
Sources
1. ‘Multiple Sclerosis', PubMed Health, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001747/
2. ‘Multiple Sclerosis', Multiple Sclerosis South Africa,
http://www.multiplesclerosis.co.za/site/?page_id=107
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