Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Holland RN EdD, Nancy, Murray MD, T.Jock, Reingold PhD, Ste [Demos Health, 2007] (Paperback) 3rd Edition [Paperback]

by Holland RN EdD

Multiple A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Holland RN EdD, Nancy,...

Genres: Medical, Health

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[DJ Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
I was diagnosed January 29th, 2004.
My Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is Secondary Progressive.
I live in pain everyday, but at least I am still living.

Excerpt from Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Nancy J. Holland:

"We do not know why one person has a progressive course of symptoms and problems, while another has mild disease that produces little disability throughout the life span."



Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord resulting in loss of muscle control, vision, balance, and sensation (such as numbness). With MS, the nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged by one's own immune system. Thus, the condition is called an autoimmune disease.

For me I lost the feeling in my hands about five years ago. I can feel pressure but sensations are difficult. It is like wearing thick winter gloves all the time! You would be surprised how many things you miss when your sense of touch goes. Knowing I had MS I prepared. I learned a little about Brail in case I went Blind, and Signing in case I went deaf, but never was I prepared for losing my sense of touch.

Autoimmune diseases are those whereby the body's immune system, which normally targets and destroys substances foreign to the body such as bacteria, mistakenly attacks normal tissues. In MS, the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, the two components of the central nervous system.

It took a few exacerbations (aka attacks) to fully realize what this meant. Knowing I was ill I tried to do everything I could to feel better. I took ever vitamin and Immune Booster on the market. BAD NEWS! No one ever told me that Immune Boosters and vitamin’s like Zinc were a trigger for most MS patients! Raising your immunity when it is already overactive makes for a horrific result! That is when I started having a bigger part in my healthcare.

The central nervous system is made up of nerves that act as the body's messenger system. Each nerve is covered by a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves and helps in the transmission of nerve impulses, or messages, between the brain and other parts of the body. These messages control muscle movements, such as walking and talking.

MS gets its name from the buildup of scar tissue (sclerosis) in the brain and/or spinal cord. The scar tissue or plaques form when the protective and insulating myelin covering the nerves is destroyed, a process called demyelination. Without the myelin, electrical signals transmitted throughout the brain and spinal cord are disrupted or halted. The brain then becomes unable to send and to receive messages. It is this breakdown of communication that causes the symptoms of MS.

Although the nerves can regain myelin, this process is not fast enough to outpace the deterioration that occurs in MS. The types of symptoms, severity of symptoms, and the course of MS vary widely, partly due to the location of the scar tissue and the extent of demyelination.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the condition affects approximately 400,000 Americans and is, with the exception of trauma, the most frequent cause of neurological disability beginning in early to middle adulthood. I was diagnosed January 29th, 2004. I was age 30.

Along time ago, as a child, I had a psychic tell me I would die at age 30. I was convinced it was true and lived like their was no tomorrow. Funny how we take things so literally sometimes. I didn't feel like I died when I was diagnosed, but sometimes I pray for death now that the disease has progressed.

MS is two to three times as common in females as in males and its occurrence is unusual before adolescence. It is however becoming more common with better detection technologies that are being discovered. A person has an increased risk of developing the disease from the teen years to age 50 with the risk gradually declining thereafter. I can recount the appearance of MS in my life way back to an early age. Even though I was not diagnosed until later in life. Hindsight is always 20/20.

No one is sure what causes the body's immune system to go awry. Some scientists believe that it is a combination of genetics and something in the environment to which the person was exposed to early in life. I am a BIG believer in the source being from either chickenpox (HERV-W Strain) and/or Chemtrails.

I only recently met my biological father. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may have appeared in his bloodline. It is known now that if genetic MS is more likely to come from the father's side then mothers. Thanks a lot dad!

Symptoms of MS vary from person to person and can change over time in the same person. The most common early symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness
• Decreased coordination
• Blurred or hazy vision
• Eye pain
• Double vision

My most prominent first symptom was my eyes. I developed Optic Neuritis causing a loss of vision and severe pain. I dealt with it for along time and didn’t go to the hospital until one day my hands felt as if they were melting through the keyboard as I typed. The first hospital I went to told me I was having an Anxiety Attack and sent me home with instructions to breathe into a paper bag! It didn’t take long for the second hospital to recognize what was really going on.

As the disease progresses, symptoms may include muscle stiffness (spasticity), pain , difficulty controlling urination or problems with cognition. I have all of this now. This is a good excuse for when my Reviews, Comments, and Blogs are off… LOL!

I was rather lucky when it came to my diagnosis. Just so happened that the intern in the ER the night I went in was a guy I had been talking to on a social network called Hot or Not?. He pulled me aside and told me what I had and that the other Doctors were not going to tell me because they had not gathered enough info. The next day I made an appointment with a neurologist and he too refused to give me a diagnosis without cutting me open!

That was it! I was determined to get a diagnosis then. I made yet another trip to another doctor where instead of saying “I need a diagnosis” I simply said “I have MS and need treatment”. I got an MRI and a diagnosis that day! Most people wait years to learn they have MS.

There are a variety of BIG Pharma medications available that claim to reduce the frequency and severity of MS symptoms. Some people with MS believe in them and stand by them 100%. Some drugs can also slow the progression of certain types of MS. The problem I have with many of these medications are while available in the United States they are outlawed in most other countries! They only work 50% of the time and often cause a reduced life span.

Because of this I advocate using Bee Venom Therapy. It has been a savior for me! When I started it I was in a wheel chair and now I parade around in heels! At least, on the good days. It is very important that we support research efforts with technologies such as Stem Cell Research so we can one day find a cure for this debilitating disease.

The authors of this book are not going to talk down to you, or sweet talk you into taking one medication or another, they are just going to tell you a little about what to expect and how to deal with it. I was happy to have a book like this when I got the news and you will be too when the shock wears off.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND This Book!

[Boxofdelights · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books about multiple sclerosis on the shelves, but this is the only one I found that did what I needed: it gave me all the general information that a patient would get from a good doctor.

I'm taking off a star for the copy-editing. You wouldn't try to manage MS without a doctor. Don't publish a book without a copy editor.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained some very helpful information to get me started on learning to live with MS. It also provided some references to other sources of information that may also be useful. The book could use an update as many of the treatments are outdated and there are many new therapies that are not mentioned, but it was a good place to start.

[Stella Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was living with MS for years before being officially diagnosed in 2021. I got annual MRIs, and I did not take any meds due to side effects. I had one flare up in 2021. My legs decided to a break, and I was numb from the waist down. I decided to try MS-4 from Uine Health Centre. The numbness and Muscle spasms went away after a couple of weeks, but it took almost 3 months to walk properly without a cane. In June, it will be four years without incident, and I am extremely happy that I made the decision to not take any meds and went for the MS-4 formula even though my neurologist got upset and one told me to quit my job because I will be disabled. Well, I am not disabled, I still refuse to take those meds, and I am doing just fine. Believe in yourself and go with your instincts. Doctors don't know it all. I’m surprised a lot of people with MS haven’t heard of the MS-4 protocol, I got the treatment from uinehealthcentre. com I am absolutely confident that this protocol offers a viable solution. I hope you find it helpful.

[Terrica Wisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 52 years old 4 years ago. The Bafiertam did very little to help me. The medical team did even less. My decline was rapid and devastating. It was muscle weakness at first, then my hands and tremors. Last year, a family friend told us about Natural Herbs Centre and their successful MS Ayurveda TREATMENT, we visited their website natural herbs centre. com and ordered their Multiple Sclerosis Ayurveda protocol, i am happy to report the treatment effectively treated and reversed my Multiple Sclerosis, most of my symptoms stopped, I’m able to walk and my writing is becoming great, sleep well and exercise regularly. I’m  active now, I can personally vouch for  these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you🧡

[Kimberly Foulger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I picked up upon my diagnosis of MS and I don't know yet how this disease will impact the rest of my life. I found that I was able to gain a sense of perspective and understanding from reading this and it put a lot of pieces in place for me. It will remain on my shelf and I'm sure I will go back to it from time to time. I was very thankful for the Canadian content that was also included in the book.

[Laren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read this from an MS patient perspective, so I can't comment on how helpful this book might be in that regard. It does give a good overview of what to expect after diagnosis, but is not the best starting point in learning about the disease because of it assumes you have a certain level of knowledge already as a result of a diagnosis. So if you are reading to learn more after a friend's or family member's diagnosis, you might be better off with a more generalized starter book.

I did find it interesting that it included a rather detailed section on adapting your personal financial planning to encompass your additional expenses. It made me wonder why other disease books aren't doing that too. So if you are a partner of a newly diagnosed person, this is probably helpful reading for you.

[Jamie Cottle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My neurologist gave me this book 8 years after I was diagnosed...i already new most if this stuff or lived through it. This is a great book for the newly diagnosed ( as the title states) as it has a lot of info that would let the reader avoid google searches abs freaking themselves out!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope you don't havbe to read this, but great if you do!

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives great information on every aspect of the illness. From the meds to alternative therapies, it is all covered. I loved the overview and it is a good jumping off point for more information for me.