By Keith Myers/For Healthy U In many ways, multiple sclerosis (MS) is an invisible disease. Unless someone is in the midst of an attack you would never know they had it. However, for that individual and their loved ones, it is all too visible.
"I had just turned 44 when I was diagnosed with MS in 1996," said Las Cruces resident and ambassador for the National MS Society, Sandy Moulton. "I owned my own business, Moulton's Dive and Travel, in Elephant Butte."
MS typically attacks people in the prime of their life, between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as two and as old as 75 have developed it. Women are 70 percent more likely to get it then men.
"In July of 2007 I was diagnosed with MS. The first symptom was blindness of my right eye, followed by fatigue and muscle pain," said Viry Ramirez, Las Cruces resident and El Paso MS Self Help Group team leader. "I started on a daily injection of a medication called Copaxone and the symptoms were reduced."
It can strike anyone, the cause is not known and there is no cure. "People with MS live through a sequence of relapsing and remitting attacks," said Maggie Schold, Development Director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), Rio Grande Office in Albuquerque.
"An attack can be fairly minor or very severe: including vision issues, extreme fatigue, paralysis through one side or the whole body, or complete blindness," said Schold. "For most people an attack will come and go away over time. It could be a couple days, a few weeks or months. When everything settles down you're never sure if your full physical abilities will return."
Cannot be foreseen
No one knows when the next attack will occur, how long it will last or how much of their abilities will be left when the attack is over. The progression, severity and specific symptoms of the disease cannot be foreseen. MS is so devastating because it is so unpredictable.
"In New Mexico and El Paso, nearly 3,000 people live with MS," said Schold. "Our goal is to raise funds for MS research and provide programs and information locally and throughout the state. We serve all of New Mexico and El Paso."
According to the NMSS Web site, "Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue."
"The easiest way to explain it is the brain not properly communicating with the body, it is kind of like getting unplugged," said Sandy Moulton. She was forced to give up her business and move back to Las Cruces but unable to work full time because of MS.
"I was too good at what I did because they would always want me to work full time but I couldn't handle the stress level and that would exacerbate my MS symptoms," Moulton said.
"I think I was in denial for about 10 years, but when I started going to group meetings it was one giant pity party and I couldn't go there," said Moulton. "I finally realized that God put me on this earth for a purpose, to help people with MS, and trying to live an example that, if I can do it, they can too."
MS Awareness Week is March 8-14 with the goal being to raise awareness about the disease and try to provide information and resources to those who have it.
Overcoming the fear
"In August of 2008, I started having symptoms of MS again; the attack finally came on September 17, 2008," she said. "My body started to get numb, I lost my balance, my left eye got crossed towards my nose and I lost hearing in my left ear which caused me to bump into everything. It was just too much...
"One day I asked God to take me; I wanted to end it all with this hurt. Instead, he gave me strength to go on and overcome all my fears. My body started coming back to normal but what didn't get better was my crossed eye," said Ramirez.
"I started on a new injection treatment of the medication called Betaseron. On January 9, 2009, my crossed eye was healed! It was a hard five months for me and my family, but I am happy to say that MS is defeated," Ramirez said.
Both Moulton and Ramirez have positive attitudes which they agree are essential when dealing with MS. Because no two people's symptoms or attacks are the same with MS, it is also essential for those who have it to communicate and share information on what works for them.
"In March 2009 at Walk MS El Paso, I met Melissa Chesbro, who also had a desire to make a difference for people fighting MS. On October 14, 2009, we started a Self Help Group for MS," said Ramirez.
The MS Self Help Group meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7848 Gateway East Blvd. in El Paso. Participation is free and everyone affected by MS is invited, as well as family members and caregivers.
There are usually 20-24 people in attendance, with the goal of providing information and support, especially to newly diagnosed people. The group is co-led by Ramirez and Chesbro. For more information call (800) 344-4867.
"The group has been very successful. It is very positive and support oriented," said Schold. "We would like to have a meeting in Las Cruces and are looking for a pair of people interested. We need two in case MS symptoms flare up in one, the other can lead that month."
Walking for others
The biggest local fundraisers of the year are coming up in the form of the 2010 Walk MS events in El Paso and Las Cruces.
The Walk MS El Paso will be at Cohen Stadium March 27. To register, call (800) Fight-MS or http://walknmx.nationalmssociety.org . Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m., with lunch served at the finish line.
The Walk MS Las Cruces will be at Young Park April 10. To register, call (800) Fight-MS or visit the Web site at http://walknmx.nationalmssociety.org . Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m. with lunch served at the finish line. Walkers can register the day of at both events.
"There's some exciting research happening right now. Great strides are being made every day. Throughout the year, we also provide educational programs for healthcare professionals and for persons with MS. Both things couldn't be done without the funds raised by Walk MS," said Schold.
The major reason that fundraising is so important is because the cause for multiple sclerosis is not known and there is no cure. The drugs available assist with the symptoms but don't prevent them and all have to be injected.
However, a new drug called Ampyra has just been approved by the FDA for its ability to improve walking in people with any type of multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, it can be taken in tablet form, which will be a first for MS sufferers, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Web page. For more information call (888) 881-1918.
Sandy Moulton has lived with MS for 14 years and it has slowed her down recently but not enough to keep her from riding her Silver Flamed Scooter trike motorcycle (that is her trademark) around to raise money for any charity she can, as well as MS.
"It has left me numb and wobbly but the good news is that the MS Society has given me the strength, along with my family, to continue my fight," said Moulton.
For Viry Ramirez, her journey with MS is just beginning. "It's been two and a half years...I want to make a difference for people who are fighting this unpredictable disease, family members and friends/care givers," she said.
For more information about the MS Society or the disease, can call (800) 344-4867 or visit the Web site at www.nmss.org .
 
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In many ways, multiple sclerosis (MS) is an invisible disease. Unless someone is in the midst of an attack you would never know they had it. However, for that individual and their loved ones, it is all too visible.
"I had just turned 44 when I was diagnosed with MS in 1996," said Las Cruces resident and ambassador for the National MS Society, Sandy Moulton. "I owned my own business, Moulton's Dive and Travel, in Elephant Butte."
MS typically attacks people in the prime of their life, between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as two and as old as 75 have developed it. Women are 70 percent more likely to get it then men.
"In July of 2007 I was diagnosed with MS. The first symptom was blindness of my right eye, followed by fatigue and muscle pain," said Viry Ramirez, Las Cruces resident and El Paso MS Self Help Group team leader. "I started on a daily injection of a medication called Copaxone and the symptoms were reduced."
It can strike anyone, the cause is not known and there is no cure. "People with MS live through a sequence of relapsing and remitting attacks," said Maggie Schold, Development Director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), Rio Grande Office in Albuquerque.
"An attack can be fairly minor or very severe: including vision issues, extreme fatigue, paralysis through one side or the whole body, or complete blindness," said Schold. "For most people an attack will come and go away over time. It could be a couple days, a few weeks or months. When everything settles down you're never sure if your full physical abilities will return."
Cannot be foreseen
No one knows when the next attack will occur, how long it will last or how much of their abilities will be left when the attack is over. The progression, severity and specific symptoms of the disease cannot be foreseen. MS is so devastating because it is so unpredictable.
"In New Mexico and El Paso, nearly 3,000 people live with MS," said Schold. "Our goal is to raise funds for MS research and provide programs and information locally and throughout the state. We serve all of New Mexico and El Paso."
According to the NMSS Web site, "Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue."
"The easiest way to explain it is the brain not properly communicating with the body, it is kind of like getting unplugged," said Sandy Moulton. She was forced to give up her business and move back to Las Cruces but unable to work full time because of MS.
"I was too good at what I did because they would always want me to work full time but I couldn't handle the stress level and that would exacerbate my MS symptoms," Moulton said.
"I think I was in denial for about 10 years, but when I started going to group meetings it was one giant pity party and I couldn't go there," said Moulton. "I finally realized that God put me on this earth for a purpose, to help people with MS, and trying to live an example that, if I can do it, they can too."
MS Awareness Week is March 8-14 with the goal being to raise awareness about the disease and try to provide information and resources to those who have it.
Overcoming the fear
"In August of 2008, I started having symptoms of MS again; the attack finally came on September 17, 2008," she said. "My body started to get numb, I lost my balance, my left eye got crossed towards my nose and I lost hearing in my left ear which caused me to bump into everything. It was just too much...
"One day I asked God to take me; I wanted to end it all with this hurt. Instead, he gave me strength to go on and overcome all my fears. My body started coming back to normal but what didn't get better was my crossed eye," said Ramirez.
"I started on a new injection treatment of the medication called Betaseron. On January 9, 2009, my crossed eye was healed! It was a hard five months for me and my family, but I am happy to say that MS is defeated," Ramirez said.
Both Moulton and Ramirez have positive attitudes which they agree are essential when dealing with MS. Because no two people's symptoms or attacks are the same with MS, it is also essential for those who have it to communicate and share information on what works for them.
"In March 2009 at Walk MS El Paso, I met Melissa Chesbro, who also had a desire to make a difference for people fighting MS. On October 14, 2009, we started a Self Help Group for MS," said Ramirez.
The MS Self Help Group meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7848 Gateway East Blvd. in El Paso. Participation is free and everyone affected by MS is invited, as well as family members and caregivers.
There are usually 20-24 people in attendance, with the goal of providing information and support, especially to newly diagnosed people. The group is co-led by Ramirez and Chesbro. For more information call (800) 344-4867.
"The group has been very successful. It is very positive and support oriented," said Schold. "We would like to have a meeting in Las Cruces and are looking for a pair of people interested. We need two in case MS symptoms flare up in one, the other can lead that month."
Walking for others
The biggest local fundraisers of the year are coming up in the form of the 2010 Walk MS events in El Paso and Las Cruces.
The Walk MS El Paso will be at Cohen Stadium March 27. To register, call (800) Fight-MS or http://walknmx.nationalmssociety.org . Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m., with lunch served at the finish line.
The Walk MS Las Cruces will be at Young Park April 10. To register, call (800) Fight-MS or visit the Web site at http://walknmx.nationalmssociety.org . Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m. with lunch served at the finish line. Walkers can register the day of at both events.
"There's some exciting research happening right now. Great strides are being made every day. Throughout the year, we also provide educational programs for healthcare professionals and for persons with MS. Both things couldn't be done without the funds raised by Walk MS," said Schold.
The major reason that fundraising is so important is because the cause for multiple sclerosis is not known and there is no cure. The drugs available assist with the symptoms but don't prevent them and all have to be injected.
However, a new drug called Ampyra has just been approved by the FDA for its ability to improve walking in people with any type of multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, it can be taken in tablet form, which will be a first for MS sufferers, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Web page. For more information call (888) 881-1918.
Sandy Moulton has lived with MS for 14 years and it has slowed her down recently but not enough to keep her from riding her Silver Flamed Scooter trike motorcycle (that is her trademark) around to raise money for any charity she can, as well as MS.
"It has left me numb and wobbly but the good news is that the MS Society has given me the strength, along with my family, to continue my fight," said Moulton.
For Viry Ramirez, her journey with MS is just beginning. "It's been two and a half years...I want to make a difference for people who are fighting this unpredictable disease, family members and friends/care givers," she said.
For more information about the MS Society or the disease, can call (800) 344-4867 or visit the Web site at www.nmss.org .