Hi everyone, My name is Maria and I am 49 years old and was diagnosed with RRMS in 1983 just recently found out that I have Secondary Primary Progressive MS.  In additions to having MS, I have Spina Bifida OC #2 and a Seizure disorder.  I have been fortunate in that I am a fighter and I don't give up or in very easily and have always had wonderful family support.

My symptoms have gotten progressively worse, the numbness and tingling in my left arm and hand, the horrible pain I have in my neck that is so hard to explain, and the awful burning and spasms in my legs!!!! Now my vision is no starting to be affected in my right eye which makes walking a very taxing event... as if having an uneven gait isn't hard enough :)  Now I have trouble differentiating the depth and space in which I am walking..  What makes it harder is that some of the symptoms are caused by my MS and also my SB the pain in my lower back is excruciating when I walk, it is even worse when I lay down. 

I get no pain medication as being on medicaid there are no doctors and if you find one they are not up to date on current treatments..  They hide behind not being able to dispense narcotics because of all the drug abusers, well I did my research and contacted the AMA and was told that the doctor was incorrect!!!  When I spoke to him about it he curtly told me that was his policy!! OMG the heck with the patient  WOW I was appalled.  I can only hope that I can find a doctor soon because I don't think that anyone should have to suffer or live a quality of life that is less than a healthy person or be penalized for the drug abuser's. 

I would love to meet people thru these post's because I love helping others!  I help people in my community with various needs, i.e. applying for assistanace, resources that are available to their particular situations etc...  It helps me to feel usful since I am unable to work outside the home, which was the hardest part of the disease I've had to face so far!! Some of my favorite quotes:

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

- Helen Keller

“Our greatest glory is never in failure, but in rising every time we fall.”
- Confucious

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people to get what they want.”
- Zig Ziglar

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”
- Earl Shoaf

Great opportunities to help others seldom come,
but small ones surround us every day.

I wish you all well and happy days ahead :)

Maria