For Us, Every Month is MS Month

March is National MS Education & Awareness Month. For those of you who come here because you either have MS yourself or live with someone who does, March is just another month and you most probably don't need to be made any more aware of the ways in which MS affects your lives. On the other hand, for those who have come in search of some understanding, to them I can only say "Welcome," advise them that MS is not catching, and suggest that they stay awhile to read some posts here on the site. Many, such as those written by my wife Mandy, who lives with MS, will not only educate, they will inspire.

I've written a lot about what it's like to live with someone who has MS. My wife has the relapsing-remitting form, which is to say it comes and it goes. It just never seems to go as far away as we'd like after each new visit. Part of it always wants to stay. That's the part you really don't like to think about because most relapsing-remitting forms of MS eventually turn into the next worse form, progressive MS.

As the name implies, once MS hits the progressive stage, it progressively gets worse with no remittance to slow it down. That's the whole point of the drugs these folks take when they have relapsing-remitting MS. There is no cure; each drug manufacturer simply claims that its drug has, in tests, exhibited the potential to slow down the progression of the disease, keeping it in the relapsing-remitting form for a longer period of time. If that doesn't sound like a guarantee, you're right -- it's not. Provided you're not suicidal, I dare you to wade through the disclaimer language packed with each round of medicine.

By now you're thinking that this MS thing really stinks and wondering how folks can live with this disease. Without getting philosophical, I suppose the bare truth is that human beings can get used to living with just about anything. When you take the time to look around the world at how some people are forced to live... and how they do live... you'll recognize that to be true.

So no sugar coating or tugging at heartstings by old Jake this time. This is National MS Education and Awareness month. If you want some education, this is a pretty good place to start.

Thank you for caring.