When I first started researching MS, I didn’t even know if I was spelling Sclerosis correctly. After doing a bit of research, and finally sure of my spelling, I was thoroughly

freaked. the. youknowwhat. out. 

I was suddenly introduced to terms like lesions, relapsing vs. progressive, and disease modifiers. I’d never really considered autoimmune diseases before, and there are a TON of them. Not to mention odd symptoms or comorbidities like Reynaud’s or Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Suddenly, it was all I could think of. If you’ve had to do this kind of research on your own, for any type of chronic illness, you know what I’m talking about. 

It’s a whole new world. And not in a cute Disney way either.

The sudden onslaught of brand new information and terms is overwhelming to say the least. So I’ve decided to do a little series on the basics of MS, and hopefully it makes the process a little easier for you.  

Not just for my fellow MS warriors, but all of our family and friends, too. Trying to understand this stuff was hard enough, but having to explain it all to my loved ones? That took so much more comprehension and patience than I expected. If you have that issue, maybe this will make it easier for you.

So, what is MS?

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of unknown origin. There are many theories on why and how our immune systems are triggered, and research continues on this front. I’ll cover some of these later in the series.

In MS, the immune system attacks the Myelin Sheath. This is the protective coating surrounding the nerve fibers in our brains and spinal cords.

The image above from the Mayo Clinic demostrates exactly what I’m talking about. Our immune systems are attacking the myelin sheath that protects our nerve fibers, leaving them exposed. This impairs the nerves function, resulting in miscommunication between our brains and other parts of our bodies.

Repeated events of demyelination result in Multiple Sclerosis. Make sense?

Here’s a video from the National MS Society describing all of that, if you’re more of a visual learner!

But, What Does That All Mean?

Breaking it down even more, MS means my brain and body don’t communicate properly some of the time.

When I mean to step up, my foot can go straight forward. My hands can suddenly be tingling, or even numb, for no apparent reason. If I tilt my head the wrong way, at the wrong time, my world can start spinning and I’ll have vertigo for days. Sometimes I get tired much easier than most people, simply because my body has to fight so much harder to work properly.

Sometimes, these things happen with no reason or warning. Also, sometimes with no outward signs. So, it’s easy to feel invisible, because your symptoms are.

My symptoms are worse when I’m overheated, sick, or the seasons are changing. But, what triggers our symptoms is different for every. single. one. of. us.This is why I went a decade without a diagnosis. There are over 80 symptoms, which we will all experience at different times, in different severities, over the course of our disease progression.

No two cases of MS are the same. This can be kind of terrifying, because we don’t have a clue what’s coming next. But really, do any of us?

Anyways – there are 4 things that most of us with MS do have in common, and that is our disease course. Those different types are what I’ll be covering in my next installment in this Introduction to MS series.

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Talk to you soon,