When I was first diagnosed with MS, or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis to be precise, I did what most doctors do when they are diagnosed with something serious—I began reading the latest research. I was distressed to discover that within ten years of diagnosis, half of those with MS are unable to work due to severe fatigue and a third have a gait disability.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune cells attack and damage the brain and spinal cord. At first, the episodes are marked by periods of worsening, (relapses) and periods of improvement (remissions). Over time, the damage accumulates, and the brain and spinal cord slowly shrink, and the level of disability steadily increases. Each patient is uniquely affected due to the specific location of the accumulating damage.
