My MS Legend

As a public servant (govt. employee) - my life is filled with acronyms.

Now that I am attempting a blog - I figure I should at least identify a couple of the most common that MSers bandy about (an MS "legend" so to speak). A disclaimer, I claim no medical knowledge - and anything I say or do re: medical treatment is just the best my non-scientific brain can comprehend.

MS - Multiple Sclerosis - MS is a disease of the Central Nervous System. MS is a potentially debilitating disease in which the body's immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers the nerves. This interferes with the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that's not reversible. Research suggests stem cells may repair the damage to the myelin sheath before permanent nerve damage occurs.

DMDs - short for disease modifying drugs. Since there is currently no "cure" for MS, research has shown that these drugs can delay the progression of the disease (efficacy rates show that the disease is slowed by these drugs in approx 30-50% of patients). Currently all DMDs require the use of lots of needles, and have side effects ranging from discomfort to medical complications.

TY - Tysabri is currently my DMD. Every 28 days I am given an IV infusion of TY. TY is the newest approved DMD. DMDs are also known as CRABs, an acronym for the other 4 DMDs (Copaxone, Rebif, Avonex & Betaseron). My neurologist tried me on Betaseron & Copaxone before I was approved for TY.

ASCT - Adult Stem Cell Therapy - This is the procedure I will be undergoing in Cost Rica (CR). For my treatment (in my own non-medical terms), my own stem cells will be "harvested" through a procedure similar to liposuction. From those cells, millions will be cultivated in a lab and reintroduced into my system through the spine, targeting the areas where my symptoms indicate I may have damage.

At present science does not know what causes MS, but it is accepted thought that it is an auto-immune disease and put in the same "family" as ALS & Parkinson's. ASCT will begin FDA approved trials for ALS in 2010.

Okay, I promise that will be my last "scientific" post.