A non-medical explanation of MS

So this blog is becoming more popular than I had originally thought! Thanks everyone!

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I'm pretty open with people about my disease (hence the blog) but I find when I tell new people that I have MS, they look at me with the same look of terror that I saw on the faces of those newly diagnosed patients when they told their stories of their initial diagnosis. Now, this could mean a number of things. Logically, since most people seem to react in a similar way when hearing news about MS - whether they're finding out that they have it or learning that their friend does - one would come to the conclusion that I am the outlier and simply under-reacting to the situation. The other conclusion - the one that I draw - is that people just don't know what Multiple Sclerosis is. Most people know the words. Most people know that it is a disease. Most people know that it is incurable. I could see why, only being prepped with this basic information, a person's immediate reaction would resemble that of the famous Edvard Munch painting. 

I'll try my best to end this silliness right now by explaining basically what MS is. Keep in mind: I'm not a doctor. 

Lets start with the basics -
Sclerosis - In the medical field it's definition can vary slightly. According to wiki (the most trusted news source in the Universe) the broadest definition is: the stiffening of a structure, usually caused by a replacement of the normal organ-specific tissue with connective tissue.

In my case, it refers to plaques and scar tissue found on or around nerves due to inflammation and immune response... Think of it this way: when you cut your hand, a scar forms. Same thing is happening in my brain, only I can't prevent it with a pair of Kevlar gloves.

Multiple - see 'multiple' Seriously. I'm not going to define this word for you. If you need a definition, you aren't my target demographic and you should feel free to stop reading my blog.

Now that we have the definitions sorted out, the question would be "so why does this happen?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Neurons are made up of a couple different parts. I'm not going to describe them in detail. Instead, I will show you this cool little cartoon.

 The important parts of this photo are the Axon and the Myelin Sheath. Basically, neurons are like extension cords. You've got your Axons which are like the actual electrical cables that conduct the electricity and you've got Myelin Sheaths which are like the rubber insulation which keep you from getting electrocuted every time you turn on the light switch. Normally these guys just hang out and conduct the amazing electrical light show which is constantly taking place in your brain like a perpetual Trans Siberian Orchestra concert (or, for those of you who are interested in advances in Medical Marijuana Research, a Pink Floyd concert).

Also in one's brain are immune cells. They like to hang out to make sure pesky invaders like Meningitis don't just randomly show up to crash the party. They're the same immune cells that travel all over your body to attack flu viruses and other types of sicknesses. Sometimes, the immune cells get confused and start waging war on things that aren't actually dangerous. Anyone who gets the sniffles in the spring time due to pollen allergies is already familiar with this phenomenon.

 "Wait? What is that? A harmless piece of flower sperm making it's way in to my nostril? THIS MEANS WAR!" 

So your body wages war on something that it shouldn't and you have to suffer the consequences. You end up feeling like you're sick because your body actually thinks you are.

Usually, this confusion - though annoying - is completely harmless. You deal with a runny nose and your 'Alexander the Great' Immune System feels like it has conquered something substantial. It doesn't really get dangerous until your immune system becomes completely incompetent and just attacks everything near it - including your own body. This is what is referred to as an Auto Immune Disease. That is just how it sounds. Your body is trying to become immune to itself by, well, attacking itself.

In the case of Multiple Sclerosis, the enemy is the nervous system. My immune system sees the Myelin coating on my neurons as a danger to society and decides to attack it.

Once the Myelin is gone, those Axons short out against each other and my brain has no clue where information is coming from. It would be like wiring your house with bare copper wiring. Light switches, if they were even able to work, would be turning on and off all different lights because there would be no protective coating to direct the flow of electrons.

Luckily, with intense steroids, medicine is able to stop the immune response long enough for the Neurons to grow a nice layer of scar tissue to help protect themselves. Once the immune system destroys the Myelin, it begins to attack the Neuron. Anyone who has hear the story of Dr. Frankenstein knows that once a nerve is severed, it can not be restored. The idea is to stop the immune response before it gets that far. 

My current method of treatment, Copaxone, works by shutting down the pathways which allow my immune system to co-mingle with my nervous system. This keeps my body from attacking itself, but it could, hypothetically, allow things like Meningitis to slip in unannounced and undetected, though I haven't found any documented cases of this.

I hope that helps answer any questions you may have about the disease. Remember, I am not a Doctor. Not even a little bit. So if you have any further questions or concerns, please contact a Doctor.

Dr. Phil doesn't count.