Now
you can help too!
I have turned to the Aviation Society and all people of good will for help
with further treatment, as I cannot afford it myself.
As the tratment of MS in Poland is non-refundable and the medicine is very
expensive, your help is nescessesary so that I can continue my rehabilitation
and lead a normal life.
How can you help? Well it is very simple. As the Polish Multiple Sclerosis
Society has extended its account to me, you may pay on account, any amount of
money using the details below.
The only thing
you really need to do is to call your bank and pass these details
What
is Multiple Sclerosis?
An unpredictable disease of the central nervous system,
multiple sclerosis (MS) can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling
to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body
is disrupted. Many investigators believe MS to be an autoimmune disease — one in
which the body, through its immune system, launches a defensive attack against
its own tissues. In the case of MS, it is the nerve-insulating myelin that comes
under assault. Such assaults may be linked to an unknown environmental trigger,
perhaps a virus.
Most people experience their first symptoms of MS between the ages of 20 and 40;
the initial symptom of MS is often blurred or double vision, red-green color
distortion, or even blindness in one eye. Most MS patients experience muscle
weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance.
These symptoms may be severe enough to impair walking or even standing. In the
worst cases, MS can produce partial or complete paralysis. Most people with MS
also exhibit paresthesias, transitory abnormal sensory feelings such as numbness,
prickling, or „pins and needles” sensations. Some may also experience pain.
Speech impediments, tremors, and dizziness are other frequent complaints.
Occasionally, people with MS have hearing loss. Approximately half of all people
with MS experience cognitive impairments such as difficulties with concentration,
attention, memory, and poor judgment, but such symptoms are usually mild and are
frequently overlooked. Depression is another common feature of MS.
Is
there any treatment?
There is as yet no cure for MS. Many patients do
well with no therapy at all, especially since many medications have serious side
effects and some carry significant risks. However, three forms of beta
interferon (Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif) have now been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration for treatment of relapsing-remitting MS. Beta interferon has
been shown to reduce the number of exacerbations and may slow the progression of
physical disability. When attacks do occur, they tend to be shorter and less
severe. The FDA also has approved a synthetic form of myelin basic protein,
called copolymer I (Copaxone), for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS.
Copolymer I has few side effects, and studies indicate that the agent can reduce
the relapse rate by almost one third. An immunosuppressant treatment, Novantrone
(mitoxantrone), is approved by the FDA for the treatment of advanced or chronic
MS. The FDA has also approved dalfampridine (Ampyra) to improve walking in
individuals with MS.
One monoclonal antibody, natalizumab (Tysabri), was shown in clinical trials to
significantly reduce the frequency of attacks in people with relapsing forms of
MS and was approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
in 2004. However, in 2005 the drug’s manufacturer voluntarily suspended
marketing of the drug after several reports of significant adverse events. In
2006, the FDA again approved sale of the drug for MS but under strict treatment
guidelines involving infusion centers where patients can be monitored by
specially trained physicians.
While steroids do not affect the course of MS over time, they can reduce the
duration and severity of attacks in some patients. Spasticity, which can occur
either as a sustained stiffness caused by increased muscle tone or as spasms
that come and go, is usually treated with muscle relaxants and tranquilizers
such as baclofen, tizanidine, diazepam, clonazepam, and dantrolene. Physical
therapy and exercise can help preserve remaining function, and patients may find
that various aids — such as foot braces, canes, and walkers — can help them
remain independent and mobile. Avoiding excessive activity and avoiding heat are
probably the most important measures patients can take to counter physiological
fatigue. If psychological symptoms of fatigue such as depression or apathy are
evident, antidepressant medications may help. Other drugs that may reduce
fatigue in some, but not all, patients include amantadine (Symmetrel), pemoline
(Cylert), and the still-experimental drug aminopyridine. Although improvement of
optic symptoms usually occurs even without treatment, a short course of
treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) followed by
treatment with oral steroids is sometimes used.
What
is the prognosis?
A physician may diagnose MS in some patients soon after the onset
of the illness. In others, however, doctors may not be able to readily identify
the cause of the symptoms, leading to years of uncertainty and multiple
diagnoses punctuated by baffling symptoms that mysteriously wax and wane. The
vast majority of patients are mildly affected, but in the worst cases, MS can
render a person unable to write, speak, or walk. MS is a disease with a natural
tendency to remit spontaneously, for which there is no universally effective
treatment.
What research is being done?
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other
institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct research in
laboratories at the NIH and also support additional research through grants to
major medical institutions across the country. Scientists continue their
extensive efforts to create new and better therapies for MS. One of the most
promising MS research areas involves naturally occurring antiviral proteins
known as interferons. Beta interferon has been shown to reduce the number of
exacerbations and may slow the progression of physical disability. When attacks
do occur, they tend to be shorter and less severe. In addition, there are a
number of treatments under investigation that may curtail attacks or improve
function. Over a dozen clinical trials testing potential therapies are underway,
and additional new treatments are being devised and tested in animal models.
Now
you can help too!
I have turned to the Aviation Society and all people of good will for help
with further treatment, as I cannot afford it myself.
As the tratment of MS in Poland is non-refundable and the medicine is very
expensive, your help is nescessesary so that I can continue my rehabilitation
and lead a normal life.
How can you help? Well it is very simple. As the Polish Multiple Sclerosis
Society has extended its account to me, you may pay on account, any amount of
money using the details below. The only thing
you really need to do is to call your bank and pass these details
You may use your credit card