FINLEY, Wash. – According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, almost one million Americans live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune condition that affects the central nervous system. According to the Cleveland Clinic, MS mistakenly attacks the Myelin sheath, a protective barrier made up of fat and lipids that wrap around certain nerve cells.
Joseph Judd and Melody Priest are two siblings living with Multiple Sclerosis. According to Judd, his MS is more advanced. Judd said his speech is affected, he has a hard time focusing, and he’s now having to use crutches just to get around to walk. Judd tells me it’s been hard for him but says this won’t keep him from living life to the fullest.
“It’s not stopping me,” said Judd. “It’s not going to stop me. I just have to find the right people to surround myself with to do the things that I want to do.”
Judd said he’s done just that. He’s had the help of his parents and his sister, who help him with things he’s having problems doing. He says MS may be taking his ability to speak away, but he still has a voice to educate people about the importance of getting checked.
The Cleveland Clinic said there isn’t a specific test for MS testing, which will include blood work, an MRI of your brain and spinal cord, and a spinal tap.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, some early symptoms of MS include:
Changes to your visionMuscle weakness and spasmsNumbness or painLoss of balanceDifficulty with Cognitive functionMood Changes
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic aren’t sure why people develop MS.
Their research suggests smoking, obesity in childhood, low levels of Vitamin D, Genetic predisposition, or have been exposed to a virus like Mononucleosis.
Judd’s sister, Melody Priest, said her symptoms started when she began losing 90 percent of her vision. She says doctors told her she needed to get steroid infusions to try to get her vision back.
“They got me in, I think it was within three days,” said Priest. “Got me an MRI, came back came back that I had a huge cluster of lesions right in the middle of my brain. I have optic neuritis I was losing my vision.”
Priest said the doctors ordered a spinal tap. A week later, her results came back, and a neurologist diagnosed her with MS.
Priest said she and her brother have to have shots every four weeks to slow down the progress. Priest said there are days when she will just lay on the couch all day because she doesn’t have the energy to move around.
