Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough, The Myth, The Truth

 

Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough, The Myth, The Truth

It all started as a daily obsessive habit, then a weekly routine, and later a monthly and occasional act of stoic and desperate curiosity, that is, the online search for the long-awaited Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough. A cure to all MS symptoms* and complications, which will help me refocus on my initial plans and go back to a normal life.

Reading the MRI results pointing to my Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, was the first time I came across the “Multiple Sclerosis” term in itself, it took me some time to comprehend it or in fact, to visualize it and also to be able to explain what MS is to people around me, whom also never heard of such disease, especially my mother. I still remember that I asked my neurologist to give me a simple MS definition, easy for me to translate to my mother. Deep inside, I was hoping the explanation will help me personally to fully draw a picture of the disease that I’m supposed to live with from now on.

 

… a blessing cure might be a myth at this point of MS scientific research.

 

As one of those avid, and stubborn Msers, I was successfully able to convince myself, that a Multiple Sclerosis cure was just around the corner and should not take too long, but as time goes by and as I construct my MS knowledge piece by piece into a comprehensive structure, I understood that a blessing cure might be a myth at this point of MS scientific research.

But why? Well, simply because of the ambiguous causes of this mysterious disease. At this time and while still writing these lines, I could not find a satisfactory answer to that question we all asked our neurologists, that is: What causes my MS? 

 

… What causes my MS?

 

The logical deduction stipulates that you can’t find a cure if you don’t understand the mechanics of the disease. The actual treatments, primarily deal with symptoms and have as main goal to half the disease progression and worsening, which is an undeniable proof of the long way the research went and is going through.

As time goes by, I gradually faced the truth about a myth I built myself, maybe as a defense mechanism, in what felt like the delusion of a castaway in the middle of the ocean, clinging to the last piece of wood, waiting for the rescue to arrive, anytime soon.

Yet, in this large ocean of experiment and research, I came across two promising research:

  • Regeneration of myelin sheaths* and

  • Stem cell therapy*

Both researches count on the remyelination of myelin* sheaths to halt and reverse the course of MS progression. But could it be possible to conjugate halting the MS progression and enhancing a progressive remyelination, should we even reset the immune system, taking into account the increased risks on the MSer health condition?

Only time and the scientific research will give us a fulfilling answer, but I feel that I should not count on a magically liberating cure, maybe we’ll get better treatments with less impacting side effects on a long term, but then, again, I couldn’t avoid asking myself if all MSers can benefit from such complex treatment? At wish stage should such treatment be prescribed and of course at what cost?

By the end of each day, and after crawling around many MS research and papers, I realize that I always end up with more questions than the day before, which will push me to dig again and again for the answers, a vicious circle with no doubts, but can we help it?

Comments