MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most misunderstood diseases of this century. Since its discovery, there are still no known causes, no proven treatments, and no known cure, yet it affects possibly five hundred thousand people in the United States alone. People need to learn more about this disease so it can be brought to the attention of the nation. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system. It destroys the fatty myelin sheath that insulates your nerve cells.

Case Study

Ms. L is a 32-year-old female who has recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Ms. L had sought medial attention for several years before the diagnosis was made because she experienced double vision, weakness in her extremities, and dizziness. Because she was also going through a separation and divorce at the same time, her symptoms were attributed to 'stress and depression', and antidepressant medications were prescribed (Donna 2005). When her symptoms became worse and additional testing was conducted, the diagnosis was made. The weakness in Ms. L's legs has continued, so that she has some difficulty walking and has collapsed several times. She has significant blurring of vision and she has had some numbness and weakness in her right hand, which is her dominant hand. Ms. L lives alone. She has a Master of Science degree in education and has continued to work as a sixth-grade teacher; although she wonders how much longer she will be able to continue. She is currently in remission; however, she has had exacerbations about every 3 months. She currently lives in a suburb of a large metropolitan city but questions whether she should consider moving to her hometown, a small mid-western city, where she can be close to her family.

Discussion

Ms. L is only 32-years-old. She is a single female that hasn't had children yet. I would imagine that she is going to have some feelings anger. She is just beginning to dip her feet in the world of teaching. She just graduated from college with her masters in science. Her symptoms might be slow moving but each case is different. The lack of control with this disease would be extremely frustrating for any one individual. I think that for rehabilitation plan should take place in her hometown where she has the support of her family and friends. I think that being in a place that you know and grew up in surrounded by people you love is going to help keep her spirits high. She should also research the available jobs in her hometown. Maybe there is another position at the school that might be more flexible just in case she has an onset of these attacks. She should work as long as her condition is not affecting her job. She should also exercise regularly but not to the point of exhaustion.

Without this insulation, nerve communication is disrupted. The body then makes this worse by repairing it, and clogging the area with scar ...