
I am by nature a very private person but I did want to take a moment and talk about something very near to my heart and that is about the disease Multiple Sclerosis!
Those that know me well know that my husband is disabled with this disease and that as of yet there is no cure on the horizon. Multiple Sclerosis is a dreadful disease and will with time rob you of everything that you may have taken for granted up until that point. It is a very difficult disease to diagnose and can take many years before a final diagnosis......
This was the case for my husband and also for many others. When my husband was in his thirties and early forties he experienced odd little episodes that would be perplexing. Things such as deep tiredness, tingling in the fingers and episodes of numbness in the face, neck and legs. Many tests were done and the outcome was that it was probably just stress. He did have a very stressful job and flew all over the world so we were happy to believe that this was in fact the case......
This continued until he was 47 when his legs suddenly stopped working correctly and he had a lot of trouble walking. This was the point that an MRI showed up the first lesion and a spinal tap was performed. We then had the diagnosis that we had known in our hearts for years, he had Multiple Sclerosis!
Many people do not know but more women than men have M.S, but when men do get M.S their progression is usually more rapid and a lot more agressive. This was the case for my dear husband. The disease rapidly striped him of all of the things that he loved to do, walking became a memory and holding hands was now long gone (he cannot feel me holding his hand and it is painful for him to do so). This is one of the things that I miss most is walking alongside of him and simply holding his hand. You do not appreciate the simple things until they are gone. By the time my husband was diagnosed he was by then in the Secondary Progressive Stage......
The only reason that I am taking time now to talk about something so private to both of us is because there is something new on the horizon and it is a small hope and possibility. An Italian doctor called Paulo Zamboni decided to take action when his wife was diagnosed with M.S eight years ago. He did lots of research and decided that M.S was not a neurological disease but a narrowing of important blood vessels to and from the brain. This is now getting a lot of attention around the world and clinics are opening up everywhere and are now offering the treatment procedure that Doctor Paulo Zamboni designed......
I have spent many hours on the computer and I honestly mean many, going from website to website and now the crux of it is that I am taking my dear husband to Europe in September for what is called The Liberation Procedure or CCSVI to give it its medical term. If anyone wants any information about CCSVI they only have to Google it, go onto Facebook and also Youtube. There is more and more information coming out daily......
We are not looking for a miracle at this point but we are hoping to stop the progression of his disease. If you know anyone with M.S. get them to take the time to look up CCSVI and also Doctor Paulo Zamboni. We have the support of our doctor here in the States to go to Europe and he has taken the time to read the information on this procedure......
So come September I will be taking my dear husband on a plane to Europe and he will undergo The Liberation Procedure. We are scared and excited at the same time and our miracle is just to halt the disease. Keep your fingers crossed for him when the time comes, blessings......


11 comments:
Dear Sweet Maureen...
God blesses and directs Doctors in their treatment of God's children and I'm praying along with you for a miracle. They ARE out there. Don't ever stop believing, OK?
My Mister thinks your Mister is heaven-sent. If there is anyone out there deserving of a cure, it is him.
I will be thinking of you and praying for God to intervene in your beloved's behalf.
Love to you~
Rebecca
Oh, gosh, I wish you all the best of luck. My best friend was diagnosed with MS 20 years ago, and other than episodes where her legs "give out" occasionally, she has been fortunate to have the type of MS that does not progress very rapidly.
Good luck and blessings to you.
Oh my goodness.I am really touched by the comment you made about walking beside him and holding his hand.That is just precious.I am praying that this treatment comes through for him...and I am hugging my own dear husband as soon as he walks through the door.
Hello Maureen...It was so good to see you at my blog today....
I am thrilled to think that there is hope on the way for this dreadful disease...And, to think that perhaps they have had it all wrong all this time....
I have known you for a while now, and I know how strong you are and that, too, is such a blessing for your husband.
I will keep you both covered in prayers for a safe journey with positive and jubilant results!!!
Love and many Blessings,
Jil
PS...I did the embroidery and the ribbon embroidery on the S. Belle Pillow....I am glad you liked it!
Oh, Maureen,
I will be praying for you and your dear husband and the procedure that he will be undergoing. MS is such a terrible disease and wouldn't it be wonderful if a cure has been found. I hope the progression of the disease in your husband can be stopped so that you and he can enjoy many more years of happiness. Sending lots of love and prayers your way~ Vicki
Maureen, What a wonderful post, thank you for sharing such a personal story. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your husband.
Blessings, Michelle
Hello Sweet Friend, it has been a long while since I last made a visit to you. I thank you for all your kind words to me. They have not be forgotten. I am over the top happy to see you posting about this terrible disease. I am rejoicing with the hope and promise for Rueben this fall. I will await for the news that can change your lives and pray that is does. Keep up the good thoughts and hope for miracles, they happen all the time. Take care and look forward to reading more, Char
My Dear Sweet Maureen,
I had tears in my eyes reading your post. I wish I could say more than words can express on how sorry I am that your husband has MS,but one thing I can say is that there is always hope and with God all things are possible. I am so glad you are going to Europe in September. I just know it will be worth it. And I do believe in miracles. You will always be in my prayers. You have a good heart so good things will come to you. Just believe and never give up as I am sure you will not.
I can't wait to see you. I was thinking the last Saturday of May would be wonderful. Let me know if that is okay with you.
Have a beautiful day,
xxoo
Janet
Janet's Creative Pillows
Dearest Maureen,
A friend of mine's son is having this MS disease and I am so glad I read this info that you obtained for your husband. It aches the soul for a small thing like holding hands, without ever feeling it... How short and precious our lives are. Most people not even realize how spoiled they are until one day things are being taken from them.
I myself got completely paralyzed in January, almost overnight. It scared me and it will always hang over me like the sword of Damocles. On Prednisone now and they say it was a combination of Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica...
Being paralyzed makes you think a lot of things and also makes you pray and believe in prayers from others for you. May God grant both of you some better years ahead and that the surgery in Europe will go well.
Lots of love from Georgia/USA
MariettesBacktoBasics
Maureen, I stop in from time to time, just to make sure you are all doing okay. What wonderful news. My husband is flying home from Taiwan at this moment or I would call him immediately! Oh, how I wish his mother had been able to be treated!
This is the best news!
Nan
My heart and thoughts are with you.I so hope this will help. I lost my father to ALS after nine painful years. I watched with sad eyes as this dynamic man withered away from us. Drs. thought it was ALS or MS. They couldn't decide. I still search for answers. You are in my prayers.
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