Sunday, September 29, 2002

Finally started feeling like myself again on Saturday! It seems so trivial to be able to say I could go grocery shopping and go to the mall, but those were huge steps for me. I felt good for the first time in days.

I had an interesting discussion with people at church today about a cure for MS. A few months ago, David Lander (who played Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley) spoke at an MS conference in Greensboro. He said that he doesn't look for a cure for his MS, since what could cure him what might not cure other people. After all, this disease hits people so differently. Anyway, he made me think about what I hoped would be accomplished during my lifetime in the battle against MS. My wish is that the percentage of people moving from relapsing-remitting to progressive would decline. Right now, the stats aren't pretty. There's a 50/50 chance of going progressive within 15 years of diagnosis, with the percentage jumping to 90% within 25 years. I was 34 when I was diagnosed. Add 15, and you get 49 - still young. So I've got a 50/50 shot of having progressive MS by the time I turn 50, and a 90% chance by my 60th birthday. That depresses me. I wish those numbers would improve.

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