This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I'm so glad that so many are doing well with this procedure. This is the third time that I gave an article to our neurologist at Allegheny General in PA. He knows Dr. Kerr (told us that last time). This time he said that he has had two patients who had this procedure and they both had their symptoms return after two years and that the procedure is very risky. He really isn't in favor of it.

I believe in this treatment, but many doctors just don't want to hear about it. Can't the people at John Hopkins get the word out to their colleagues.

Merlin 26,
Are you in the Tovaxin trial?
Lars

Keri,

I agree with you totally. I'm not sure why Kyle feels they way he does. I think that most neurologist are not informed - they just think they are.

My thought was the same as yours - Does our doctor really have two patients that went on this exact treatment? Did he even check into or read the various articles I brought him? Did he personally talk with Dr. Kerr?

Yeah Lars, ive been recieving the real stuff now for about 6 months. Apparently I no longer have any disease activity. They define disease activity as nothing lighting up during my MRI. However my lesion count remains at 12 and the symptoms ive had with fatigue, cognitivie issues such as dementia, weakness in legs, etc... continue to persist. There has been no healing whatsoever. Please also bear in mind ive been in the study for a year in a half. The first year yielded the same results prior to the open label. My edss score is still being measured between a 2.0 and a 2.5 but it was that when I was first diagnosed with MS 8 years ago. In conclusion Tovaxin doesn't seem to have in any way improved my symptoms. What would be really cool to try is HICY and then immediately afterwards get on Tovaxin. I might be able to then get rid of the MS, heal the lesions currently, improve my symptoms, and then with the addition of the Tovaxin keep everything steady and from reoccuring.

Although thats good in itself, it appears JH are looking for disease activity before their treatment. It sounds that they are targeting people with clinically active disease.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if HyCy stops the MS, then you wont be making MRTC's, and so they wont be able to make a vaccine for you, so, no Tovaxin.

Keri, I can bear a single needle (I used to be on Rebif), its just till this came along, I had no driving reason. By the way, exactly where do the stick the needle?

..

Merlin 26,
It seems I'm full of question, You said there is nothing "lighting up" on your MRI's, does that mean your staff is sharing results with you????? I have done everything short of begging my MRI tech and clinical staff to share anything, no deal!
Lars

Well they shared one MRI with me but that was because they thought I was having a relapse and I wasn't. I can you tell you how to get your MRI reports but I have a feeling if I do it'll come back and bite me in the ass. Nobody knows that ive been looking at the reports this entire time. Im sure there are people from Opexa that frequent this site and id rather not publicize how ive been doing it. If I do they'll close the loophole immediately.

Goodness where do you live??? I am in Washington in the US.

I just tell the MRI facility that I want copies of my MRI and reports and bingo they come to my house a week later in the mail. I have CD of my last MRI and I can scan through my brain and see lesions appear and disappear which is spooky.

I can also go to my cupboard and take out the flair images of the lasts 5 MRI's and compare them , but the really great thing is that if I get a new doc I can take them with me to the first visit. Cool! Maybe we have rules in Washington state that allows it specifically they did not even question it when I told them this was what I wanted.

I hope you get copies of everything

Yeah same here, we've got CD's of all Mel's MRI's.

I am guessing directly into a vein?

I am "OK" with needles. I watch when my doc takes blood. But normally I use Emla (local aesthetic). Its just the pain that bugs me. But I think its the combination of the thought of a metalic instrument piercing my skin in addition to the actual pain. If I take the pain away, I have no problems. On my last blood test no blood came out at first, so I started to laugh while the needle was still in my arm, saying to the dr "this cant be a good sign..."