This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

I just learned from the news yesterday that Mit Romney's wife has M.S. This is old new for many but this is new to me. I tried to look up more information about her and have found nothing. The only thing I learned on the internet was at one point she was having a hard time walking and now she seems to be M.S. free.
I am confused and currious. Is that even possible? Just wondering if any one knows more about Anne's story.

it is my understanding that she is not on any of the CRAB drugs. i did read a quote where she uses 'traditional eastern medicine' to treat her ms.

I've also heard that she finds horseback riding beneficial.

Google Ann Romney & multiple sclerosis - there's an interview with her & her husband, I believe on Fox news but I was paying more attention to what she said about her MS than the network that hosted the interview. She looked like a model, and like so many with MS who are in remission, made very light of the disease not discussing how some of us are dealing with severe disabilities. But then her main motivation for the interview was to assure the public that she was healthy enough despite her MS & bought w/ breast cancer to support her husband should he run for president. It was nothing but PR for her husband - no advocacy for MS sufferers.

Will do...Thanks

Seriously....horseback riding....please!

Here is a link to an article that goes into more details.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding ... ey_070505/

She was on intravenous steroids for six months, then did acupuncture, reflexology and yoga. She talks about her love for riding helping her get of bed.

I respect the fact that she doesn't want to go into detail about her MS right now...she is now in the public eye for the campaign. BTW, I think she's on the NMMS Board in MA.

M

Interestingly, I was diagnosed around the same time as Ann Romney. The first three years, I had numerous attacks and bounced back to "normalcy" after steroid treatments. Then I started to deteriorate but could still appear "normal". About five years ago, it just became so difficult to do normal things outside my house. My husband does the grocery shopping, picks up the mail (about 200 feet) from my door and most other errands. I use a cane but anything lofty (airport) I'd have to use a wheelchair. I just hope the public realizes that she isn't necessarily the typical person with ms and that if we do what she did, life would be great. I have read how riding horses can be therapeutic for many things but how many of us have access to a horse?

I do feel she and her husband are out of touch with many of us with ms. I heard Mitt in an interview say when she was diagnosed, "We wondered if we should put an elevator in the house". I feared not being able to work and put food on my table and pay my bills; for forever being dependent. And that happened.

I watched her interview as well. I don't think they were trying to say her reaction was normal to ms; it was just her response.

May I ask why you feel their out of touch? Because they have money to afford an elevator? Because they found a successful treatment early on? Because she's not deteriorating after all these years?

We certainly don't have the money to put an elevator in the house, but I don't begrudge anyone who does have the funds to do so. I was diagnosed in 84, but did not experience any symptoms until 2001. Over the last year I have declined considerably; and yes, an elevator would be great!

Romney also said they were high school sweethearts, she was his life, and he could not imagine life without her. That sounds like a devoted and loving spouse to me.

If I have misread your post, I apologize. It just seems as though if someone isn't a vocal advocate for ms, or has the means to make their life easier than most of us, they are held up as being unable to relate to others suffering from this disease.

M

This is my first post, as I just discovered this site. Don't know where to start. We stopped my daughters PPMS, so I have a lot of thoughts. And yes, we did it living below poverty level. Ann Romney and the horse is real. It is not the fancy saddle, the riding, or the dressage competition. Those are just the ' keep moving tools' to help fight MS. The actual unexplained energy exchange of being on the horse bareback without a saddle is what works. The horse does not even have to move. When the horse walks, trots etc, that strengthens your upper body!
I hope this is a helpful comment to start!

Skyrocket,

Welcome to the board.

Very good to hear your daughter is doing so well. Is she doing anything else besides riding?

Your insight into how and why horseback riding works makes perfect sense. Thanks for the input!

M

I find it absurd to speculate that horseback riding is what sent Anne Romney into remission. I know a woman with MS who swears she is healed by prayer; another with Grave's disease that also said it's prayer that sent her illness into remission. So the rest of us who pray aren't doing something right?

Surely the love for any being - a horse, cat, dog, person - is a positive influence, and how much the immune system or body's healing capacity is bolstered by connection with someone they love, an activity they love, can only be beneficial. But to suggest the horseback riding was *the* reason is ridiculous. I know a woman who loves horses dearly and is extremely knowledgeable on how to care for them, etc., and yet she continues to lose ground in her battle with MS. But at least she has the love of her dear horses, just as I've found my pets to be a comfort in my own struggle.

I do understand why Anne Romney must present herself as able bodied in order to back her husband's political campaign. But the interviewer made it clear he was asking about MS. I think the responsible answer for Ms. Romney to have given would be that yes, her MS is in remission but that the disease has a different progression for everyone. The same is true in her battle with breast cancer. For example, Linda McCartney (wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney) loved her horses dearly and went horseback riding on the day before she died. I'm sure this was a great comfort to Linda and a testimony to the strength of her spirit.

But the plain facts are that MS and breast cancer are serious diseases, and not everyone goes into remission or recovers - through no fault of their own. Many who are disabled were once healthy, active, people. They are spiritual or not - but still all have MS. There is no study that suggests "energy exchange" has reversed MS or sent anyone into remission, though people may believe whatever they choose. Remission is not necessarily caused by something the PwMS *does*.

I hope Ms. Romney stays in remission, but personally I think we don't understand why people get this disease, why some become more severely disabled and others do not, and certainly we know there is no cure. And if a cure's discovered, I doubt it will have anything to do with horses.

selkie,

Why do you seem to get upset when people believe that different things have helped them? You're upset because prayer doesn't work for everyone?

I cannot find the original video that started this thread, but read the link to the article I posted earlier...she also did steroids, acupuncture, reflexology and yoga.

Why are the people on this thread compelled to criticize her so quickly, first for what she said, and then for what she didn't say? Right now she's the wife of a candidate, that is all.

In the article below she was asked what her cause would be as the first lady...her response " ...for public advocacy, for disadvantaged children and those with MS".

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/us/po ... wanted=all

The majority of these posts seem to hold a lot of anger for the woman. Why?

M

well...they continue to put their feet in their mouth. will she really advocate for MS...hard to say.

"I don't even consider myself wealthy, which is an interesting thing. It can be here today gone tomorrow." During the same interview, speaking about the horseback riding therapy she uses to treat her multiple sclerosis, she said, according to Boston Globe reporter Michael Levenson, "Some people have lovers in every port; I have horses in every port." Surely she doesn't actually have a horse in every port (though she does have a very expensive collection of horses). But with a Cadillac in at least two ports, as her husband so helpfully pointed out last month, the comment, along with "I don't even consider myself wealthy," is bound to get a few raised eyebrows. "

That comment did raise some eyebrows, especially when the MSM jumped all over it. The remark was made to autoworkers in Detroit to show support. Agreed, the wording could have been better.

I think the "port" analogy was suppose to be funny. I think they have two homes (I'm sure everybody is going to jump on that too) and she has horses at both locations.

I did not read the interview, was there something she said that drew you to the conclusion that she would not be an advocate for people with MS?

Correct me if I'm reading too much into your post, but it sounds to me, that in your opinion, neither of the Romneys could say anything right?

M