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Today marks the one year anniversary of my uncle’s death from MS. If you ever hear someone say you can’t die from MS, unfortunately I know that you can and it was a terrible way to die. He was a great guy and I miss him. I was diagnosed with MS the year he died. But, here is where the hope part comes in; I believe I have a better chance against this illness than he ever had. He was diagnosed with MS 1986 in his mid 30’s I was diagnosed in 2006 at 47. It is what it is, but my uncle never used any medication and smoked almost until the end. I have been on copaxone, the best bet diet and taking vitamin supplements from the time I was diagnosed. I know there are no guaranties in life and none what so ever when dealing with MS, but if there is one thing he left me with is you have to fight with everything you have because a slow painful death from MS is not where we want to go.

keep up the good fight dave!!

Hey Dave-
I'm so sorry you had to witness your uncle's suffering, and then receive your own diagnosis in the same year. My thoughts go out to you. I was unaware of the full impact of MS until my husband's dx in March of this year. He is also on Copaxone, has radically altered his previous red meat and dairy diet, and is active every day. He is 44, and like you, we believe that all of these measures may very well slow the progression of this dreadful disease.

You're right, people do die from this disease...not just "complications" of MS. Keep on fighting, in honor of your uncle and the next generation of patients.

best,
AC

"Memory and Hope". Two precious things I hope we never lose,

I 2nd what Dom says!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Man, that had to have been hard. During my wife's clinical in geriatrics for her RN she worked at a nursing home that had some MS patients. She got to see one person dead from it and she was in her early 40's. I don't know how long she had it though. I was always told it's not fatal, but then I wondered what the 10 was for on the EDSS.

I want to thank everyone for their feedback, it helps sometime to just place thoughts out on this board. To answer Lyon's question, I was diagnosed in March of 06 only a few months after my first symptoms, where as it was years before my uncle really knew what he was dealing with. When I found out I had MS my uncle was bed ridden and had been for many years, I know he shed a few tears when he found out I had MS. As a lot of us know, some people try everything they can and keep getting worse, while other can go 20 years without doing anything and are fine. Such is the nature of the beast, but I believe there are many possible outcomes to any given situation and as I wrote in my opening post it is that hope that keeps us searching.