General Chat

MS Week 27th April - 3rd May 2009
MS Week is a chance for the MS Society to get loud about multiple sclerosis (MS), raising awareness of it by reaching out to people who don't know much about it.

Unfortunately, it's not just the general public who seem to have a 'fixed idea' on MS.
Quite a few years back, my nephew was offered Beta blockers. 'Great' he thought, 'Then I can carry on working'.
Nooo the health authority expected him NOT to work, so that he would be at home to receive the monthly delivery of the drug!!
Despite my nephew arguing that there seemed little point in him taking these very expensive drugs if he was expected to then sit at home in poverty on benefits, unable to afford to go out!!
Nephew sorted it eventually by giving his grandmother's address for the delivery of the drugs - she then posts them on to him - and he went off travelling around the world with the MOD!!!

I am posting this as my daughter Caroline is a sufferer, she was diagnosed at just 18. Please keep nudged for me for today, thanks

Sue x

'Few know multiple sclerosis facts'
Last Updated: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 07:18 GMT- Search: Multiple sclerosis awareness

Few people know that multiple sclerosis (MS) mostly strikes people in their 20s and 30s, according to a new poll.
A survey for the MS Society found only a quarter were aware that people aged 25 to 34 were most likely to be diagnosed.
Four out of 10 (40%) members of the public could not name a single symptom of MS, which include loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, numbness, bowel and bladder problems, muscle stiffness and spasms.
Some people thought MS led to brittle bones, bad teeth, phlegm and loss of appetite.

The poll of more than 2,000 people also found 6% attributed MS to "public health issues" such as obesity, poor diet, smoking or germs.
Meanwhile, four out of 10 (40%) thought all people with MS ended up in a wheelchair whereas just 20% do.
MS Society chief executive, Simon Gillespie, said: "This survey gives us the clearest picture yet of what people know - or don't know - about MS, and the results are a cause for concern."
The survey was released ahead of MS Week which runs next week.
TV presenter Lorraine Kelly said: "As I have a relative with MS, I know from personal experience that there are myths and misconceptions which make life even tougher for people living with the condition. I would urge everyone to make an effort to find out what MS really means to those who have to live with it day in and day out."
More than 85,000 people in the UK have MS.