There are currently 2.1 million people living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Every hour of every day in the United States, someone is diagnosed with MS.
The likelihood you know someone with MS...
Your co-worker, your neighbor
Your friend, your family
Yourself
Someone you love and care about is living with Multiple Sclerosis.
What is MS?
MS is an unpredictable, devastating and often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
It interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
Imagine it as a telephone line -- your brain is calling your body on the telephone, but it takes a few tries for the call to get through fast enough, and for some, the call never goes through.
Imagine all of the times your foot, leg, hand or arms have fallen asleep. Now try using those extremities. That's how it feels to us with MS.
And you know that intense pins and needles feeling when your foot or arm starts to regain feeling, but you are overwhelmed with a painful pins and needles sensation? That's the pain we feel all of the time.
Imagine it as a telephone line -- your brain is calling your body on the telephone, but it takes a few tries for the call to get through fast enough, and for some, the call never goes through.
Imagine all of the times your foot, leg, hand or arms have fallen asleep. Now try using those extremities. That's how it feels to us with MS.
And you know that intense pins and needles feeling when your foot or arm starts to regain feeling, but you are overwhelmed with a painful pins and needles sensation? That's the pain we feel all of the time.
Most people are diagnosed in their 20's and 30's.
But MS lasts a lifetime.
And there is no cure.
MS disrupts people's lives. MS affects people's careers.
MS eats away at the brain and body. We are walking expiration dates.
MS disconnects you from the people you most love and care about.
MS impacts friendships and relationships.
MS takes things we don't want to give.
Like the ability to hang out with friends.
Or play with our kids.
And future grandchildren.
Or the ability to maintain a successful career.
Or even get dressed on our own.
MS can get worse. Or it could get better.
Some people have relapse-remitting,
which means their MS comes and goes, but always remains the same.
Some people (like me) have secondary-progressive,
which means MS comes and goes, but progressively gets worse as time goes on.
And some people have progressive MS,
which means their MS never goes away, and symptoms continually devastate the body.
You can't always see MS, but trust me, it's there.
Did you know women get it more frequently than men?
Unfortunately, when men are diagnosed, their MS is more progressive.
Unfortunately, when men are diagnosed, their MS is more progressive.
Children can even be diagnosed with MS.
Someone you know is living with MS,
RIGHT NOW.
You may have MS and not even know it yet.
Even though some have symptoms, a diagnosis could take hours or years.
8: The number of available treatments for MS.
$28 Billion: The cost of MS on the U.S. economy.
$2, 681: The average cost of Copaxone per month; the number one used injection to treat MS.
$2, 681: The average cost of Copaxone per month; the number one used injection to treat MS.
$49, 000: How much it costs a median household living with MS every year.
10: The number of years is takes for the average person living with MS to leave the workforce.
You,
Everyone you know,
Need to use your voices to get the word out.
IT IMPACTS US ALL.
Together we can raise awareness.
