Multiple Sclerosis, A Manly Disease? - A Guest Blog

Posted October 20, 2011

We are happy to have Ricardo, one of our awesome guest bloggers, share his experience with MS through a male’s perspective:

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable neurological disease that affects an estimated 400,000 people in the United States. Of that it is estimated that only 25 percent is male. MS usually occurs in the prime of life (between 20–50) so it usually is a tough hurdle for most men to tackle. I’m thirty-five; I was diagnosed with MS almost two years ago, and most men in my age range have been taught to “suck it up” or just plain ignore the pain altogether. For me, my MS definitely started just like that. I always attributed the wobbliness to being tired or just clumsiness. After visiting a neurologist and starting on a D.M.D. (disease modifying drug) it became more of a mental challenge to admit that I needed assistance both from my wife and my family. After that initial hurdle I sought out a local support group; some groups prefer to meet online through social media. While being online to talk and share with other MSers is convenient for me, it doesn’t replace the comradery of my local support group. Usually a Health representative is featured to keep us up-to-date on the latest in treatment technology. Being in a local support group also just helped me to know that I wasn’t alone in how I felt. I must note one thing that I’ve learned about MS and social media is that there are a lot of differing opinions when it comes to treatment so take most critiques with a grain of salt.
-Ricardo Veloz