Cure for Multiple sclerosis - Thesis Example

? Number] Introduction Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often referred as disseminated sclerosis is an inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS) of the body. It damages the fatty myelin around the spinal cord and brain due to which demyelination and scarring occurs. The prevalence of disease is most common among the women and it usually occurs in the young adults. The disease was first time described in 1868 by Jean Martin Charcot. The disease affects the functioning and abilities of the nerves cells present in the brain and spinal cord and disallow them communicating with each other properly due to which the transmission of electrical signals is interrupted. Eventually, the immune system of the body attacks and damages myelin - an insulating substance and the axons fail to properly conduct the signals (Langgartner et al, p885). There are several therapies recommended for the patients of MS for returning the functions after an attack. The therapies also work for preventing new attacks and for the prevention of further disabilities among the patients. The medication used for the treatment of MS generally has adverse effects upon the human health due to which there is great need of conducting extensive research work for finding the appropriate medicines and therapies for the treatment of MS. The following essay aims to discuss the disease multiple sclerosis and the current state of its treatment and cure. The essay also throws light upon the life of a feminist writer and victim of MS Nancy Mairs in order to illustrate the problems faced by the people suffering from this disease. The experiences and feelings shared by Maris possess great important in the context of past, present and future status of MS disease diagnoses and treatment. The life and experiences of Nancy Mairs are discussed in the essay to explain the disparities and loneliness of the MS patients that look for the better treatment of their disease. The case of Nancy Mairs is also discusses to make people aware of the emotional pain encountered by the MS patients and the need for finding out the ways through which MS could be prevented and the people diagnosed with MS could also be provided with better care and treatment. The description about the life and emotions of Mairs also aims to create awareness among the people that there is great need of doing for the cure of MS and people must treat the MS patients in adequate manner to eliminate distress and anguish from their lives. The case of Nancy Mairs Nancy Mairs is an author that mostly focuses upon diverse issues and topics in her writings like spirituality, women problems and other social issues. Her experience with the disease Multiple Sclerosis is also an important point of concern in her writing from which she suffered at the age of 28 years. She described her experience as cripple and wrote pieces like On Being a Cripple, Sex and the Gimpy Girl and her memoir Waist high in the World. She describes her experiences and observations with life in her writing that she came across especially after diagnosed with MS. She wants to face the harsh reality and disclosed that she wants to be named as cripple because she always wants to accept the reality and want people to know about it. Mairs thinks that her disease is a reality just like any other thing in life like death; sex, war etc. and it is important to face the harsh reality rather hiding at to find false shelter for some time. Mairs writes in detailed about the uncertainty and mental struggle that she has to encounter due to lack of correct diagnosis at the early stage of the disease. She realized that she has changed a lot after the diagnosis of the disease. She always feels that she is lucky to have husband and children with her to care of her however, at the same time she also focuses upon the need of having some kind and caring people around her for providing assistance and support. Mairs always feels the essence of pity in people behaviour with her and felt that people feel sympathetic and kind to her because she is a cripple. She also talks about her problem in taking part of certain social activities due to her illness (Mairs , p2). The life of Mairs is example for people that tell about the miseries and sadness of the people with the disease like Multiple Sclerosis. She always expresses her unlikeness for her illness and wishes if she could get over it or ever never ever have this problem in her life. She encounters dispersion when she came across the fact that she is no longer able to take part in many social, professional and family activities due to her illness. Mairs used her writing skills to create awareness among the people regarding the problems of a person suffering from MS and especially about the problems of a women with this disease that the disable women has to face while performing her role as wife, mother and in other social relations. She deeply expresses her feelings through her writing and let the readers know about the difficulties and emotional disparities that the people with MS have to face in their lives. She got very strong and unique sense of conveying stories to the people with strong voice that make people informed about MS and its effects upon the life of the sufferer. Being a writer she had great sense and motivation to use the literary skills to make people aware and informed. She took unique position for examining the response of people towards the people with disabilities and examines the behaviours, attitude and perceptions about the disabilities in her writings (Mairs, p3). Mairs also focuses upon the depiction of disability and media and expresses her opinion that media must treat the abnormalities as normal thing rather treating the people with disabilities different from the normal people. She realized that the people with disabilities are not given due coverage in the media regardless of their capabilities and skills. She wants the media to portray the people with disabilities capable of doing several other things like the normal people. She believes that despite suffering from MS she is still like any other women and must be treated as women rather are seen as a MS patient (Mairs, p3). The expression of her expressions, feelings and thoughts possesses great importance in the perspective of treatment and perception about MS in the society. She raised voice that people with certain disabilities also have the rights to live normal life and enjoy little and big things in their lives. The people must respond towards them a normal manner rather regarding them incapable of doing nay thing like social activities etc. Mairs make the people believe that the disability should not be taken as end of one’s personality. She insists that despite being disable she is like other women of the societies sharing gender, national and socioeconomic identities with them. The people with disabilities have to take more care of their selves and they have to avoid the situations and circumstances that could pose any threat to their health conditions. She pointed out towards the fact that the disable people also certain commodities and products like all other people in society but when it comes to the advertisement and promotion of these products, no advertiser want other to show that their product is being used by the disabled because they don’t want to give impression that the product is for the disables. Mairs however, logically condemns this thinking and argue that people should not think that if any product is used by the disable, it become limited for their use only. She writes “But tell me truly now, if you saw me pouring out puppy biscuits, would you think these kibbles were only for the puppies of cripples”. She expresses her standpoint that the disable people should also be depicted in media consuming things like all other people because it does not mean that the product would be labelled as the handicap’s products. She thinks that it is important to promote this trend in order to make disable people close with the society and reduce their loneliness (Mairs, p3). The experiences shared by Mairs allow people understand the pain and loneliness that the disable people encounter when they are treated in different manner by the people and are not taken as a normal part of the society despite having same feelings, emotions and thinking like the ordinary people. The attitude of people and society adds to the dispersion and loneliness of the disables and make them feel that they cannot act like normal people. Treatment and Cure for Multiple Sclerosis – Current Efforts and Position Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic that can result in malfunctioning of brain and spinal cord. It causes change in the sensation, visual problems, physical weakness, depression and evolution of negative thinking style and experiencing problem in coordinating with the people and delivering speech properly. It generally does not pose threat to the life of the sufferer and many of the patients with MS survive for long lives however, their lives are usually badly affected due to the impaired mobility and disability caused by MS (Langgartner et al , p885). The patients of MS generally came across four clinical courses of disease that could be mild, moderate or severe. These include relapsing – remitting MS, Primary Progressive MS, Secondary Progressive MS and Progressive Relapsing MS. The causes of the disease are still unknown despite the research work conducted for finding out the mechanism and cure of the disease. It is found that there are different environmental and risk factors that contribute towards the occurrence of this disease. There are several therapies suggested for the cure of MS however, there is no known cure and treatment of the disease and the patients one suffered from disease have to live their entire lives with this disease due to the absence of proper treatment of this disability (Langgartner et al, p885). The proper and successful cure and treatment method of MS is yet to discover. The conventional medicines do not offer the cure for MS and only therapies have been suggested for the patients of MS. There are some medications also given to the patients of MS but they have proved having very serious side effects and risks to the human health due to which the healthcare professionals usually avoid prescribing such drugs to the patients. Some beta interferon has been approved by FDA for the cure of relapsing remitting MS and they can minimise the severity of attacks (Langgartner et al, p885). The medication and therapies recommended for MS could only help the patients in taking control of their disease and these treatments are not affective for complete cure or prevention of MS. However, with the help of these therapies the patients could not only take control of their disease but could also expect to lead long and active life because the medication slows down the progression of MS in the body and also work to alleviate some symptoms and problems caused by MS. It is important for the MS patients to start the treatment as soon as they are diagnosed with MS so that they can prevent future disabilities and could also reduce the pain and severity of the disease. There are several choices available for the treatment of MS including different types of therapies and medications. The healthcare professionals have to responsibility to sort out that which medication and therapy can help the patient in best way and they have to make this choice keeping in view the side effects and benefits of each method. In most of the cases, the therapies are found as more useful and significant way of MS treatment because unlike medicines they have no adverse effects upon the body and there are no chances of any chemical reaction or side effects of the therapies like that of the medicines used for MS treatment. Some of medicines used for the medication of MS include Avonex (interferon beta-1a), Betaseron (interferon beta-1b), Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), Novantrone (mitoxantrone), Rebif (interferon beta-1a), Tysabri (natalizumab) and Gilenya (fingolimod). These drugs are usually given to the MS patients for suppressing and altering the activity of the immune system of the body. The drugs affect the disturbed body function and allow it to function and respond in normal way. These medicines do not work for curing the disease but they help in reducing the frequency and severity of attacks (Langgartner et al, p885). Conclusion The essay discusses the life and experiences of MS victim Nancy Mairs and also describes the current state of the treatment and cure of MS. It is unveiled that MS is a disease that affects the life of the people very strongly and negatively. The people suffering from this disease became unable to spend their lives in the usual manner due to the physical and mental shocks that experience after getting MS. The medicines used for MS cure also have strong negative effects due to which it is important to conduct research work for finding the medication that can cure MS without causing harmful effects upon the health of the humans. Along with finding out the medication for MS there is another important aspect related with the treatment of MS highlighted by Nancy Mairs that need special attention of the people. Mairs expressed her feelings in detail and make it clear for people that the people diagnosed with MS need special attention. The society need to bring more openness regarding the treatment of MS patients. There is need to make people aware that the patient of MS also have same feelings and emotions like the normal people so and thus it is important that the society must accept the MS patients like other people and give them importance to take part in different activities in the society. It is found that MS patients are usually not given importance in the society and the media also don’t want to give proper coverage to them. The society and the media need to understand that the patients of MS also need same attention and importance as the normal people do. In fact the patients of MS became even more sensitive that they need some more attention as compared with the normal people so that their depression and sorrow could be reduced and they can make their lives happy. The cure, prevention and treatment of MS are also very important. The core reasons behind the prevalence of MS must be identified and made known to the people so that they can prevent their lives from MS. At the same time it is imperative to find out better procurement and treatment ways for MS having lesser adverse effects and health risks. At present, the society is not ready to accept patient of MS due to which they feel more distressed and lonely. The positive attitude of the society could also improve the situation and the MS patients could get the courage to live active and happy life while combating with their disease. References Langgartner M, Langgartner I, Drlicek M. "The patient's journey: multiple sclerosis". BMJ 330 (7496): 885–8, 2005. Print Nancy Mairs. On Being a Cripple, Arizona Board of Regent. 1986, Web page Retrieved online at: userwww.sfsu.edu/~mmartin/Mairs.pdf Read More