N : OK. As you know, I’m here today to answer your questions on your Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and to discuss with you as much information as possible on how to manage it for a better quality of daily living. All right ?

P : Yes, please. I feel so depressed about the daily repercussions and life-long evolution of this illness.

N : You need to know that Multiple Sclerosis affects the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is characterized by lesions, or “plaques”, in which the protective sheath of the neurons, the myelin, is destroyed.

P : And what does this imply ?

N : As we know now, you’ve got the relapsing form of the disease, which means that you’ll have episodes of remission of varying length between relapses that can last from a few days to a month without visible disability, which is the most common form of Multiple Sclerosis.

P : I don’t really get it !

N : It’s that during the course of the disease, symptoms can evolve towards a progressive form which is characterized by a continuous worsening of the signs.

P : How is that ?

N : Well, this means, in general, that you might be having flares of inflammation.

P : So, what difficulties should I expect in my daily life ?

N : Actually, the symptoms depend on the area of the brain, spinal cord or optic nerves where the inflammatory attack occurs. Therefore, this can result in sensitivity disorders like tingling, pins and needles, and a feeling of tightness or pain which can affect an arm, the chest, the stomach, the legs or part of the face ; muscle paralysis or weakness which can lead to difficulty walking ; balance problems with dizziness, and difficulty in coordinating your limbs ; visual impairment, that is a decrease in visual acuity, which can be accompanied by pain when the eye is in movement, but also double vision (diplopia) or inflammation of the optic nerve (retrobulbar optic neuritis) ; and facial paralysis, speech, swallowing or bladder and bowel disorders. Unfortunately, all these symptoms often lead to extreme and unusual fatigue, attention problems, and depressive episodes and anxiety.

P : But how can all this be managed ?

N : First of all, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have all these symptoms at one and the same time. However, you should just be aware of the complexity of this condition, but that there are some therapeutic strategies to cope with the illness on a daily basis.

P : This exactly what I need to know, I mean how to manage my activities of daily living.

N : Basically, we’ll accompany you to understand the impact of the diagnosis, recognize and manage attacks, learn how to live with your basic treatment, adapting it according to whether it is an oral or injection treatment, or even hospital treatment, to manage pain, regulate your fatigue, boost your memory and concentration, but also we’ll work on social and psychological rehabilitation for you to get back to work and social activities, to regulate emotions, adapt your lifestyle, carry out administrative procedures, and how to manage pregnancy.