MS treatments don’t cure my disease; they just make it quieter

I’ve written several times before about how unpleasant it was to catch giardia while serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, but I wasn’t the only person to get sick from drinking contaminated water. On one mission, we’d gotten up far too early to make coffee and had some tea brewed during a lull by our Afghan brethren instead. They said that they’d made it with bottled water, but something got lost in translation.

What we found out later was that the water had come from a bottle, but said bottle had been filled from the local river/laundromat/car wash/livestock watering station/restroom. I handed out an antibiotic chaser to all the tea drinkers, but apparently I didn’t get to everyone in time because, later that evening, one of my teammates became violently ill.

I don’t mean that he was violent — he was much too weak — just that the sounds coming from the top and bottom ends of his body were a little scary and violent-sounding. When that had settled, I gave him more antibiotics and started an IV to rehydrate him. He glanced up while I was adding a powerful and sedating anti-nausea medication to his IV and asked, “Is that going to make me better?”

I considered this question carefully before replying, “Well, it’s certainly going to make you quieter.”

My bedside manner was the stuff of legend.

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Quieting my MS symptoms

Since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), those words have often come back to haunt me. It hurts a little to think that my disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), along with the medications I take to control MS symptoms, do exactly that. My DMT doesn’t cure MS, and the meds for my symptoms ease but don’t eliminate them. The drugs simply provide some relief, buy me time, and make me quieter.

Surprisingly, I’ve made peace with that.

I didn’t think I would at first. I wanted a cure and a complete restoration of the person I was before MS. Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards yet, and I’m gradually learning to accept that.

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) isn’t eliminating my disease, but the DMT seems to be keeping it stable, which is the equivalent of making it quieter. My intrathecal baclofen pump doesn’t wipe out my spasticity, but it does lessen it, and for now, I suppose that’ll have to do.

In the past, I’ve been skeptical and even scoffed at some of the alternative treatments for MS. I still do when it comes to anything that claims to cure or reverse the disease as long as you’re willing to pay. I don’t mind anyone making money from their research and work, but I have a special disdain for people who deliberately prey on the desperation of those suffering from a disease.

Your particular diet or other alternative therapies may not work for me at all, and mine may not work for you. We’re all different, and our MS is unique to each of us. At the end of the day, if what you’re doing is safe, makes you feel better, and isn’t making you destitute, then it’s making you quieter. That’s a good thing, and I would advise that you keep doing it.

I’ve shared that I’m now in therapy to treat the depression stemming from my life with MS. When I started attending therapy, I honestly thought that there’d simply be a quick assessment followed by a prescription. No real cure, just a treatment to make my sadness a little quieter.

To my utter delight, that’s not what happened at all. The sadness is still being quieted, but with therapy to make me aware of it and to help alleviate it. My symptoms may come back and an antidepressant could be in my future, but I much prefer this way of quieting my depression.

My MS isn’t gone by any means, but I’ve chosen and continue to choose ways of making my symptoms quieter.

Please don’t misunderstand me: Making my life more comfortable is the quiet that I’m talking about. I write a weekly column about MS, participate in several forums, advocate, research, and continue to ask questions. Obviously, when it comes to those concerns, I have no intention of going quietly.

March is MS Awareness Month, and MS News Today is asking for guest column submissions from people with the disease or those affected by it. We need one submission for each of the month’s 31 days. Please consider submitting one and sharing your thoughts.

Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.