Fight against MS gaining steam

Ann Romney, wife of presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and Jack Osbourne, son of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, may not have much in common politically.

On a personal level, however, they are both battling the same serious illness.

With news that both have multiple sclerosis, the national media has revisited this debilitating autoimmune disease that affects about 400,000 people nationwide, 2,500 of them in New Mexico.

With MS, a persons immune system attacks the central nervous system, damaging nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, explains Albuquerque neurologist Dr. Corey Ford, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Specialty Clinic at the University of New Mexicos Neurosciences Center. It does not affect the nerves in the arms or legs, or the muscles directly.

The nerve damage that does result can show up as a variety of symptoms, including vision loss, weakness, sensations of numbness or tingling, loss of balance and mobility issues, bladder and bowel problems, dizziness, tremors, spasticity and problems with cognition including short-term memory loss, slowed thinking and difficulty with multitasking.

Which MS patients manifest which symptoms, to what degree and for how long is the big unknown, says Ford.

Albuquerquean Dave Bexfield, 44, first noticed intermittent symptoms in 2006 flashes in his eyes, a sporadic burning sensation in his knees and chest, an arm that fell asleep for no reason and then numbness on one side of his body.

With the diagnosis of MS, Bexfield said he initially cried, because I knew it was a life changer. But he also learned that the first few months were crucial in learning to cope mentally with the illness. Attitude is your best weapon, he says. It wont cure or fix the disease, but without it, coping with MS is infinitely more difficult.

Bexfield, who was diagnosed in 2006, uses an adaptive skiing device.

A professional writer, Bexfield put his skills to good use and created activemsers.org, which has become one of the best read websites for people with MS who are looking for motivation, inspiration, information and hope.

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Fight against MS gaining steam