Music and Multiple Sclerosis
In late October 2002, my entire left side went a little numb. I was checked for a mini-stroke, a
heart-related condition, a brain tumor and other neurological conditions, which all came back negative. I was diagnosed with Multiple
Sclerosis. I got a second opinion one year later with more extensive tests and with the same diagnosis. MS is a chronic disease of
the central nervous system. For some unknown reason, the autoimmune system attacks the myelin sheath (a protective protein around
the nerves), thinking it's a virus or foreign object. These attacks occur at different times and in different areas of the brain or
spinal cord, resulting in delayed conductivity of the affected nerves. The most common symptoms are numbness, muscular weakness, loss
of coordination and speech, and double vision. It can happen to anyone, but seems to be more common in people living in the northern
hemisphere. Having MS doesn’t worry me. I’ve always felt I’m in God's hands and that he wouldn’t give me anything I couldn’t handle.
It hasn’t affected me musically except for a month of weakness in my left hand and some hearing loss on that side, both of which,
by the grace of God, went back to normal. There is currently no cure for MS. If you have been diagnosed with it, please stay positive
and don’t give up the things you love to do. The brain is amazing. It will draw from other resources when the usual ones are compromised
and can heal itself when attacked. I am not going to give up. Phil See
I orignially had a links page with MS related sites
but all you have to do is Google MS sites for your part of the country and you'll find them.
Update - December 2009: I'm still
playing music and still not giving up.