Don't Want to Lose My Mom

by Anonymous

Is it true, you have only 5 to 10 years to live? My mom has MS and I don't want to lose her.



REPLY:

I'm so sorry to hear that you are afraid about your mom having MS. It must be pretty scary for you. To answer your question - no that is not true in all cases. Several things determine the course of someones MS. If your mom has relapsing-remitting then she may get a little worse each time she has a relapse. And after awhile, she may develop secondary-progressive MS. Then her MS may begin to progress a little faster.

Each persons MS is different. If you know someone who had MS that died very quickly, they may have had a rare form called primary progressive MS. Most people don't get this form. The actual disease MS doesn't kill people. Many times it's other things, like infections that kill a person with MS. If a person with MS can take an active roll in their treatment, then many times they will live as long as they would have without MS. They may have to live with disabilities which may be difficult to deal with.

I can see you care about your mom and that is the first step in helping her live a long and life even with her illness. You reaching out to find out about her illness is a BIG thing. Having family who love and support her is a BIG thing. Helping her with little things like picking up around the house and keeping a clear path for her so that she doesn't fall if she has balance issues is a good thing. Just being their for her is so important. Trying to see things through her eyes is a good thing. Learning alternative treatments like vitamins (B 100 and D3) are important for MSers. There are so many things you can do to help her learn what it takes to live a long life in spite of her MS.

So, asking your question, any question, is always a good thing and your mom is blessed to have a wonderful daughter like you in her life. Try to learn as much as you can about MS. Our site is a good place to start and there are many others that will help you learn more about MS. MS is a manageable condition and even though things might be overwhelming one day, they usually do get better.

Hope this helps, and if you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Take care and be well,
Akrista