It occurred to me that if I'm going to be sharing my random thoughts on being a caregiver for someone with MS, I should tell you a bit about that someone with MS.
My wife Jeanne was diagnosed with secondary progressive MS in 1997. At that time, she was a working screenwriter (as in she got paid for her work) who loved to hike and bike. In fact, she started every day by going on a 40 mile bike ride. Jeanne earned her Masters Degree in Community Medicine from the University of Rochester. Born in New Jersey, she moved to Los Angeles in the mid 1980's. Almost immediately after her arrival in L.A., Jeanne appeared on Wheel of Fortune and was the week's big winner -- trips, a car, furniture, jewelry -- she definitely knew how to spin that wheel! We met in 1988 and were married in 1991.
In 1997, at the time of her diagnosis, Jeanne's only symptom was a mild tremor in the pinky of her right hand. We noticed it one day as she was holding a cup of coffee. Over time, that tiny tremor spread to both hands, arms and her head. The muscle fatigue that accompanies MS is most pronounced in Jeanne's esaphogus, making swallowing a difficult challenge for her. This same muscle fatigue has made speech difficult for Jeanne as well. As is often the case for people battling MS, Jeanne has vision problems and also suffers from depression. For the past year, she has begun to deal with the cognitive issues that can accompany MS, including having difficulty with her short-term memory. Jeanne is no longer ambulatory, and the woman who used to bike 40 miles a day is now limited to a wheelchair.
Because of her specific set of symptoms, Jeanne requires assistance with most every single day-to-day task you can think of including brushing her teeth, getting dressed, feeding herself, using a telephone, remote control or a computer. Her vision problems don't allow her to read and her tremor requires that someone "pilot" her wheelchair for her.
So now you've met my special someone with MS. Next, you'll meet me.
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