I don't have the inclination to give you a play-by-play on this one. Not now, anyway. Suffice it to say it's bad news.
A gentleman I saw earlier this week was diagnosed with it about three years ago. It all started when his legs starting becoming weak. He would be walking along and they would just give out. This happened a few times before he decided that perhaps a medical opinion was in order.
So he went to the doctor. For the record, this is a big guy. Diagnosis? "You're too fat. Lose some weight." (Don't even get me started on the assumption made by the doctor here. That's an entire post in and of itself.)
And our hero does just that.
Only to have his legs not only continue to go out on him, but to do so more often.
So he returns for more medical advise and guidance. Oh, and some answers.
Tests are run. Without official results from the tests he gets a diagnosis: Congratulations! You have Lou Gehrig's Disease!
Only he didn't. Instead, they discoverd it was actually Primary Progressive MS. A disease that rears its ugly head with....want to take a gander? You got it! Walking difficulties!
This process took months, by the way.
Actually, he was doing pretty well, all things considered. Yes, he was in a wheelchair, but was managing well on his own. He had a good job working for the local newspaper. They worked with him up until the very end, arranging for him to work from home in his last few months there. He eventually had to quit, because even working from home was more than his body would allow.
And then came the debacle.
One of the problems associated with MS is bladder difficulties. They are numerous and range from a sudden need to urinate to absolutely no control over the bladder.
My guy is in the latter category and was having trouble with urinary tract infections among other things. His doctor and his father urged him to have surgery for something called a "super pubic catheter" or "supra pubic catheter." In layman's terms: plastic tubing inserted into the body to help aid bladder drainage.
My guy was uncomfortable from the start with this option and really didn't want to get one inserted. He allowed himself to be talked into the procedure, however, a procedure that was supposed to be relatively minor. He had concerns when he was taken to a "drive by clinic" (his words, not mine) for the surgery, as opposed to a hospital, but he consented all the same.
It's been chaos since day one. He constantly requires a catheter change--they last less and less time with each insertion, plus he's had to have at least one other surgery since the first one because leakage was constant. When before he was living on his own, since August he's been rendered almost helpless. He's a young man (not even forty!) completely dependent on his aging parents. Parents who are themselves not well.
He has never married. He has no kids. He has siblings but they're older and not in town. He has no job any longer--the disease stole that from him. He's depressed, lonely, slightly smothered by a well-meaning mother and father and quite angry about the surgery--a surgery he never wanted.
And he finally came to a point where he had no will to live. ->
Read the complete post at http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/tXCM/~3/460794287/i-dont-think-i-want-to-get-primary.html
Posted
21 Nov 2008 2:17 AM
by
Trench Warfare
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