Multiple sclerosis : a guide for the newly diagnosed

258 Pages·2017·2.195 MB·English

by  T. J. Murray

Multiple Sclerosis
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Multiple Sclerosis
A GUIDE FOR THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED
FIFTH EDITION
T. Jock Murray,
OC, ONS, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, MACP, FRCP, MCFP, FCAHS
Professor Emeritus, Dalhousie University
Dalhousie Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Murray, T. J., author.
Title: Multiple sclerosis : a guide for the newly diagnosed / T. Jock Murray,
OC, ONS, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, MACP, FRCP, MCFP, FCAHS (honorary LLD, DSc,
D.Litt, DFA, LLD) Professor Emeritus, Dalhousie University, Dalhousie
Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Description: Fifth edition. | New York, NY : Demos Medical Publishing, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017034850| ISBN 9780826165114 | ISBN 9780826165121 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Multiple sclerosis—Popular works.
Classification: LCC RC377 .H65 2017 | DDC 616.8/34—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034850
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17 18 19 20 21 / 5 4 3 2 1
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To my patients …
who taught me so many lessons. It has been a privilege to walk with
you on the long road of life with MS. I continue to be inspired by your
courage and strength. It was your generosity in teaching l essons to
generations of physicians and to contributing to research that led to
the advances that now benefit so many others.
v
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Contents
Preface ix
Foreword by Catherine Edward xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Share Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed,
Fifth Edition
1. The History of Multiple Sclerosis 1
2. What Is Multiple Sclerosis and How Is It Diagnosed? 11
3. What Is the Cause of Multiple Sclerosis? 23
4. What Treatment Is Available? 35
5. Unconventional Medicines Used for Multiple Sclerosis 69
6. Practical Guidelines for Living with Multiple Sclerosis 99
7. Coping with Multiple Sclerosis 115
8. Employment Issues and Multiple Sclerosis 133
vii
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viii ConTenTs
9. Financial and Life Planning 141
10. Research in Multiple Sclerosis: The Link
to Treatments 157
11. What Works and What Doesn’t: The “Ins” and
“Outs” of Clinical Trials 175
12. How Your Multiple Sclerosis Society Can Help 189
Glossary 205
Additional Reading 225
Resources 227
Index 233
About the Author
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Preface
It doesn’t seem so long ago to me, but I first saw people with multi-
ple sclerosis (MS) when I was a family doctor in a small community
back in the early 1960s. I became part of their lives and struggles
even though I had little to change the course of their disease. The
patients taught me that what they really needed was someone who
would be there when they needed help or information.
Later, as a neurologist, I was told by some patients that there
was a lot of MS in their communities and I carried out studies to see
if there were clusters of MS. Over those years the essential lessons
I learned had nothing to do with the epidemiology of MS, but that so
many MS patients in the communities felt abandoned. In the 1970s
they were often told they had MS, there was no treatment, and the
future would be for increasing disability and wheelchairs. In many
instances, they were not given follow-up appointments because the
neurologists had nothing to offer, and the family physicians said they
didn’t know much about MS.
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