10B Thursday, April 28, 1988 / University Daily Kansan W12V Multiple sclerosis: the disease that makes life a battle Multiple sclerosis: the dise HDFL professor uses 30 years of experience with MS to help others understand and adjust By Donna Stokes Kansan staff writer It can start as temporary blindness, a loss of feeling in one or both legs or just a feeling that something is not right. Regardless of how it begins, multiple sclerosis, ausing and terrifying disease, can quickly change a life. Marie Cross is an associate professor of human development and family life and an adviser for Students Against Multiple Sclerosis. Thirty years of MS have made life, but she hasn't let it interfere with her happiness. Cross fought against the diagnosis for many years and did not admit to anyone that she had the disease, believing that if she denied it, it would not get the best of her. "It is hard to accept sometimes, but you can accept it without giving in," Cross said. "I think I fight it more now that I have accepted the fact that I have the disease." Multiple sclerosis, a complicated disorder resulting from complex interactions of genetic, environmental, geographic, viral and immunological factors, is widely diagnosed with the disease. And many who are newly diagnosed with the disease. in the body of those people who have MS, myeline coating flakes off of nerve walls and a scar forms, which causes motor messages to be interrupted. Effects vary by location of the lesion and the degree of indifference, inability to control limbs and speech problems. "You have to learn to not be embarrassed to use crutches or canes when you need them." Cross said. "You also fall down a lot, so you have to learn how to face that. "There is no doubt that it does limit me to a certain extent, but I choose to ignore it. It changes the way you do." Cross is a vibrant example that multiple sclerosis does not have to limit the quality or happiness of life. "I have never compromised anything that is important to me because of MS. I have raised three kids and have had a career that I am involved with professionally," Cross said. She teaches three nutrition classes each fall, two every spring, and special classes and directed readings in nutrition in the human development and family life department in addition to being adviser for Students Against Multiple Sclerosis. An inspiration Shelley Hansel, Wellington sophomore and co-chairman of SAMS, said that as an adviser, Cross was an inspiration for the group. "She is really open and forward about MS," Hansel said. "Knowing her makes you really want to work harder. You want to help people like her. It really personalizes it a little more to know someone who has it that enjoys life so much." Hansel called Cross one weekend to ask whether she could drop bv for a visit. "She told me to drive up and down the street if she wasn't home because she was probably 'out wheeling' Cross works out nearly every weekend by pushing a manual wheelchair up Crestline Drive. It took some time for her to build up enough strength to make it up the hill. But with a lot of work and some coaching from her husband, she made it to the top and continued to work at it Cross uses a wheelchair for exercise or long distances, but most of the time she is able to walk with some help (see below). At work, she takes the stairs instead of the elevator and strongly believes that exercise is important in keeping her fit. "It is very important to maintain the ability to get somewhere on your own, when you want to go," she said. Many newly diagnosed people immediately associate MS with a direct trip to a wheelchair or permanent blindness. Misunderstandings about the disease can often make people more likely to become different, being alone and facing an unknown future. Support groups Cross has felt the uncertainty. She understands the fear and has become involved in support groups that help others deal with what she has experienced. "People don't always understand that one day you can do something you can't do the next, but you may be able to do it again next week." Cross said. There are two main types of MS. The disease can include remissions and exacerbations, or it can steadily progress with no remissions. A remission is when a person experiences fewer or no symptoms of the disease. An exacerbation is a period during which symptoms are more pronounced and the person affected loses some abilities he or she normally has. It can be brought on by extreme heat, a virus, an accident or emotional upset. "It's hard to explain the excitement you feel when you realize you can do something you haven't been able to do." "I made my family stand at the bottom of the stairs and watch me go up and down the stairs, like a normal person, one foot after the other," she said. "But within hours I was not able to do it." Cross said that every once in awhile she was able to do things that she had struggled with in the past. One of those times she was able to go up stairs without difficulty. "You have to concentrate on the good days. You enjoy them to the fullest and you can't forget to say, 'Hey, I feel great today!' " she said. Barbara Lumley, a member of the original support group Cross started in April 1986, said, "When you feel a remission coming on and you start to feel better, you have to grab it, hang on to it and run with it." A support group is important during the rough times. The original group grew to five students in two months and has had as many as 18 members from the campus and Lawrence communities. Cross said, "If something new and nasty has happened, it helps to be able to talk to someone who understands, who can reassure you that it may go away. I'm kind of a bit of a track record, someone who has been through it all." "By associating with the people who have it, who are always so cheerful and doing quite well, it helps the newly diagnosed see that the disease won't hamper their quality of life," she said. Lumley and Dawn Semon, an advising assistant in KU's advising support center, are two members who have received a lot of emotional support from the group. It was eight years after Lumley first had MS that she said. Emotional help 1 was off and on crutches during that time. I kept falling on my face, and I didn't really know why," she said. Her right knee kept giving out, and her first diagnosis was that she merely had torn cartilage in her knee. In June 1982, Lumley drove by herself to an appointment in Topeka where she was diagnosed with MS. meth. I went to my car and was just hysterical, I didn't really understand what that meant. I got lost in Topeka," Lumley said. Lumley went to St. Francis Hospital for a week of testing to validate the diagnosis. The day she got out of the hospital, she had to go to court for her divorce. "At that time, I knew I needed some answers, and I needed someone to talk to." she said. needed someone to call the support group sponsored by Lumley began going to the support group sponsored by Independence, Inc., a national self-help group, where she first met Marie Cross. Lumley is now in charge of the group. She is also taking six hours of classes and working toward a major in Computer Science. "Marie has always been a good reinforcement," Lumley said. "She has had MS for 30 years, she can relate to what we're experiencing. She has always beer there for everybody. She is never too busy." Although Lumley was shocked when she finally was diagnosed with MS, she also was relieved. Many people who are diagnosed with MS are terrified and do not want to admit or accept they have the disease, or they may not know how to cope with it. New diagnosis Lumley said the biggest benefit of the group was the emotional support it gives. "You need to talk to someone who understands what you're going through, someone who has been there before." Semon first joined the group in 1986 when she was diagnosed with MS, which turned out to be an incorrect diagnosis. However, the group was important to her because it helped her learn to cope. 1st Annual Country Club Week Campus-Wide "Nothing so disruptive had ever happened in my life before this, and I had just not developed the coping skills." Semon said. "The group really helped me to find them. Most of the people in the group were newly diagnosed, and it was vital that we had someone to share the initial shock and confusion with." 1st Annual Country Club Week Campus-Wide ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT & Battle of the Bands to Benefit Headquarters and Special Olympics August 25-26, Night of the 26 Teams of 8 players Double Elimination Entry Fee: $40.00 per team (includes admission to Battle of the Bands) Make Reservations Now! Contact Chairmen: Mark Sloo, Amy Jones (Call KU Directory 864-2700) Sponsored By: PYRAMID MillworkC 91 We're going to help you out in the money department too. Cut out this coupon and receive: 25% off your next purchase after 5 p.m. in the Hawk's Nest Finals will be here before you know it! Although we can't study for you,we would like to make your life a little easier. 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