curious11
02-08-2006, 06:03 PM
Why do some "sclerosis" heal, and some don't? (If that makes any sense!) I am wondering what makes some areas after an attack go back to "normal" and some have lasting residual effects?
(I just came back from my neuro-opthamologist appt. where they said everything with my eye is back to normal after the bout with ON 6 months ago. So I began to wonder... why did my eye heal back to status quo, but I still have lasting effects in other areas from that attack?) :confused: Just curious!! Thanks for any ideas :wave:
(I just came back from my neuro-opthamologist appt. where they said everything with my eye is back to normal after the bout with ON 6 months ago. So I began to wonder... why did my eye heal back to status quo, but I still have lasting effects in other areas from that attack?) :confused: Just curious!! Thanks for any ideas :wave:
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KelliD
02-08-2006, 10:46 PM
Hi Curious11! Envision the lesions on your brain as recurring wounds on your arm. Those wounds will usually scab over and heal and leave no traces of their one-time existence.However, if you keep injuring your arm in the exact same places enough, those scabs will ultimately fall away and leave scar tissue.
This is how it is with the lesions. Our bodies will fully repair them until the nerve(s)have demylenated so often that scar tissue is left where there was once a healthy nerve. This is why some side effects linger and others disappear. The ones that havehealed leave no lasting effects. The ones where there are now "scars" cause some measure of permanent damage.
This is how it is with the lesions. Our bodies will fully repair them until the nerve(s)have demylenated so often that scar tissue is left where there was once a healthy nerve. This is why some side effects linger and others disappear. The ones that havehealed leave no lasting effects. The ones where there are now "scars" cause some measure of permanent damage.
curious11
02-08-2006, 11:15 PM
Thanks Kelli... I can grasp that aspect of MS... but more specifically here is my question... I had a lingering attack involving ON, stiffness, spasticity, numbness, weakness in my legs and hands. My hands are back to normal. My eye sight is back to normal. But my legs are still very much affected. So all from one "attack" why did some areas heal, and some did not? I can understand if I had multiple attacks over a period of time, it would be like wear and tear on the specific nerves and that would leave residual effects. But from one attack... some areas fully healed, some did not. I just wonder how they differ and why recovery wouldn't be the same throughout the body?
Does this make sense? I know what I am trying to say... just can't find the words to get right to the point it seems.. hope this covers it. Thanks so much :angel:
Does this make sense? I know what I am trying to say... just can't find the words to get right to the point it seems.. hope this covers it. Thanks so much :angel:
KelliD
02-09-2006, 07:42 AM
It does make sense and your neuro is waaaay better qualified to answer than I, but my guess would be that you possibly have more than one active lesion and perhaps the problems are due to the one that has not repaired itself? But this begs another question that I don't understand (so I am glad you brought it up)....why can we seemingly fully recover from a flare....but the symptoms experienced during the flare appear again if we become overly tired? Crazy disease!
curious11
02-09-2006, 09:56 AM
Thanks Kelli. This whole notion just popped into my head, and I wasn't sure if I was missing a piece of the puzzle that would better explain it. But I guess it's just part of the mystery of this disease... but I will certaintly as my neuro who specializes in MS in a few weeks. If anyone would have more insight on this, I would think it would be him! I will make sure to post if I get any clarification. :angel: Take care
Punkdizzle
02-09-2006, 11:33 AM
sorry i dont have an answer for you i just wanted to say thanks for posting that question because i have been wondering the same thing but never remember to ask.. lol now its a bit more clear to me :)
Curly100
02-09-2006, 03:17 PM
Curios11,
That is a qu****on I asked my neuro some 20 years ago. I got a response,they don't heal they just scar. That made no sense, everything else heals as far as I know why not the mylen.
That is a qu****on I asked my neuro some 20 years ago. I got a response,they don't heal they just scar. That made no sense, everything else heals as far as I know why not the mylen.
curiousforever
02-09-2006, 03:18 PM
maybe one takes more time to "heal"...like if it's in an area that sees more movement (like your back) that due to the movement it's slower healing than one in your head - which really doesn't have twisting/bending/turning?
Kinda like when my son bruised the bones in his knee joint...that took a long time to heal- cause of the constant movement - whereas if it had been on his forearm or his shin - the parts don't move and it would have healed faster.
Kinda like when my son bruised the bones in his knee joint...that took a long time to heal- cause of the constant movement - whereas if it had been on his forearm or his shin - the parts don't move and it would have healed faster.
curious11
02-09-2006, 09:26 PM
Thanks for all the input! Curly... I had also come to understand that rather than the damaged nerves healing, alternate routes to send signals were found. Or if the nerve did "repair" itself and scar over, the signal could sometimes still get through depending on the extent of the damage- which I had also come to believe wouldn't be permenant unless you had attacks over a period of time effecting the same area. Now all of this that I learned throughout the years seems to be thrown out the window based on what I experience. So that is why I question it.
CuriousForever... your theory sounds good too. That depending on where a lesion is, the faster or slower it heals. My neuro did emphasize the fact that it's all about location. You can have 100 lesions with no symptoms (like my brother) or 3 in a few key spots and have alot of trouble (me!).
It sure is a tricky disease to fully understand :confused:
Take care everyone :angel:
CuriousForever... your theory sounds good too. That depending on where a lesion is, the faster or slower it heals. My neuro did emphasize the fact that it's all about location. You can have 100 lesions with no symptoms (like my brother) or 3 in a few key spots and have alot of trouble (me!).
It sure is a tricky disease to fully understand :confused:
Take care everyone :angel:
lestoby
02-10-2006, 03:36 AM
My doctor explained the mylen sheath like a computer.
I will see if I can draw a picture with a typewriter like so:
~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~~
The squiggly lines represent the nerve and the [] represents a lesion.
The nerve ordinarly sends signals on a straight line, but when it encounters the lesion, it must find a way to reroute itself. But, until it can find a new route to follow, your symptoms will be exacerbated. Once, it has found a new route, it will operate more properly, but will never be completely corrected.
Kind of like the way a computer program installs itself throughout various parts of your computer and everything works fine until it encounters a conflict. Most likely due to user error LOL. :jester:
Now, if they could just come up with a cure that will perform a "defrag" on our brains we should all be cured.
:p
I will see if I can draw a picture with a typewriter like so:
~~~~[]~~~~[]~~~~~
The squiggly lines represent the nerve and the [] represents a lesion.
The nerve ordinarly sends signals on a straight line, but when it encounters the lesion, it must find a way to reroute itself. But, until it can find a new route to follow, your symptoms will be exacerbated. Once, it has found a new route, it will operate more properly, but will never be completely corrected.
Kind of like the way a computer program installs itself throughout various parts of your computer and everything works fine until it encounters a conflict. Most likely due to user error LOL. :jester:
Now, if they could just come up with a cure that will perform a "defrag" on our brains we should all be cured.
:p
lilc
02-10-2006, 07:06 AM
LOL!!! Yeah, during a defrag, the "bad" areas are marked and the computer doesn't try to use them any more!