Swiss Army Knife of Treatment

 

The Swiss Army Knife.

First introduced in 1859, this baby was the cat’s meow of knives!

The Swiss Army Knife was decked out like a pimp’s Cadillac Coupe DeVille.  It’s the McGyver of cutlery!

 

Boasting not only a main blade and a smaller blade too…..plus, tweezers, a toothpick, corkscrew, can-opener, flat-head screwdriver, Phillips-head screwdriver, nail file, scissors, shoelace hook and a key ring.  (With all this stuff, it’s no wonder since the early 1800s,  the Swiss have remained neutral in world affairs.  If their knives are this devastating, imagine what their other weapons must be like!)

 

In other words, the Swiss Army Knife gives you a bunch of tool options to get the job done.

 

 

While digesting that thought (along with a ham sandwich), I began comparing it with your typical MS treatment plan.

With a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, there are so many doggone symptoms & side effects, you almost need a Swiss Army Knife of treatment options to cover all your bases!

 

As an example, here is what’s included in My Odd Sock’s Swiss Army Knife of MS treatment:

 

Baclofen–  Helps control my spasticity, the arch-enemy of my MS.

 

 

 

Botox injections–  NOT for my face, but for my legs!  Every three months for spasticity. 

 

 

 

Apitherapy-  Bee stings.  Bee venom therapy.  I have been doing this once or twice a week since 2002.  Pro or con–I don’t know.  I do it for peace of mind.

 

Supplements-  I’ve taken as many as a dozen different things at one time or another.  Now, it’s just the basic vitamin C & D.

 

 

 

Stretching-  I stretch more than a WalMart shopper’s tube top.  Like a ten-year-old housecat, I move & reach to reclaim any lost range of motion.

 

 

 

Diet & Exercise-  I try to eat a healthy diet, lower in fat.  Nothing fried.  Exercise helps me beat the MS beast better than anything!  I feel better, more relaxed, less stiffness & muscle spasms.  I try to exercise 30 – 45 minutes four to five times a week.

 

Depression med-  Yeah, I like many of you with MS, I have experienced the dark side.  My pink pill is why I am so damn perky!

 

Mobility aids-  Canes, walkers, wheelchair–I’ve got a whole mini-van full of crap!

 

AFO & Dynasplint-  Used to correct MS-related foot drop.  Wearing them makes me feel more like Peter Weller in “RoboCop!”

Some of the other MS tools I have tried over the years include Ampyra, the walking drug…massage (NOT the truck-stop kind!)…physical therapy….IV/oral steroids (Unlike Barry Bonds, I knew what I was taking!  And of course the usual disease-modifying injectibles.

We are all different, and what works for one, might not work for another.  But it is interesting to see how YOUR knife compares to others!

Good luck in your fight, soldiers!  Godspeed.