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Advanced MS - Horrible, Haunting Ugly Beast

Dear everyone,

I will be speaking for my mom who was diagnosed with MS in 2004. She is now 70 years old. She drove up until 2012 and she did everything else on her own up until 2015. Gave herself shots. Kept her medicines. Dinner cooked. Laundry cleaned. Then during a heatwave of 2015 around August 13, I came in from work and she could not speak correctly. I have lived with her since 2001. I have been her caretaker like help her with picking up medicines at the pharmacy or giving her companionship when she goes to the doctor. You never really know what a caretaker is until she lost her ability to really use her walker and to be able to take a shower on her own. That was in 2015. She was put into long-term care in now on December 15 she suffered a sub acute stroke. I just want to say that I never thought she would be this advanced with this disease. People do not advertise it this way. Yes she only had vertigo throughout her whole life. She was finally diagnosed in 2004 when they were able to get her into an open MRI. Before that she did not want to go into the MRI. Now we cannot understand one word she says. She has lost the use of her right hand and right side. We cannot transfer her into the car and cannot transfer her into her bed. My fiancé help me give her her shower last night at the nursing home. The shower is one of the things that she’s always enjoyed. She loves to be clean. I have been helping her with her shower since 2015 and last night was the most devastating night so far. And, I’m sure things are going to get a lot worse. She could not stand up we ultimately had to pick her up my boyfriend was able to pick her up he used to be a CNA and he was able to put her on the chair. I was able to wash her hair for her. She's not able to fully get her dress off she’s very weak. I did my best as I always do for her. It’s funny. I say that I should have a bathing suit when I give her her shower at the nursing home because I completely get drenched. I love to help her as best as I can last night was the worst so far. Today I’ve gone to church I’ve been praying but it’s definitely the worst thing that I’ve ever seen.

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