|  | Multiple Sclerosis Keep S'myelin! 
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 "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." --Bill Gates | 
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 This site is dedicated to Pat Durr who was diagnosed with MS in 1986. | 
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| MS is an autoimmune disease affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS) which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Myelin, a fatty tissue, surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the CNS, and it also helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses. When myelin is lost in MS patients, a scar tissue, known as sclerosis, remains. These damaged areas are referred to as plaques or lesions sometimes consisting of a broken or damaged nerve fiber. Without myelin or the nerve fiber, the electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted causing the symptoms of MS. | Just the Facts... MS is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease that affects the central nervous system. MS is not contagious and is not directly inherited. MS is not considered a fatal disease. The majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled. There is no cure for MS yet, but drugs can help slow the course and/or symptoms in some patients.The above is from the brochure "Just the Facts: 2004-2005" |