Chris, I don't doubt that you are feeling much better and/or that this treatment is doing something for the disease process for you. However, you seem to have some misunderstandings about both the disease process and how well HiCy will likely work for people, and I think this is over-shadowing your messages.
As far as the disease process . . .
Although there are “trends” with each category (as we know them RRMS, SPMS, PRMS, PPMS), there are no “absolutes”. The defining factor is whether a person "relapses and remits", and then what happens in between if they do/don’t. Maybe these visuals and brief explanations will help you to understand the categories:
RRMS:
"This is characterised by relapses (also known as exacerbations) during which time new symptoms can appear and old ones resurface or worsen. The relapses are followed by periods of remission, during which time the person fully or partially recovers from the deficits acquired during the relapse. Relapses can last for days, weeks or months and recovery can be slow and gradual or almost instantaneous."
SPMS:
"After a number of years many people who have had relapsing/remitting MS will pass into a secondary progressive phase of the disease. This is characterised by a gradual worsening of the disease between relapses. In the early phases of Secondary Progressive, the person may still experience a few relapses but after a while these merge into a general progression. People with secondary progressive may experience good and bad days or weeks, but, apart from some remission following relapsing episodes, no real recovery."
PPMS:
"This type of MS is characterised by a gradual progression of the disease from its onset with no remissions at all. There may be periods of a leveling off of disease activity and, as with secondary progressive, there may be good and bad days or weeks. PPMS differs from Relapsing/Remitting and Secondary Progressive in that onset is typically in the late thirties or early forties, men are as likely women to develop it and initial disease activity is in the spinal cord and not in the brain. Primary Progressive MS often migrates into the brain, but is less likely to damage brain areas than relapsing/remitting or secondary progressive..."
PRMS:
"This form of MS follows a progressive course from onset, punctuated by relapses. There is significant recovery immediately following a relapse but between relapses there is a gradual worsening of symptoms.
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/whatisms.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrishadms
... but remember that PPMS starts out in some people as RRMS. (Leading to faster aggressive treatment theories to slow the disease progression)"
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As Mark explained (and the above information indicates), RRMS does NOT advance to PPMS. PPMS and PRMS are two categories that a person STARTS out in, just like they might start out as RRMS (and eventually advance to SPMS).
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrishadms
The first neuro said I could have PPMS because of the Spinal lesions. The second thought PPMS because I just kept getting worse. Dr. Bowling was the one who said because I was now showing lesions in my brain that were enhancing or not enhancing...aka relapsing and remitting I was clinically RRMS.
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Having PPMS or PRMS does NOT mean a person
can not have enhancing lesions apparent on a MRI. People with these two categories CAN have enhancing lesions, they just don’t normally have as many.
“An early MR observation about PPMS was that in addition to having a low rate of new lesion formation, the frequency of lesion enhancement following administration of gadolinium (Gd)-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) (Gd-DTPA) was less than that of other subtypes (10).”
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/J...ingInPPMS.html
To be continued . . .
Cherie
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I am not a Neurologist, Physician, Nurse, or Hairdresser ... but I have learned that it is not such a great idea to give oneself a haircut after three margaritas
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