I had optic neuritis before I was diagnosed, but did not loose my sight. Things just got kind of brown looking. This happpened several times, but I don't know if it was one eye more than the other.

However, my left side is definitely more effected from the MS than the right as far as everything else goes. I have weakness in both legs, but far more pronounced in the left.

I also had breast cancer on the left side.

Virginia

Hi, I'm (R) handed, my first MS sx's were (L) neck & arm numbness. At this stage only lesions in c spine. Sx's eventually spread to (R) side.
Several years later I had ON (L) eye, and 3 months after that in the (R) eye - and much worse, but by then I also had brain lesions. Hope this helps.
I'm off to check my (L) breast!

That lesions in the left breast are more common in right handed women,
because they typically carry babies on that side, compress the breast, etc.
Small injuries can be sustained without realizing it.

The majority of women hold infants on the left, close to the heart.
It is an instinctive move.

Right handed women also injure the left breast more often because they may be carrying something and doing a task with the right hand/arm, and the left side then is more exposed.

But you can see from this statistical website that the variation is quite
small. What IS interesting is the favored quadrant, where breast cancer is
found.

Thanks for all of the great responses. This is getting very interesting.

Mrs. D- Thanks for the info. Did you mean to post a statistical Website?

Thank you again for your participation!

John

Dogtor, this is a question about cats. Mine will not sit on my lap unless I have a certain afghan on my lap. Why? She is about 11 months old, I got her from the humane society. She and all her litter mates were raised in a foster home.

She loves to sit on my husbands lap. I guess he is her 'chosen human'. But maybe she just knows that he needs that. When he comes home from work, she is on his lap almost instantly. He sits there and strokes her beautiful fur. Maybe she instinctively knows that he needs that after a hard day at a job that he hates.

Hi dogtorj! I just found this thread since my internet service was out due to LOTS of snow here in the northeast! Very interesting discussion though.

My first symptom of ms, 14 years before diagnosis, was optic neuritis in my left eye (blind spots). Two years later it appeared in the right and some time later back in the left. Most of my disability is from the waist down which began with foot drop in my left foot along with numbness, pins and needles.

The left leg has always been the most affected and now doesn't "work" at all. The right is catching up, but is still more mobile. Of course the majority of lesions I have are on the spine.

As to multiple "immune conditions", I also have fibromyalgia with severe pain 24/7. How did you 'cure' yours? I can't remember life without pain and it's really wearing me down.

By the way, I have an almost (May) 15 year old Bichon Frise. She has some age related problems, arthritis, hard of hearing, doesn't see as well as she used to, and white dog skin problems, but she's still pretty frisky for an old lady! The main problem is she seems to have forgotten she's housebroken. At least she isn't a German Shepherd!

Thanks for all your input.

Hi Judy,

Thanks for the input. Sounds like we need to have a talk.

My pain disappeared when I eliminated all gluten and dairy from my diet. That is one of the main focuses of my Website- the relief of pain through dietary restriction. This same approach has yielded some phenomenal results in the management of MS as well. A big part of Celeste Pepe's book Reversing Multiple Sclerosis is about diet. What she eliminated is the interesting part.

Once we grasp the damage that the "big 4" (gluten, dairy, soy, and corn) are doing...along with the MSG, aspartame, mercury and other pollutants...we can see how people like Celeste can make such claims. I have a "client" who adopted my diet and ultimately made a full recovery from MS once she moved from Boston to the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, away from all of the air pollution. It is a know fact that air quality affects all of the neurodegenerative diseases.

And all of these dietary principles apply to our pets. Dogs and cats do even worse on the big 4 than people, not having had the time to adapt to them like we have. They suffer skin allergies, IBS, seizures, and lots of immune-mediated diseases and higher cancer rates than people, all of which illustrate their intolerance of their horrific commercial diets. But, there are some diets out there that are much better than others. My site explains.

I look at fibromyalgia as very sensitive pain centers in the brain. We are doing a lot wrong that is making this happen (diet, lifestyle, environment). Our pain threshold goes up and down like a barometer as we insult our body or as we become chronically ill, with our pain thresholds bottoming out this time of year as our serotonin levels are their lowest. It makes sense to me that people with other chronic illnesses would have low pain thresholds. Pain is a protective mechanism and some need more protection than others. And if your pain improves, you know you are on the right track. That is what happended to that case of MS I mentioned above. She knew that she was on the right track when her pain, IBS, and headaches were lessening.

I hope this helps in some way.

John

Hey there John,

Thanks for taking the time to give me so much information! This is the first I've been here in awhile so haven't had a chance to check out your website. At this point, I'd try just about anything to find some pain relief! Of course if my legs would work even a little better, that would be a miracle!

As to the pollution, I live in a rural area where there are no big factories, etc. Also I have been aware of the bad things MSG, aspertame, etc., do to the body and have eliminated them from my diet. The dairy part would be really hard for me since I've always been a milk drinker. But I'll check out your site as soon a I get the chance! Thanks again!!

Wow!! This is an amazing thread to me for two reasons--1. I just read a link to YOUR site DogtorJ today!! I am now a huge fan! 2. I have celiac disease, fibromyalgia, and iritis in my LEFT eye with recent muscular weakness in my left side that has me thinking a neurological exam is in order. Not thrilled at yet another dx, and am now in a state of denial because I think it is almost certainly MS.
I am so amazed and thrilled to see you on this site -I rarely am on here, but check it out sometimes for new information.

Your personal site has helped me soooo much and I am forever grateful for it. (No, I am not related to the guy, nor is his site any kind of money-making thing people!!)

I forgot to mention that I also have had a large benign yet painful, breast lump removed about four years ago from my LEFT side too! (I am right handed)