I had my annual sit down with my neuro today.
He is generous with his time and will enthusiastically describe news (as i try not to glaze over) regarding the latest discoveries, trials and innovations.
He had recently returned from the ECTRIMS conference in London ( http://www.ectrims.eu/annual-ectrims-congresses/ )
Apparently there are two further DMDs progressing well down the pipeline towards public availability; one of which has been proven safe (over eight years) and reduced subsequent lesion activity to zero; i think this maybe the one we already have heard about, targeting the SPMS folk.
He also mentioned stem cell therapies, including one which allows remyelination! I thought that was a tad exciting.
He said that recent stem cell successes were a good cause for optimism and that you are not limited to going to Russia or Mexico for such treatment (now available in Ontario) but it remains really, only as an absolute final option once all else fails.
He also bamboozled the bollocks off of me, by saying how the MS-brainiacs are now more inclined to suspect the T-lymphocytes to be the culprits behind MS rather than the B-lymphocytes (or is it the other way around…?)
The one message which i received loud and clear however (and which i want to share with you) is the health of gastro-intestinal fauna. It seems that the MS boffins are adamant on the relevance of the term ‘you are what you eat’; i.e. if you eat a lot of industrially produced meat, rich in antibiotics, your stomach fauna is going to be piss-poor and that will only serve to exacerbate the MS.
Fresh ‘organic’ meats, and all the fish, fruit and veggies you can find are essential towards good bacteria population sizes and diversities and this remains key to how one overcomes / progresses with MS.
He even made mention of faecal implants!!! But i permitted only the scheduling of my next MRI. no strange person’s poop enema for me thank you very much. not this year!