"It's Just Two New Words"
二次逐步。当您的MS诊断现在包括这两个单词时，生命变化。Jennifer Digmann分享她的故事，其中一部分是我们的系列“信”给我的刚才诊断的SPMS自我“。
亲爱的詹妮弗，
说实话，你总是知道有些不对劲。有些东西有点偏离。当然，那些年前可能很难记住，但你肯定知道有一些东西。
你的手和脚下无法解释的麻木。偶尔没有摔倒。无情的疲倦和疲劳。你的主要医生如何试图解释一下，因为你是大学里忙碌的睡眠贫困的高级。她说服你脚下的麻木只是你的廉价鞋子的选择，给你没有拱门支持 - 在你选择时尚功能时出现的主要问题。你手中的麻木吗？她解释说，你写的是太多的论文和考试。你还记得她在毕业的时候说，当压力下降时，“你会没事的”？
But then, after graduation and moving an hour away to the Detroit area for your first grown-up job as a customer-support specialist, things didn’t magically disappear. Remember how one night at work your left eye wouldn’t move and you started seeing double? Well, the doctor couldn’t just explain that away. Eventually, but rather quickly, you were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Remember feeling somewhat relieved by your diagnosis, because deep down you always thought there was something?
At 23, you were diagnosed with a lifelong chronic illness, but you handled it. You were scared, confused and overwhelmed. You met doctors and other people living with MS, asked lots of questions, read books, joined a localMS支持组对于所有年龄和疾病进展的人，并试图养活最小化慢性疾病程度的生活。
你是稳定的。作为朋友，伴娘，妹妹和女儿享受生活。尽可能多地做得那么多，但总是介意在坐在热量的情况下没有过于过度的事情，或者在俱乐部留出最后一次电话。尝试三个中的每一个可用疾病改性治疗找到哪个最佳慢慢减缓疾病的进展。探索新的饮食，维生素方案，运动计划。
前几年飞过。但你started feeling a little off again. The numbness intensified. Fatigue persisted even after the best night sleep. More falls for no reason. Maybe you were dealing with stress again. Chronic illness is not for the weak, right?
有更多的物理治疗会话和几种课程的IV类固醇，希望让您回到基线。但基线进一步远离速度，似乎有些事情发生了。
你改变了神经科学家，并开始为您的MS进行更积极的免疫调制治疗，因此这一切都会很好。
Then your new neurologist tells you, “Your disease has progressed.” You hear what the doctor is saying, but it is not until you read the words “Secondary Progressive MS" on your medical forms that it truly sinks in. It’s SPMS, but deep down you already knew that. Didn’t you?
再次你摇摇欲坠，害怕，但你可以并将处理这个问题。毕竟，它只是两个新的单词 - 次要渐进式 - 核心，它仍然是多发性硬化症。
首先是首先，回到第一次被诊断时依赖于您依赖的基础知识。伸出援手寻找答案。与您的家庭，医生和朋友队交谈。您的问题植根于您原始诊断以来已经获得的知识，并且您更准备答案。
明白你的疾病正在进行中。它会令人沮丧，令人沮丧和艰难。你会担心走路，轮椅和残疾。一直在，试图向自己保证你可以处理这个问题。只要看看你已经处理了多远和克服了多少。
Fortunately, disease-modifying treatments now are available for people living with SPMS. You have choices. But above all else, focus on maintaining and appreciating your health; whatever that looks like. Sure, you may not be as active or independent as you once were, but you must continue your fight with this monster.
品尝好的，因为仍然会好的日子（就像你嫁给一个独特地了解并爱你的男人）和许多小型胜利。继续有信心并相信自己。你没有在疾病进展中得到选择，但你确实可以选择你的生活方式。并记住那里有力量。
真挚地，
詹妮弗
