Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hello Friends,

You all feel like friends to me even though you do not know me/us yet. Ihave

been reading the list messages for several months and feel like I have gotten

to know a lot of you, so finally I'll introduce us. My husband, Jim, at age

66, was diagnosed with MSA/SDS in mid-Nov. 2001. We both turned 67 in Dec.

2001. . . . . . Jim, with his partner, and now the sons, has been in the

concrete contracting business in Fairfax, VA, for 43 years. I was blessed to

be able to be a " stay-at-home-Mom " as they call it now, and raise our two

daughers and one son (our 4th baby died with a defective heart a few hours

after birth). We have four beautiful grand children (aren't all

grandchildren beautiful??!!) Our children all live in local areas, which has

been such a blessing, because I could not have gotten through the last months

without their help. My second 'career' after full-time mom has been

teaching/administrating at a local Christian school for 27 years and I'm

still at it, but now on a part-time basis since I've become a caregiver. So,

that's us in an a nutshell. Now . . . a little more about Jim.

He had been exhibiting some MSA/SDS symptons for about 3 years, but we didn't

realize what was going on. Finally in August 2001 he couldn't put off going

to the doctor any longer. Primary complaints were swallowing difficulty and

much congestion--couldn't clear his throat, always felt clogged up. Cancer

of the esophagus was ruled out, acid reflusx was discovered. Then, during

his second hospitalization in late Sept. with dehydration, breathing and

swallowing problems (he couldn't swallow), and after losing much weight in

extremely short periods of time, it was determined that he needed a G-tube.

That was done, and he started getting everything through the tube. After

many tests including swallow test and MRI, there was still no diagnosis of

WHY. So, the neurologist sent us to s Hopkins where Dr. Reich diagnosed

him in mid-Nov. It has been a rough time--Jim felt so very bad after

basically always having been a healty man, . BUT, medications and prayer

have brought a miraculous improvement! Swallowing seemed to be improving, he

had another swallow test on Jan 2, and the obstruction that poked into his

esophagus--that I had been able to see on the screen during the first

test--was not there!!!

So, he slowly started eating and drinking again till now he is using the tube

only for his morning meds. We're hoping the tube can come out--can that be??

I hope to get Jim back to the doc. real soon to find out--getting him to go

to the doctor has been a real chore!! The next big praise to the Lord is

that he has been going back to work for half a day for the last three weeks,

the first time he's worked since last August after never having missed a day

.. . . . It feels like we have come through a deep, dark valley and are now

seeing some light. I know we still have a long way to go, but we are so

grateful for the improvement we are currently experiencing. . . . Hope this

has not been too long . . .

More later,

Mamie Burton