Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
- Former singer Alan Osmond, known for being a part of the family musical group “The Osmonds,” has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for the past 38 years, along with his son David, who was diagnosed with MS in 2005. Both have managed to maintain hope and strength throughout their MS journeys.
- MS impacts the central nervous system and can cause numbness or tingling in your limbs. Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are several treatment options to help manage symptoms.
- Common tools MS patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), which can slow the progression of the disease, according to some studies.
- Being grateful for moments in life can help cancer patients, or anyone battling some type of disease, stay positive and uplifted. Experts tell SurvivorNet that positive patients typically have more successful treatment outcomes.
As Alan is set to turn 76 years old later this week, on June 22, we can’t help but admire his persistent courage and ability to remain confident in the face of uncertainty as his MS journey continues. It’s wonderful to see the father of eight’s positive outlook on the disease, especially as his 45-year-old son David Osmond is also coping with MS.
Read MoreLooking back on how he noticed in 1986 that he couldn’t play the trumpet as fast as he used to and he would often trip over nothing, Alan said tests, MRIs and spinal taps led to his MS diagnosis.
He said during the video interview, shared back in 2020, “I was embarrassed, I didn’t want anyone to know. I felt like I was letting my brothers down … and that’s where I came up with … ‘I may have MS, but MS does not have me.'”
David then remembered when his dad told him and his siblings about his diagnosis, when he told them “his body might have MS, but his spirit doesn’t and it’s soaring.”
He then recounted how he experienced “horrific pain” in his toes in December 2005, and only months later feeling the pain in his chest.
After he began tripping, falling, experiencing his eye sight getting worse, needing a wheelchair, he was then diagnosed with MS as well.
David said, “I was diagnosed with something called MS and I was in complete denial. Because I see my dad, after so many years, with vastly different symptoms.
“MS is very different for every single patient.”
Looking at his dad, David told Alan, “I remember you telling me years ago, Anette Funicello said, ‘It’s not the disease that gets you down. It’s the lack of hope.'”
David continued, “I still have MS today. I don’t know what tomorrow will hold but today is a good day. We all have challenges. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.
His dad chimed in, “There’s hope and there’s a future. It’s not so important who you are, it’s who you become that’s important.
“32 and a half years of having it … I’m still moving, and you gotta make it happen.”
Expert Resources On Coping With a Diagnosis
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- 7 Cancer Survivors and Thrivers Tell Us How They Keep a Positive Attitude
- How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
- Mental Health: Understanding the Three Wellsprings of Vitality
- 6 Cancer Survivors Tell Us How They Stay Hopeful During Difficult Times
David added,” You can control how you react to things. It sounds crazy, but having MS for me, has now become one of the best things that’s every happened to me and I am blessed beyond measure.”
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to send messages to the arms, legs, and other parts of the body to function normally.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines the different types of multiple sclerosis:
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS): This is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what MS is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common MS among the million people battling the disease in the US, RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Primary progressive MS (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
- Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): This is an almost transitional form of MS that progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
In addition to balance issues, numbness, and tingling in the limbs, other common MS symptoms include vision and bladder control problems. Mood changes and mental and physical fatigue are other symptoms people living with MS may experience according to the National Institute of Health.
Mental Health: Understanding the Three Wellsprings of Vitality
Staying Grateful Amid Battling Disease
We’re happy to see Alan Osmond and his son’s continued positive outlook through MS. After a diagnosis, it’s understandably extremely difficult to feel grateful for, well, maybe anything. However, studies prove that patients who are able to stay uplifted and positive often have better treatment outcomes. That’s why mindset and attitude can be extremely valuable tools.
RELATED: Patients Do Better When They are Less Stressed
“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with gratitude in terms of everything,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“They’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite. They live life with [saying] ‘I love you’ to their husband, to their wife, to their kids. They can appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this. Those are the patients that tend to do well with processing and also living a long, long life despite a diagnosis.”
Dr. Zuri Murrell explains why patients who have gratitude can do well during treatment
Although studies show how important it is to find some positivity during a cancer battle, that’s much easier said than done. In addition to tackling treatment, people often juggle an overwhelming number of emotions including anxiety, anger, fear, and sadness.
There can be a lot of pressure linked to a cancer diagnosis, and colon cancer survivor Kate Bowler knows this first-hand. When Bowler was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, she started to resent how some people expected her to remain positive despite going through something traumatic. She told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that she refers to this as “bright-siding,” and she felt immense pressure while discussing her diagnosis with friends and family, especially since she was deeply rooted in a spiritual community.
RELATED: ‘The Eye of the Tiger’ Why Mindset and Lifestyle are So Important During Treatment
“I hate the bright siding, because I would never want someone who’s suffering to feel the burden of positivity,” Bowler told SurvivorNet. “People want me to reassure them that my cancer is all part of a plan. We want to live in a world in which nothing is lost. I think faith was a bit tricky for me.”
In the end, Bowler was able to find a community where she felt supported, and that helped her push through treatment without any more pressure.
Finding Enjoyment After a Diagnosis
Sometimes it can be hard for those facing serious health struggles to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, SurvivorNet has shared thousands of stories from cancer warriors and others who have faced serious issues that prove everyday challenges tend to improve over time.
With the support of loved ones that make up your support group, you too can find a way to navigate your emotions.
Osmond and many other MS warriors or cancer survivors continue to demonstrate there’s life after cancer every day by focusing on what brings them joy, happiness, and gratitude.
WATCH: Living In Gratitude — Why Does it Matter?
Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. It’s a mindset that helps people going through tough times, and the experts SurvivorNet spoke with encourage cancer warriors and their loved ones to practice gratitude.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet that his patients who live with gratitude tend to handle treatment better because this attitude is one way to stay mentally healthy.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
ANSWER QUESTIONS
