Today is World MS Day.

For some of us, MS is the disease that President Bartlett had on the TV show The West Wing. For others of us, it is a mysterious disease that we’re not sure what the initials stand for and we doubt it’ll ever effect us.

I will admit that I was one of those people. I knew vaguely of MS from The West Wing, but I figured that was as close as I would ever get to the disease. Was I ever wrong.

Almost a year ago, one of my aunts was admitted to the hospital. After running numerous tests that included scans to detect brain cancer, the doctors finally determined that she had MS – Multiple Sclerosis.

According to the website worldmsday.org, MS is a disease that affects over 2 million people worldwide. It is a chronic neurological disease in which the myelin – or protective covering on the nerves – is damaged. Symptoms can include blurred vision, weak limbs, pain, bladder disturbance, unsteadiness and fatigue. The disease can either be progress or follow a pattern of relapse and remission.

There is limited knowledge on what causes the disease and how to treat it. But through awareness of the disease, answers can be found. There are several therapies that have proven successful in slowing the attack of the disease.

For more information on World MS Day, visit their website at www.worldmsday.org.

For more information on MS and resources for the Central Virginia region, visit the Central Virginia Chapter of the National MS Society.