Mishael Ruiz is a 28-year-old man who was born with uveítis planitis colateral, disease that affects all intraocular structures and that can cause the sufferer to lose sight. Mishael just see with one eye.
In the 2016, Mishael He was also diagnosed with sclerosis multiple after living three years with signs of the disease. I was already three years old with symptom, but I went to my doctor and he told me that I had nothing and he only sent me vitamins. Was 3 years with numbness Y tingle in some parts of the body until I got to the Medical Center and in 3 days they told me I had sclerosis multiple. I went into shock because it wasn’t something I expected. “
(Photo: Mishael Ruiz)
What is sclerosis multiple?
The Dr. Erwin Chiquete Anaya, internist and neurologist, with a doctorate in Molecular Biology in Medicine and who currently gives consultations at the Médica Sur hospital in the City of Mexicoexplained to Your doctor that sclerosis multiple is the result of attack autoimmune al system highly strung central, specifically myelin (it is the substance that surrounds and protects the axons of certain nerve cells and whose main function is to increase the speed of impulse transmission highly strung) and other components of the system highly strung central such as neurons and axons, which are neuronal extensions.
“An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the defenses are confused and instead of attacking what is foreign such as a bacterium, a virus or a cancer, it begins to attack what is itself and what is normal and begins to see a disease,” he explained Doctor Backgammon.
By affecting the neurons Yet the myelin start to see one continued decline in the functions of the system highly strung. Among its most common manifestations are: motor dysfunction, alterations visuals, weakness on extremities, constant fatigue, bladder and bowel problems, and loss of sensation. The severity of symptom vary from person to person.
“Being a disease degenerative it cannot be cured, however, with proper treatment a person can live a normal life and their life expectancy is not reduced, “said Chiquete.
Every last Wednesday of May the World Day of Sclerosis Multiple, an event driven by the International Federation of Sclerosis Multiple to make the population aware of this diseaseIt also seeks to break the social barriers that affect people who suffer sclerosis multiple, since in most cases it can generate some degree of disability.
On Mexico about 20 thousand people suffer from sclerosis multiple
According to data from the Health Secretary, on Mexico about 20 thousand people suffer sclerosis multiple, disease that is presented with tingle, lack of sensation, difficulty in balance, involuntary tremor, stiffness and spasticity (tense and rigid muscles).
The Mexican Council of Neurology estimates that 40 percent of individuals affected by disease are not diagnosed in time.
According to data from the Medical Gazette in the world suffer sclerosis multiple about 2.5 million people.
The symptom with those who beginning Mishael were loss of mobility in the hands, especially in three fingers of the right hand, “I was like this for 2 weeks and I recovered and after a while the discomforts returned.”
He relates that he had not realized that he also had dificulty to walk until they did medical tests.
“Until they did tests I realized that I was losing my balance, I had not realized that it was difficult for me to walk until I did physical tests,” says Misael.
The reason for the disease
Dr. Chiquete indicates that it is not known why the sclerosis multiple, but it is known that can be caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and the environment. In the same way, it says that it is likely that there are other factors that are still unknown that could cause the disease.
The disease can be diagnosed based on the patient history, with an MRI or cerebrospinal fluid findings.
(Photo: Freepik)
I know occurs more often in whites, with a predominance in the female sex (two women for each affected man) and in ages between 20 and 40 years with a higher peak around 30 years of age.
Despite adversity Mishael did not give up
“After I was diagnosed, I was 2 or 3 months in depression and then I decided to go to rehabilitation. I spoke with my neurologist and he sent me to physiotherapy and that was when I began to see a great change, seeing a physical change had an impact on a mood change The more progress I saw, the better I felt, “said Misael.
Mishael he relates that he thought the rehabilitation would be a easy process, but it took about 3 years to regain fine motor, that is, the coordination of muscles, bones and nerves to produce small and precise movements.
It was physical therapy that led him to high-performance sports
A Mishael he always liked sports, but he I practiced only as a hobby; since he was diagnosed with sclerosis multiple and decided to go to therapy began to dedicate more time to sports.
“I would rather work than play sports, but in the face of inability, when I had nothing to do, I I decided to get into the sport, I got involved to investigate and I got into a sport called goalball which is like handball but for the blind, I liked it a lot and that’s how I got into the sport “.
Archery for the blind was only practiced by two people in Mexico
In the 2018 came out as national runner-up with his team, but was not selected national and then he was struck by the archery for the blind, a sport that at that time only two people practiced in the country.
“In 2019 there was a national championship where I represented UNAM and they gave me a bow and my coach the arrows and I was champion and that’s how my whole archery journey began,” says Misael.
At the moment Mishael he is two-time national champion Y Pan American runner-up in archery for the blind and in September he will represent Mexico in the world of the specialty in the United States.
You want to compete against people who do not have disabilities
Mishael dream big and aims to bring a world cup medal, He also wants to do the selective process for whats Central American games where it would compete against people who do not have disabilities.
“It is a personal challenge that I want to try, but not only do I want to go compete, I want to earn a place to go to the Central Americans,” says Misael.
Even though the sclerosis multiple has represented a great challenge in the life of Mishael, ensures that it has more than a year that it does not have relapses and currently has well controlled disease. “I feel good because I managed to get to the point where I wanted to be, now I feel complete with myself.”
No doubt the story of Mishael makes us realize that the only limit to get ahead is yourself.
Continue reading: Can the covid vaccine help against sclerosis multiple?
