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possible cheap test for early diagnosis?
by AmishErin, Mar 03, 2008 05:06PM
I was diagnosed with MS in 2003. I had been ignoring strange symptoms for several years prior.
About 5 years before I ever had an MS symptom I had tried to donate plasma for some extra cash. If any of you have ever donated plasma you will remember that the process for being accepted as a donor is quite lengthy.
They actually throw away your first donation after they send it in to be tested for things like hepititis, aids, drug abuse, and tryglycerete levels. I didn't have any of these so I made it till the third donation before I was called into the Doctors office and told that they would not be able to use my plasma and please feel free to have a free cookie or something.
I was told that my plasma showed that I had non ABO antibodies. I asked what that meant. The doctor told me that it just meant that I had been sick at some time, probably when I was little, and that when I got better my antibodies had changed. That they still worked but that they were different than everyone elses and since they were different they could not give my non typical plasma to someone with typical antibodies.
I have been thinking about this alot now for several years. I wrote Montel Williams a letter about this subject right after I was diagnosed, but I fear it was not clear enough.. I couldn't find anything about the subject then and I have no medical background so I don't know what else to look at. Today when you put the words " non typical abo antibodies multiple sclerosis" into google it brings up 18,300 results. From skimming these it seems that several people are looking into this as a possible cure.
I am thinking of it as a possible diagnosing tool however. I was 23 when I tried to donate plasma. I was 29 when I got my MS diagnosis. Every doctor that I have ever talked to about MS has told me that the best possibility for MS right now is the ABC drugs. That it is not a cure but that it slows the progression of the disease by up to 40% thereby slowing the inevitable disability of the disease.
Could a simple blood test give patients a head start on slowing the progression??
The plasma clinic where I donated blood gave this test to everyone who could possibly be a potential donor. It couldn't really be that expensive to administer... I know that a months worth of Rebif costs me 1162 dollars a month and it is just a rake in the pathway of the disease. If I had started taking an ABC drug back in my plasma donating days would I still be working??
Anyone know where else I could go with this thought?
Thanks in advance
Amish Erin!
About 5 years before I ever had an MS symptom I had tried to donate plasma for some extra cash. If any of you have ever donated plasma you will remember that the process for being accepted as a donor is quite lengthy.
They actually throw away your first donation after they send it in to be tested for things like hepititis, aids, drug abuse, and tryglycerete levels. I didn't have any of these so I made it till the third donation before I was called into the Doctors office and told that they would not be able to use my plasma and please feel free to have a free cookie or something.
I was told that my plasma showed that I had non ABO antibodies. I asked what that meant. The doctor told me that it just meant that I had been sick at some time, probably when I was little, and that when I got better my antibodies had changed. That they still worked but that they were different than everyone elses and since they were different they could not give my non typical plasma to someone with typical antibodies.
I have been thinking about this alot now for several years. I wrote Montel Williams a letter about this subject right after I was diagnosed, but I fear it was not clear enough.. I couldn't find anything about the subject then and I have no medical background so I don't know what else to look at. Today when you put the words " non typical abo antibodies multiple sclerosis" into google it brings up 18,300 results. From skimming these it seems that several people are looking into this as a possible cure.
I am thinking of it as a possible diagnosing tool however. I was 23 when I tried to donate plasma. I was 29 when I got my MS diagnosis. Every doctor that I have ever talked to about MS has told me that the best possibility for MS right now is the ABC drugs. That it is not a cure but that it slows the progression of the disease by up to 40% thereby slowing the inevitable disability of the disease.
Could a simple blood test give patients a head start on slowing the progression??
The plasma clinic where I donated blood gave this test to everyone who could possibly be a potential donor. It couldn't really be that expensive to administer... I know that a months worth of Rebif costs me 1162 dollars a month and it is just a rake in the pathway of the disease. If I had started taking an ABC drug back in my plasma donating days would I still be working??
Anyone know where else I could go with this thought?
Thanks in advance
Amish Erin!
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