My New Fight – Living With MS

This article is not so much about hockey as it is about something bigger than professional sports. It is about an incurable disease and what I’ve been living with the last while. I apologize for the non-hockey related bit but ask that you read and share so that we can help raise awareness for a disease that affects more than 2.3 million people world wide.

Last September I picked my daughter up from her first day of third grade, and like I do every year I take her out to dinner so we can talk about all that happened on that ever crucial first day of school. Well when I got out of our car to walk into the restaurant I noticed that my feet were asleep. I thought it was weird but brushed it off pretty quick. Fast forward a few days and that foot asleep feeling had spread all the way up to my belly button. Weird, pinched nerve maybe?

After a trip to my chiropractor, who wouldn’t treat me after hearing my symptoms, and my local hospital, it was my family doctor that realized something was seriously wrong and made a few calls to the University of Alberta Neurology department. After leaving the room to make the calls he came back and said that I needed to head to UofA emerg immediately and that the neuro department would be awaiting my arrival. He asked if I could drive or if I needed to go in an ambulance, I chose to drive. The next 20 minutes were perhaps the most terrifying of my life, I had zero idea what was wrong with me, hell I had just turned 34, was in reasonably good shape. I thought for sure I had cancer and was going to die, I don’t and I’m not.

All of this was going on as Alex Thomas, Jeremy Thompson, and I were trying to grow the Oilers Rig into something bigger than it was at the time, and let me tell you the support from them was absolutely huge in keeping my spirits up, changing my thoughts from I think I’m dying to writing about the hockey team I love.

The doctors used words like confused, strange case, unexplainable. Not something a frightened patient ever wants to hear, but after batteries of tests, being poked, prodded and photographed, they finally came and told me that they weren’t entirely sure but most likely I had MS. I left wondering what the hell is MS? I started researching and was awaiting my appointment at the MS clinic at the UofA.

One thing I left with was the feeling that I was getting the best care possible, the Doctors, Nurses and support staff at the UofA and the MS Clinic are second to none. They have to be, the number of MS cases in Alberta is dramatically higher than anywhere else in North America. Not a lot is known about the disease, like I mentioned there is no cure, just treatment. It also affects everyone differently.

Since my first symptoms in September 2013 and an official diagnosis of MS, I’ve had 2 more relapses, the second was the numbness again, starting in my feet, this time making it all the way up to my neck. Then more recently I completely lost my vision in my left eye. I had refused treatment up until the last one because I wanted to see if this could be manageable for me without drugs, but when my vision was effected I knew then that I shouldn’t be messing around and needed to do everything I could so I could still watch my girls dance, play, and just grow up. The thought of not being able to do that terrifies me.

I mentioned above that the disease affects everyone differently, well it does, and I’m lucky in a sense. Some people lose mobility, unable to walk, lose bladder and bowel function, and in some cases can lose all motor function. I can still work, play sports (although I’ve had to quit playing hockey) golf is about as extreme as I can get now, in fact I’m thinking of taking up curling in the winter so I can stay reasonably active.

Depression is a real thing with this disease, as I’m sure it is with any condition like this. I’m lucky that I’ve got such a great support group, my wife is my strength, my dad, grandpa and close friends have all been amazing since I was diagnosed with MS. It’s complicated, most days I wake up happy, ready to take on my new life and all it has to throw at me. Other days I don’t want to get out of bed, I’d rather just lay alone and feel sorry for myself, stay in the dark and wallow in sadness. But I realize that it’s important to talk about these things. No matter what goes on in your life, if you are feeling sad, depressed, or anxious about something the BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS TALK ABOUT IT. I do have great support, but if you feel like you don’t there are plenty of people you can call and talk to that are willing to listen, willing to help. Make that call if you have to, I promise that you won’t regret it, that you will feel better when you have talked to someone.

Now, I didn’t write this article for a pity party, in fact as I sit writing this it has been quite therapeutic. I haven’t told a lot of people like I said, family and close friends. Untill today I wasn’t ready for this to be out there. I don’t look for pity, this article is to raise awareness as to just what MS is, what people like me struggle with on a daily basis. One day there will be a cure.

Little known fact, today (August 21^st) is my birthday, and it is also the A&W Cruisin’ to End MS day, so if you’ve read all the way through this article, and you want to do something to help, or just want to be nice to a guy on his birthday, head over to your local A&W to buy a Teen Burger. One dollar from all Teen Burgers sold today will go to your local chapter of the MS Society. Please, it will help.

Want to help fund research to find a cure, you can donate to the MS Society here .

Last year the Oilers Rig raised almost $2000 dollars and donated to the MS Society of Alberta, that giving isn’t going to stop as we have a goal of $5000 this year, keep checking back to the site as we will be announcing the next Oilers Rig Radio Live show for MS and other fundraising effort soon.

I also would like to announce today that I am going donate $5 to the MS Society of Alberta for every goal the Oilers score in the 2014/2015 season.

Thank you so much for Reading, I really do appreciate it.

Yours Truly,

Dave @rustyknuckler Gordon