Michael Burgess: “As cochairman of the Congressional MS Caucus, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1116, supporting the goals and…”

“As cochairman of the Congressional MS Caucus, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1116, supporting the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week from March 8 through March 14. The goal of this annual event is to raise awareness of this disease for individuals and their families who are impacted by this illness. Every hour in the United States, someone new is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. Over 400,000 Americans are living with MS, and approximately 22 million people are affected worldwide. These patients suffer a variety of symptoms which can vary from person to person and, indeed, may vary within a particular patient during the course of the disease. Among the symptoms are impaired vision, muscle weakness, problems with coordination and balance, numbness, memory problems and, in the most severe cases, which, fortunately, is rare, the disease is fatal. Even the milder cases of multiple sclerosis create daily changes for patients by impairing speech, the ability to write, the ability to walk. Despite the debilitating effects, the cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. There is yet no laboratory test that is available that definitively establishes the diagnosis and, of course, there is no cure.”