Physical therapy class gives new outlook to MS patients

Diagnosed in 2007 with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, George ended up leaving his job as a sales manager.

“Physically at my job, it was very exhausting,” George said of having to deal with the disease as it progressed. “I was having difficulty walking. I had extreme fatigue. It hit me hard.”

His diagnosis came after a traumatic accident in 2007 at age 50. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) on his spine to find if some nerve was pinched found the signs of MS.

George continued to work, but each passing month made it harder for him to function at his job. He was getting to the point of almost being embarrassed or self-conscious about his affliction.

“I knew what was happening,” he said. “It was a case of not being happy with my physical situation. I had had 31 years of work with jobs with increasing responsibility and then to be told you may never work again — it was devastating.”

Today, the 54-year-old Meadville man isn’t only walking, he’s exercising, stretching and even using a treadmill — and his disease is in remission enough that he’s back working part-time.