MS takes away court reporter's ability to write
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, April 25, 2005
Dick Kennedy was a court reporter who suddenly discovered he couldn't write.
"It was back in 1991 and one day, my right side started to cramp, kind of like a Charlie Horse," he remembered. "I had trouble with my left leg as well. It disabled me for four to five days."
There was also pain associated with both exacerbations and bad headaches. All that forced Kennedy to seek out a neurologist who ultimately in 1997 made the diagnosis of relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis.
"It was quite a dramatic thing for me," the 55-year-old admitted. "There certainly was nothing in my family history to indicate multiple sclerosis, yet the lesions in my brain were obvious from the MRI and the spinal tap."
Kennedy added that as early as 1990, he was having problems with his left arm and small motor skills. The weakness and pain he was experiencing would come and go over the next few years until it became a concern in 1994.
"Here I am, a court reporter, in business with my wife and I'm having trouble writing," he marveled. "I wasn't sure what was going on."
Dick, a native of Sibley, Iowa and his wife Norine of Ryan, Iowa, met in Sioux City while both were court reporters and married in 1971. The couple moved to Wahoo, Neb., then to Spirit Lake, Iowa, before moving to Sioux City in 1986.
The Kennedy family grew to nine children while Dick struggled with his unknown symptoms and doctors' diagnoses.
"I think he was given every test in the world with no results," Norine recalled.
"I knew I was getting depressed over the whole thing, but also knew I didn't have time to be depressed with nine children," Dick said with a chuckle. "All that does is make things worse."
Dick recalled a frightful moment.
"I was fixing a broken basketball hoop and fell off the ladder, but I had no idea why," he reminisced. "That's when I experienced the fear of all of this."
"After that, I was afraid to have him drive," Norine added. "So, I did a lot of the driving or had the older kids drive."
"She's unusual..." Dick started.
"Oh, I don't know about that," Norine interrupted. "I just found I had to be organized and I really have to give credit to the kids. They all felt badly when they learned of their dad's MS and really pitched in around the house."
"Oh, I don't know," Dick mused. "I remember plenty of times, with all nine of them, it was pretty chaotic."
Despite the Kennedys' positive attitude, it hasn't been all Polyanna-like.
"But there's been more good than bad," Dick pointed out. "We visited our son in Guatemala last year and I kept up really well."
The Kennedys have developed their own style of bantering over the disease.
"Yeah, he looks all right," Norine joked, "but he can't walk a block."
"It's true," Dick insisted. "I can't walk a block without feeling discomfort in my arm or legs. I also have some intestinal problems..."
"I told you," Norine interrupted. "He looks good, but he's a wreck."
"Not so," Dick added. "I know people who look much worse than me."
Then, he added, "You've got to try and keep an upbeat attitude; you can't let it get you down."
But it has taken a toll on him.
"I've had different problems that have incapacitated me or hospitalized me," Dick added. "I found I couldn't attend some of my kids' events and I so wanted to; I wanted to be a trooper, but I would tire so easily."
The Kennedys agreed their Catholic faith has sustained them through the challenges of MS.
"Dick and I have always relied on God," Norine insisted. "Every morning we have said a prayer to start our day; we've done that every day since we've been married."
"I don't know how I would get along without Him," Dick said. "It's never been scary for me when I've trusted in God."
His last check up was with Dr. Luis F. Pary of CNOS, the Center for Neurosciences Orthopaedics & Spine, PC, in Dakota Dunes in March (see related story).
"We were looking into getting some new 'high-tech' medicine," Dick quipped. "Right now I'm taking tegretol for nerve pain and nabumetone, an anti-inflammatory drug."
Norine confessed to being a bit more vigilant than Dick about his health.
"I'm always after him to exercise and eat right," she said.
"But it's tough, although I think I'm doing," Dick said, changing his voice into the cartoon character, "better than the aaaverage bear!"
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
"It was back in 1991 and one day, my right side started to cramp, kind of like a Charlie Horse," he remembered. "I had trouble with my left leg as well. It disabled me for four to five days."
There was also pain associated with both exacerbations and bad headaches. All that forced Kennedy to seek out a neurologist who ultimately in 1997 made the diagnosis of relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis.
"It was quite a dramatic thing for me," the 55-year-old admitted. "There certainly was nothing in my family history to indicate multiple sclerosis, yet the lesions in my brain were obvious from the MRI and the spinal tap."
Kennedy added that as early as 1990, he was having problems with his left arm and small motor skills. The weakness and pain he was experiencing would come and go over the next few years until it became a concern in 1994.
"Here I am, a court reporter, in business with my wife and I'm having trouble writing," he marveled. "I wasn't sure what was going on."
Dick, a native of Sibley, Iowa and his wife Norine of Ryan, Iowa, met in Sioux City while both were court reporters and married in 1971. The couple moved to Wahoo, Neb., then to Spirit Lake, Iowa, before moving to Sioux City in 1986.
The Kennedy family grew to nine children while Dick struggled with his unknown symptoms and doctors' diagnoses.
"I think he was given every test in the world with no results," Norine recalled.
"I knew I was getting depressed over the whole thing, but also knew I didn't have time to be depressed with nine children," Dick said with a chuckle. "All that does is make things worse."
Dick recalled a frightful moment.
"I was fixing a broken basketball hoop and fell off the ladder, but I had no idea why," he reminisced. "That's when I experienced the fear of all of this."
"After that, I was afraid to have him drive," Norine added. "So, I did a lot of the driving or had the older kids drive."
"She's unusual..." Dick started.
"Oh, I don't know about that," Norine interrupted. "I just found I had to be organized and I really have to give credit to the kids. They all felt badly when they learned of their dad's MS and really pitched in around the house."
"Oh, I don't know," Dick mused. "I remember plenty of times, with all nine of them, it was pretty chaotic."
Despite the Kennedys' positive attitude, it hasn't been all Polyanna-like.
"But there's been more good than bad," Dick pointed out. "We visited our son in Guatemala last year and I kept up really well."
The Kennedys have developed their own style of bantering over the disease.
"Yeah, he looks all right," Norine joked, "but he can't walk a block."
"It's true," Dick insisted. "I can't walk a block without feeling discomfort in my arm or legs. I also have some intestinal problems..."
"I told you," Norine interrupted. "He looks good, but he's a wreck."
"Not so," Dick added. "I know people who look much worse than me."
Then, he added, "You've got to try and keep an upbeat attitude; you can't let it get you down."
But it has taken a toll on him.
"I've had different problems that have incapacitated me or hospitalized me," Dick added. "I found I couldn't attend some of my kids' events and I so wanted to; I wanted to be a trooper, but I would tire so easily."
The Kennedys agreed their Catholic faith has sustained them through the challenges of MS.
"Dick and I have always relied on God," Norine insisted. "Every morning we have said a prayer to start our day; we've done that every day since we've been married."
"I don't know how I would get along without Him," Dick said. "It's never been scary for me when I've trusted in God."
His last check up was with Dr. Luis F. Pary of CNOS, the Center for Neurosciences Orthopaedics & Spine, PC, in Dakota Dunes in March (see related story).
"We were looking into getting some new 'high-tech' medicine," Dick quipped. "Right now I'm taking tegretol for nerve pain and nabumetone, an anti-inflammatory drug."
Norine confessed to being a bit more vigilant than Dick about his health.
"I'm always after him to exercise and eat right," she said.
"But it's tough, although I think I'm doing," Dick said, changing his voice into the cartoon character, "better than the aaaverage bear!"
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
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