Local multiple sclerosis patients invited to bowl

~ Local chapter holds family activities for patients

For people living with multiple sclerosis, even the simplest activities can be fulfilling.

Keeping MS patients involved is one of the roles the Gateway Area Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society plays in making life easier for them.

As part of that role, the chapter will hold "Right Up Your Alley" family bowling night Saturday at Main Street Lanes in Jackson.

According to the MS chapter's director of communications, Rob Arrol, the event is a chance for patients and their family members to get out of the house and get some exercise.

"It's a way to keep them engaged, to provide an avenue of entertainment that may not exist otherwise," Arrol said.

Regardless of how severely affected a patient is, family activities such as bowling are accessible.

"MS is an individual disease. No two people with MS have same presentation," Arrol said. "You may have someone easily mobile who has had MS as long as someone who is wheelchair-bound. These events make sure everyone can come out."

According to the National MS Society, symptoms of the disease can include: bladder and bowel dysfunction; decrease in memory, attention span and other cognitive problems; dizziness and vertigo; depression; fatigue; difficulty walking or with balance and other coordination problems; numbness or a pins-and-needles feeling; sexual dysfunction; and vision problems, such as blurriness.

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128

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What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system affecting the brain and spinal cord. It usually strikes adults between the ages of 20 and 50. One new case is diagnosed every hour.

Source: National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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Want to go?

• What: Right Up Your Alley -- Multiple Sclerosis family bowling night
• When: 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Main Street Lanes in Jackson