Côte-d'Or. This 41-year-old father talks about his fight against multiple sclerosis.
"My future is the same as yours," says Nicolas Baudry, 44, when we meet him at his home in Marsannay-la-Côte. A garden-level apartment with a necessarily minimalist style: "We had to reorganize the space so that I could also use my wheelchair inside on difficult days."
In January 2022, Patara experienced his first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS). He suffered from speech problems and hemiplegia on his right side. This paralysis of a part of his body triggered Nicolas's fear of losing even more of his mobility, already reduced by a birth defect and a double amputation. After six days of hospitalization, several MRIs and lumbar punctures, the MS diagnosis was made, but not Nicolas, who continued to adapt to bounce back better.
Nicolas Baudry's driving force is his children, for whom he is "a normal dad." Photo AR
"Yes, at first, I felt the impact, but after three months off and a period of rehabilitation, I insisted with my neurologist that I return to work. My employer, INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, Editor's note), readily adapted my working hours and my time in person."
Amputated at the age of 10 at the level of the legs, then diagnosed in his forties with multiple sclerosis, Nicolas Baudry lives "as normally as possible". Photo AR
Very quickly, he clings to a philosophy that never leaves him, even on bad days: "I'm not finished." Staying active and productive is, for him, a central element in the fight against the disease. "You can't fight blindly, on all fronts. It's essential to set goals and stick to them. My driving force is my two children." So, to continue "doing," he had to adapt. "I live as normally as possible, with a sword of Damocles hanging over my head. I welcome the constant fatigue induced by MS, but as long as I can be active, I am."
Today, Nicolas Baudry has learned to recognize his limitations in order to better live with his illness. To avoid another attack, he avoids alcohol, moves a lot, and closely monitors his diet. He regularly uses crutches, or his wheelchair when necessary.
Working full-time helps Nicolas fend off the warning signs of illness. Photo AR
Still working full-time, he works from home three days out of five, plus periods of intense heat, which are known to cause flare-ups and/or extreme discomfort for patients. He also takes medication designed to slow the progression of the disease. He hasn't suffered a relapse in three and a half years. Far from defining himself through the disease, he insists that he is "a normal dad and an ordinary person."
Marsannay-la-Côte - Reseda: "The first signs of the disease appear around the age of thirty"
Dr. Imad Sfeir is the president of the Neuroevolutionary Diseases Network ( Reseda ). He provides us with an update on multiple sclerosis (MS), the third most common neuroevolutionary disease in France after Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with nearly 150,000 patients diagnosed.
What is multiple sclerosis?
"Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the degeneration of a substance that surrounds neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin surrounds the nerves that transmit the electrical signal, which allows us to perform walking movements and muscle contractions and to have a certain sensitivity to our environment."
What are the first signs?
“It’s a multi-symptomatic disease because myelin is everywhere. The most classic signs are problems that occur quite suddenly, such as vision problems or a loss of muscle strength in one of the limbs, or a loss of sensitivity. On average, the first symptoms appear around the age of thirty. It’s the third most common neurodegenerative disease and, unlike Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, it affects a young, active population. These patients are at a key moment in their lives, settling down, starting a family, or boosting their careers. The prognosis is very variable and depends on the form and frequency of the attacks, which are called “relapses.” These are symptoms that persist for several days, then fade until they disappear. The more recurrent the relapses, the more aggressive the form becomes.”
How to support patients?
"Management is multidisciplinary. It's the neuroprogressive disease that involves the most medical and paramedical disciplines, with the primary care physician as coordinator at the center. Physiotherapist, nurse, psychologist, psychiatrist—because one of the common symptoms is depression—neurologist, urologist, or sexologist—because it also impacts intimacy—ophthalmologist, and occupational therapist to adapt daily life. Not to mention social workers to manage the financial aspect and available assistance. Patients spend a lot of time in appointments. This, incidentally, is sometimes an obstacle to continuing their professional activity. The other obstacle is fatigue, which is a major characteristic of this pathology. It is also accentuated by heat, as scientifically proven. This forces many patients to adapt their work while accepting their symptoms."
Contact Reseda: 03.80.50.18.65.
AR
Le Progres
