SAUKVILLE, Wis. — A Saukville family is sharing their years-long battle against a common nervous disease.
Bob Wagner has spent the last six years fighting against the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. He and his wife Debbie are now sharing their family's story with TMJ4 to help raise awareness of the disease.
"(It's an) invasive disease, and it doesn't always get the press and the publicity of breast cancer and others," Wagner said. "My symptoms started with a loss of vision... I started to have muscle weakness. Difficulty walking."
Bob received his diagnosis in 2019. The disease made it difficult for him to take care of his home and take part in his many hobbies. That includes spending time the great outdoors, taking care of their farm animals and even rehabbing classic cars.
"You go from having an active, vibrant husband to somebody who has to walk holding walls and counters," Debbie Wagner said. "He was optimistic and positive, and we worked together."
At one point, Bob had to stop working for about 18 months due to his condition.
"Certainly, it impacted your emotional state because you're not able to do the things that you like to do," Wagner said.
Watch: Saukville man raises awareness after remission from multiple sclerosis symptoms
MS presents differently in each patient, often making it difficult to diagnose and cure. In Bob's case, his doctors at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin spent multiple years working to find him the correct cocktail of medicines.
Dr. Ahmed Obeidat, MD, PhD said they tried several different common treatments before expanding their options.
"We had to use combination therapy to treat him, and had to go outside the box," Dr. Obeidat said. "Not a single patient is treated like the other patients. Every person will have their own needs."
Bob has been in remission for about three years now and is back working and taking part in his hobbies. He still receives a transfusion of medicine each month.
"I'm gonna find a way to beat this," Wagner said. "The key is being positive."
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