-some people call Multiple Sclerosis the MonSter. I like to refer to it as the Mega Superbitch. Monster is a game my kids play and have lots of fun playing it. I can definitely say there isn't anything fun about having MS.
- I was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome (also known as the unGreatful Bitch) in 1997 when I was 21 years old. I was admitted to hospital for a few days and had to stay on the geriatric floor (and I thought having to be in a hospital was bad enough...ugh). This was when I realized that life's too short to whine and bitch -- might as well make the most of a crappy situation.
-My symptoms started in my right foot, like my foot had fallen asleep. I thought nothing of at at first. I just figured I was over worked at an underpaid job and this was my thanks for standing all day. By the next day it had spread up my right and left leg all the way up to my waist. The majority of the numbness and tingling went away but my legs have never been the same since.
-I had to use a cane for a few months on and off after my hospital stay. I remember stumbling down the stairs the first week I started College. It was the beginning of the end of the cane. I focused on getting my strength back and haven't used a cane since.
-I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis three years later in 2000. Guillian Barre was probably a misdiagnosis.
-I have multiple lesions/plaques/scars on my brain and spinal cord.
- my symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning (like my skin is on fire), the "hug", partial paralysis in legs, pain, stiffness, dizziness, optic neuritis, l'hermitte's, extreme fatigue, etc. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with bladder/bowel issues.
-the day I was diagnosed with MS, my mom cried but I didn't. I went right back to work that same day and from that day on I focused on being positive....I truly believe being positive is a very important part of coping with MS. Although I didn't cry the day I was diagnosed, I do let it out from time to time. I think it's a release your body needs every so often to keep you going...to keep you strong.
- I took Copaxone for a few months but had injection site reactions. I've taken IV Solumendrol for flare-ups and various drugs to try and curb my fatigue that haven't worked. I'll be starting Betaseron this month.
-I felt 110% when I was pregnant with my son (it was a sad realization that there is such a thing as feeling "normal" and that I will probably never get to feel that way again). My MS symptoms started to come back when my son was seven or eight months old. I never had the "normal" feeling when I was pregnant with my daughter.
-I had to stop working in 2005 due to extreme fatigue along with other MS symptoms. Since then, I have been on disability through work and CPP (Canada Pension Plan). I was originally denied by CPP but I fought back and won.
-I am very open about my MS. After my diagnosis, I found it very therapeutic to share my MS story. I knew there was no cure for me (right now anyway) but that sharing my story would educate others. The more we teach people about MS, the closer we are to finding a cure (or even a miracle drug at the very least)!
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