What Is MS?
To massively summarize, Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where your immune system basically attacks itself. From my knowledge, it starts to attack the protective coating around our nerve fibers (otherwise known as myelin sheath) the deterioration of the protective coating is what causes miscommunication from our brain to the rest of our body (causing most of our symptoms). The truth is, I’m not one for scientific explanation so I encourage you to research what Multiple Sclerosis is if you have further interest in learning what it technically does!
Another simple way to try and understand what MS does is by using the phone charger analogy. It’s like your phone charger when the protective covering starts to fray, and the wires start to show- sometimes the charger works... sometimes it doesn’t. It’s because the damage causes the signal to become unreliable. That’s multiple sclerosis in a nutshell! Our brain sends signals, that sometimes misfire resulting in funny (mostly annoying) things to happen.
MS can do an array of things to our bodies. They call it the “snowflake” disease for a reason- it affects each diagnosed individual differently! No two patients are the exact same! So out of the 2.5+ million individuals diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, every single case is unique… wild, isn’t it? This snowflake aspect makes it tricky to create a one-size fits all treatment route. Adding to the mysterious stigma surrounding this autoimmune disease. For some it attacks balance, mobility, basic motor skills, memory, vision, and for most it causes fatigue. The list of potential symptoms almost seems never ending. It important to note that although our symptoms vary to the degree and severity, we still share the symptom therefore we’re able to empathize with each other leading to a strong supportive community worldwide!
As far what track I’m on- I will be undergoing my second round of Lemtrada- an infusion therapy. From November 2018, when I was first diagnosed, to now I suffered two massive flare ups of optic neuritis. Before starting medication, I formed new lesions over 4 months- not a vibe. I needed a 5 day steroid infusion to break my last flare up, but I am happy to report that I have been relapse free since that treatment! Basically, I’m still learning- It’s all a learning curve! I’m extremely hopeful that this treatment will serve me in great ways. I’ve taken my diagnosis and decided to share my story openly in the hopes of inspiring others to fight for their life! Diagnosis is NOT a death sentence and more people need to hear that message first!
In regard to what the future may hold for me- I’m not sure, tomorrow is never guaranteed. Therefore, I like to live in the present. Don’t get me wrong, my imagination takes me to the future and the truth is I’m terrified. But I always pull myself back to the present because there’s no use in worrying about things we have no control over. Instead, I invest my time and energy in focusing on what I CAN control. I focus on making steps in the present that will help me have a better/brighter future. For example, lifestyle, diet, and mindset to name a few! The truth is the one thing that’s proven to help me navigate day-to-day is my mindset. Staying as positive as I possibly can through the ups and most importantly the downs. The future is a scary thought especially after diagnosis (and I’m sorry to say that I don’t think that eases up) it’s natural to fear the future. Just don’t dwell in that fear. Instead pull yourself back to the present. To what you know is true. Don’t let your mind run wild, because it will if you let it trust me. I believe we have full control of today and the choices we make in the NOW that will affect our future. So, I’m putting in the work now to be healthier in the hopes I have a positive beautiful future. I’m confident that with the right doctors, medicine, diet, and positive mindset I’m going to be just FINE! I will accomplish all my aspirations and will continue to live my life to the fullest! So will YOU! It will take hard work, but you are a warrior you wouldn’t be here reading this if you didn’t want a better future for yourself. So congratulations warrior, together we are going to get you where you want to be!
I hope this serves as a great introductory to MS and my story! To those of you who don’t have a chronic illness and want to understand more please don’t hesitate to ask me questions. I want to help others understand what Multiple Sclerosis warriors are going through as best as I can! To those warriors reading this, feel free to leave suggestions of what you want to know more about or email me!
Xx
Arose