World MS Day

I have been a runner for the last 10 years and completed over 30 half marathons. My running is an outlet for me and has been an important part of my life and mental health. Over the past few years, I started to notice my muscles were feeling like they were deflated no matter how much running I did and I also noticed I was having a lot of trouble with circulation and my feet were falling asleep while running. I was able to blame the fatigue in my muscles on getting older and just not working as hard and the circulation issues on bad/old shoes. Along with the deflated and fatigued muscles, I was having sharp pain in my neck and spine when I looked down. I thought this was also caused from my running and tried to fix things with a chiropractor, massage, acupuncture and more. I had reasons and excuses for all of it. But, when I started to have a lot of trouble with my bladder and getting up many times a night to use the bathroom plus night sweats I started to talk to my General Doctor about what we could do and what might be wrong. She sent me to an Endocrinologist who, in the search for what could be causing all of this, decided to do a MRI of my brain to see if there was something on my pituitary gland.

The news that came back was far from what I had expected. They called and let me know I was going to be referred to a neurologist because there were some concerning lesions showing up on my brain. The neurologist I was referred to was a specialist in Multiple Sclerosis. After an initial appointment with her to go over my MRI (where there looked to be a few lesions, including one that was seeming to be growing) and going over my history to talk about some other symptoms that I had been having, we did another MRI but this one of my spine. It came back showing lesions on both of those as well, and ones that would explain my symptoms.

On May 15 2019, I was officially diagnoses with MS.

The news was extremely hard to hear and digest, even though it was also a much needed answer to so much I had been feeling over the past few years. One bit of relief I did feel during this Dr. appointment was how important it was for me to stay physically active and that being as active as I have been is likely something that has slowed the progression of the disease. I was not going to have to stop running.

I know that I am very lucky to have caught my MS very early and to still have all the physical abilities that I do right now. I’m still able to work and have the blessing of great health insurance to help me with all of the exams and medical treatment, including my MS Therapy drug. I’m also beyond blessed with an amazingly supportive family and friend group who has been by my side through it all.

This journey and diagnosis is all still very new to me. I have a “type A” personality and planning/being organized is something I thrive on. The diagnosis has taught me that I need to adjust in some of this and planning one week out at a time might be as far as I can go to not be frustrated with my schedule becoming disrupted when symptoms flair or if a relapse occurs.
Each of us who has MS experiences everything differently. I am hopeful for a cure for each and every one of us to help make our lives easier, more pain free and help us get back to “normal” Research has come a long way and each and every day they are closer to answers for us all.