Let’s educate people, explain to them what MS is, and how it impacts our lives.
I live with the effects MS has on my body every day. I wake up and need a mechanical lift to get out of bed. I spend all of my time in a wheelchair. I spend an hour every day on physical therapy and exercises. I experience pain, spasms, fatigue, and weakness. I take medications to manage these symptoms. I have secondary progressive MS which means I am progressing with little hope of regaining any function I have lost.
Living with MS is hard. In addition to dealing with my physical symptoms, I have come to realize the world isn’t built for someone in a wheelchair. A step or curb, a high counter, a heavy door – I encounter discrimination in favor of able-bodied people all the time.
MS has a big impact on my life. There’s a common saying, “I have MS, MS does not have me.” It’s supposed to be an empowering message. Unfortunately, MS does have me a lot of the time. My disability is fairly advanced so almost every aspect of my life is affected by it. MS certainly gets in my way. One of the most challenging things about adjusting to MS is it’s ever-changing. You have to be a chameleon and learn to adapt with every turn.
MS is a disease of the central nervous system that damages the protective covering surrounding the nerves called myelin. There is currently no cure for MS, which affects around 2.5 million people globally and 400,000 people in the U.S. While treatments are constantly evolving, more research into the disease, future treatments, and a possible cure is still needed.
Let’s get the word out.
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