OP-ED: 5 things that I would like to know when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis

Before diagnosing multiple sclerosis on the age of 26, life was a series of confusion and pain. For over two years I was wrongly diagnosed, jumping from doctor to doctor, in search of answers that never got here. Countless visits to the ambulance, unexplained symptoms, body weakness and pain have turn out to be my recent norm. One day every little thing has modified.

Suddenly I lost my ability to walk and had to be taken to hospital. Terrified and sensitive, I lie in a hospital bed, still with out a clear diagnosis. But this time my mother refused to allow the medical system to release me again. She demanded a CT or MRI scan. If she wasn’t a lawyer for me, I would not get an accurate diagnosis. The doctor got here to me, barely meeting with my eyes: “We found six changes on your brain. I’m sorry, it looks like you have multiple sclerosis.”

My life has just modified without end.

At first I felt relieved that I finally had the reply. But this relief quickly became uncertainty. What did this mean for my future? Would I have the opportunity to work, travel and live the life I imagined? MS is an autoimmune disease through which the immune system commits the brain and spinal cord for a foreign invader and attacks the nervous system. This can lead to numbness, tingling, lack of mobility and cognitive problems. Suddenly my body was not like mine. On some days I could move freely. On other days my legs seemed foreign. I had to learn to listen to my body and adapt what I would like to understand earlier.

I am a girl of religion and I knew that there should be more. So I went on a journey of research and discovering myself. I had two options: or let MS control my life or take control of my multiple sclerosis. I selected the latter. I immersed myself in research on potential treatment methods, lifestyle changes and holistic forces of treatment. I began to activate cryotherapy to reduce inflammation, using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to promote brain healing, in addition to vitamin IV therapy to strengthen my immune system. I also found relief in acupuncture, massage, yoga, reiki and meditation. I didn’t want to survive with multiple sclerosis, I wanted to develop.

Holistic healing will not be about rejecting traditional medicine; It is about recognizing that treatment is multidimensional. Drugs might help deal with symptoms, but movement, weight loss program, stress reduction and spiritual well -being are equally vital. I had to turn out to be my best lawyer, fight for correct care, study within the treatment options and make decisions that adapted to me.

MS is an invisible battle. The body turns against itself. I could look good outside, but nobody else fought contained in the war. The most difficult part? becoming my worst enemy. It is straightforward to feel frustrated, blamed yourself or press an excessive amount of. But healing requires grace, patience and understanding. He failed to survive. The world tells us to press more, grind more and move. But for people with multiple sclerosis, this manner of pondering is destructive. Rest will not be laziness, it’s vital. Learning to rest with out a sense of guilt was one among my biggest lessons. As a high performance woman, slowing down has at all times been a fight. Autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect women and Research from Johns Hopkins University It shows that eight percent of the population has an autoimmune disease, of which 78% of ladies. However, black women encounter the next indicator of incorrect diagnosis, delayed treatment and inadequate care. I learned that self -sufficiency is a necessity.

As for the things I have learned, there are such a lot of things that I would like someone to tell me when I was diagnosed. Below are probably an important observations:

MS will not be a death sentence. Life doesn’t end with a diagnosis. There continues to be a lot to achieve, and the ability of mind is crucial for well -being.

Physiotherapy is vital. Rebuilding nerves and maintaining mobility requires commitment.

Stress is a quiet trigger. Learning early stress management can prevent exacerbation and long -term damage.

Nutritional matter and intestinal health. The relationship between food and inflammation is powerful.

The community is every little thing. Finding support can have a difference between survival and a flowering.

As mentioned, faith was my anchor during this journey. Prayer, meditation and faith in something greater than I kept me on the idea. I used to pray that God would use me to fulfill his goal, and although you weren’t the reply I expected, now I see that my journey might help others find hope, healing and strength.

I was once told: “Don’t do what the disease does for you.” The lady attacks the body, but self -criticism, stress and neglect attack the soul. Do not hinder the battle, being your worst enemy. Instead, be your best lawyer, supporter and healer. MS is an element of my history, but this will not be my identity.

Ten years in my MS journey, I’m still learning. But one thing is obvious, healing is feasible. It will not be a drugs, but recovery happens in the way in which we live, love and tell one another.