She's a Superhero!

We asked our community members to share in our forums section, "If you could take one of your MS symptoms and make it a superpower, what would it be? What would be your superhero background story?"

We got some incredible submissions, and after a random selection, this superhero was selected to be featured and have their superhero brought to life by our amazing art department.

Our MS community superhero, Lisa

Lisa, an artist, nurse, and advocate says, "Being diagnosed with MS certainly changes your life, and you literally have to question everything. Where do I still have strengths? What are these new limits? How am I going to adapt so I can keep moving? Who will I be afterward? When will I feel in control again? I think my story montage idea is a bit of a parallel to living with MS, embracing strange new experiences, learning to repurpose what I’ve got or lost by trial and error, being creative, and pulling my strength from a higher power."

Lisa's superpower

My MS superpower would be the elemental power of electromagnetic force that comes from "true north." In all the multiverse, there is only one truth, it is the power of all things good where justice is upheld.

My physical struggle

One day, after having what may have been my 100th MRI, I found myself leaning heavily on my cane. While waiting at the bus stop, every car that rode by seemed to knock me off balance, especially the fast ones! As the pull became stronger I wound up spinning around – dust, bottle caps, and random trash were swirling around me like a mini-tornado. As the bus slowed to a stop, I stumbled toward it so quickly I face-planted on the doors before they opened, I looked like a complete dork! I could see everyone holding back giggles, it was humiliating.

It was so easy to make fun of spastic handicapped kids on the street anyways, and I just gave them all fuel for making gut-busting looped memes and GIFs. I had to peel myself off the side of the bus as the bifold metal folded back to let me on. I took a seat and collapsed overcome with supernatural exhaustion, but before I drifted off to sleep I saw something else, something those taunting me didn't want me to see – I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was something I knew I wasn't supposed to see.

Change is coming

I went home knowing something very different was going on. My eyes were still misty, and my keys were stuck to my hand that turned into a claw after I unlocked the door. My other arm was so heavy I could barely lift it off the doorknob. Was this another relapse? The doctors told me I would go back to normal after I had steroids! My color vision had returned after my bout with optic neuritis, and I was going to physical therapy to fix my diminished legs. Aargh!!!!

I had to find out because while this was similar to a relapse, I felt stronger, not weaker. Determined, I hit up doctor Google and sciencey websites. I did some experiments, and then I went a little nuts. I pulled out a pair of rollerblades from my street hockey days that MS has forced me to retire to the garage with a ton of other things I had to give up. What was I thinking? I was off-balance enough already when walking, and I'm putting wheels on my feet?! "This is probably a baaaad idea..." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, but there was something to this pulling sensation that was happening anytime I got near anything metal.

And just like in the movies...

(Insert funny montage of learning about my new strength).

• Ability to attach to metal and move with it.
• Ability to manipulate metal with intention, i.e. throw things, bend things, stop things from moving, little things like my fork at dinner and big things like the dumpster in the driveway, fast things, even bullets?!
• Ability to use metal to channel re-route disrupt electric currents.
• Ability to see things beyond black and white and see things clearly into the hearts of humanity - to see why they do the things they do.

All of these are easy to short-circuit and can run out quickly if I use too much – like after I got on the bus when I crashed for a nap. This is actually gonna be a good thing because I've seen power without limitation turn heroes into villains.