My Journey With MS

Hi, my name is Jane. I'm a 52-year-old nurse by profession and mother of 3 grown-up children, one biological and two adopted. My journey began in 2011.

Everything just looked like one color

I woke up one morning, and everything was white in color. I could not differentiate colors. But the beauty of the whole episode was that I was not in any pain. I thought to myself, today there is a lot of mist. This kind of weather is common where I live. I went outside my house, and all was white, even trees, Ha! I went to my neighbor to clarify on the weather. She smiled and said no, the weather is fine with good morning sun. I returned back to my house when I realized all was not well. Of course, I could not read clearly or watch my television clearly.

I knew I needed to speak to a professional about this

Being a nurse, I visited different ophthalmologists with no proper diagnosis. Finally, I approached one doctor, a surgeon who was also my friend and who referred me to an eye surgeon. When he listened to my history, he automatically asked me if I have medical coverage, which I responded positively to. He referred me to a neurologist, who automatically referred me for a brain scan, MRI, and full blood check-up. I got the results on the same day and was diagnosed with optic neuritis secondary to MS. I was admitted, and my treatment commenced.

My medical coverage had different plans

I have been stable with few relapses, but the worst relapse was in 2017. My right leg and left hand became weak. I was put on steroids and left the hospital, but my right leg was still weak. Since my relapses became more frequent, my neurologist changed my treatment and put me on one cancer drug (rituximab), which is a very expensive drug. He prescribed 10 doses, 2 doses per year. I could get 1000mg after every six months. So far, I have gotten 9 doses. I was made to understand it could stop progression or slow down progression. For the 5 years I was on this drug, there were no active lesions on the results of the MRI. Last year, I had issues with my medical coverage and never got my last dose.

Supplements have been really helpful for me

Now that I cannot afford it, I self-prescribe supplements. I did a lot of research on the internet and books to get the best that can trigger non-inflammatory effects and can aid the repair of cells. I went on Vit B12, Vit D, Vit C, BIOTIN, and Omega 3 Complete. I do exercises that can stretch my muscles. So far, the supplements have kept me stable and I am able to function normally. The only challenge so far, is numbness in my right toes and numbness in my left thumb. Supplements can be expensive and my prayer is to get constant supply. I don't take them on a daily basis. I take them three days a week.