PeopleWithMS.com

I am a 50 year old female, diagnosed with MS in March of 1989. In January (actually New Years Day) 1989... my husband left for his after noon shift at work.... When he arrived back home some 12 hours later... I was still in the chair I was in when he had left for work....as when he arrived home after his shift;... I was not able to walk or talk at that point and the doctors in their infinite wisdom decided that I had had a stroke... it took 3 more very difficult months of hospitalization and hundreds of tests to finally prove that I had MS.... NOT A STROKE.......what a relief!!! I was at that time issued a cane and a set of instructions to learn how to use the cane properly.... By September of 1989 I was completely incapacitated. Bedridden , Incapable of taking care of myself. .. In a wheel chair.. unable to feed myself.... bathe myself ... unable to do any everyday functions of everyday life.
I went to physio therapy daily for almost one year. They taught me how to walk (?) they taught me how to use my muscles (that were severely atrophied).... My neurologist finally decided that I was not going to get any better and took me off all of the physio therapy.... In his words " You will never walk again.... this is your life....get used to it...... stop trying........... WELL!!!!
To anyone who knows me... I do not give up... doctors sentences to life in a wheel was not an option. I fought with every ounce of my being, government agencies that I could find..... and finally ended up in my Family Doctors Office..... He has known me since I was 25 years old and has treated my husband and my daughter,and is now treating my three grandbabies. He has gotten me through 3 bouts of cancer... a hysterectomy; a blood clot in my lung and a stroke . All that aside from him aiding me with the MS>. He is a strong supporter of me and if any new information comes to his attention.. he is the first to let me know;

I have recently decided to go back to college and with my knowledge of Crime Stoppers have decided to take a course in Police Sciences. At present I am pulling a 95% average. It is painstaking study, The study time amounts to about 3 hours daily of intense study and then 3 hours in the evening of review study.. Each section of the training manual has tests to complete before continuing on to the next study group. After a segment is completed an exam must be written and submitted for testing, a failing mark is 70%.

And... I have also been offered a full time full salaried position with another Not for profit (charitable organization)... doing the same work and functions that I am now doing for Crime Stoppers for free............................. I will keep you updated after I have interviewed them and see if they are compatible with me... there is also a board of directors' to deal with this... so i will want to interview each of them as well..... I am going into this with the attitude that they need me more than I need them... If the offer is on the high end of their proposal... I may consider accepting the job.. 

The above is to let you all know.. that MS does not have to STOP your life... one can still go on and be active in great and wonderful things.

In short.... I have MS.... but MS does not have me........................

By the way... I am a grandmother to 3 very active grandchildren, a boy almost 4 and 2 girls almost seven months (YES.. Twins)... and I have a ball with them each and every time I am with them.

Donna

Donna and Tony

Donna and daughter Marsha