PeopleWithMS.com

ChiChi

A few spare minutes so I will share my story... My MS story starts in Jan.  2004 when I was first having these weird sx…..slurred speech, off balance, missing words when I read aloud to my class etc.  We had just gone through a hairy time with some foster kids and their parents and my doc said “you are depressed…let me give you an anti depressant.” Of course I said ok….I mean he is the doctor right!? Well in June of that year I was still having the same sx except they were worse…..I just happen to be at the doc for a sinus infection and mentioned that my other problems had not gotten any better so he sent me for an MRI.  I didn’t tell my DH as he would only worry and I didn’t see any reason for that! So I called my sister instead and she, once again, became my confidant.  So I went for the MRI and really didn’t think anything about it until the next week when my doctor’s nurse called and said….we need to see you in the office….this sent up a number of red flags as they always in the past have told me results of all tests either by letter or on the phone so immediately I called my sister in a panic.  We talked and decided to still not tell my DH but go to the appt.  We were both sure that it was a brain tumor and mapped out how we would handle it.  Well I went to the appt. and my doctor looked at me so sadly and said, “I am afraid you have MS. I want you to see a neuro. Next week I have already set up the appt.”  Well I was floored….in fact speechless!  I numbly walked out to my car and called my sister and told her….her reaction…she got on the computer right then and started researching MS.  “We can do this” she assured me.  Now you need to tell Brian (DH).  I wanted Brian to come with me to the neuro. so I had to tell him.  I finally broke down and broke the news to him and we went to the neuro…who turned out to be a real jerk…I found a new neuro. and was able to get in with him in Jan.  2005 that is when I say I got my official dx and got started on Copaxone. Then in June 2005 my dad was dx with pancreatic cancer (which my sister and I knew was a death sentence we just didn’t know how long…) and he started his up hill battle. In August 2006 my sister was dx with lymphoma and she began her uphill battle while caring for my dad who was losing his battle with cancer.  My dad lost his battle with cancer in Dec. 2006 but my sister won her battle in March 2007 and was declared cancer free and remains that way to this day…. I found an MS specialist in Raleigh and began seeing him in 2006.  He is great! I started having a bad reaction to Copaxone and started on Rebif in March 2007 unfortunately at the same time I experienced my first full on exacerbation.  Man it was bad!  I thought I was going to lose the use of my legs and ended up doing 5 days of IV steroids and 2 seven day dose packs and 3 months of PT for weakness.  It seriously hurt my work schedule but my principal really worked with me and is a great boss.  Now I am back up and running and doing well and buying a new house so my mom can move in with us (at my husbands insistence….did I mention he is the greatest!).  And through it all my belief and faith in God is what sustained me!  With out that I would have never made it! Anyone interested in knowing and having what I have in my heart please let me know I can’t imagine trying to get through all of this without my Lord.