The Multiple Sclerosis Tapestry: Interviews with People Whose Lives are Affected by MS

When I was released the next day the doctor asked how I felt.  I said, "Good but you have two heads."  He told me that was not a symptom of vertigo but it was a symptom of MS.  Then he asked when I was getting the MRI.

I got the MRI that night but I did not fear that the results would change my life.  My doctor had reassured me that I would be fine.  He called me at two the next day and said, "I'm so sorry, you have MS."

What was your reaction to hearing that you have this disease? 

When I received my diagnoses I was stunned and devastated.  I knew nothing about MS.  I imagined that I would be shaky and wheel-chair bound.  I imagined I would never do or teach yoga again.  My husband asked the doctor, "Can she still become a yoga teacher?"  The doctor assured him that I could.  That helped immediately.  Within two hours I had started a dose of 500mg of Prednisone for four days.  That really helped because I had never taken steroids and I did not know just how crazy and super-human I was about to become.  The steroids in fact dulled the blow of my diagnoses for months.  When it really hit me, I fell into a deep depression.

What sorts of symptoms do you or have you experienced?

During the last year or so I have experienced a virtual potpourri of symptoms.  I have had vertigo, skull pain, nausea and migraines.  I have had problems with my bladder control and at times discomfort in my bowels.  Balance was a big issue during my first exacerbation but now that is much better. I have had tingling and numbness throughout my body and strange electrical pulses on my skull and the back of my neck and arms.  I have had muscle and nerve pain.  The biggest change has been the fatigue.  I am exhausted.  All these changes have brought on depression and anxiety but I am slowly learning to accept and cope.

What meds, treatments, or alternative therapies have helped you the most?

I used prednisone to treat both exacerbations and luckily it worked alone both times.  I have tried modifying my diet by cutting gluten, dairy and cooked foods but I have not found the perfect formula yet.  I have consulted with an acupuncturist and received treatments for hormonal issues.  The acupuncture proved very effective for treating joint pain, nerve pain and cramps.

When I went back to yoga I took a "therapeutic class."  That was helpful on a physical, mental and spiritual level.  Yoga and meditation have proved the most effective means for dealing with all my symptoms.  While they do not take away the symptoms, they help immensely with controlling my reactions to discomfort and pain.  I have breathed through the most intense suffering of my life and found peace on the other side.

I know that you currently work despite your MS.  What is that like for you?

Working has been hard this year.  I had the summer off and I tried very hard to get non-classroom work but in the fall I found myself teaching again.  I went from teaching four classes a day last year to teaching five this year and an hour and a half of professional learning was also added to our week.