31 Days of MS: A New Mindset Made Me Stronger

Photo courtesy of Zaki Farzand

Day 2 of 31

This is Zaki Farzand’s (@zakifarzand) story:

Hi, I’m Zaki Farzand, and I’m 33 years old. Here is my MS story, so pull up a seat, grab a coffee, and sit back.

I still remember the day I got my diagnosis. It was the 25th of January 2021. I had just stepped into a new phase of my life on the 2nd of that month. That day — 02.01.21 — is the day I tied the knot. So far, so good, right?

A few days before my diagnosis, I experienced my first symptom, a prickly feeling on different parts of my body. My tongue grew heavy, and I started experiencing an imbalance. This was when I rushed to a specialist to get it checked and BOOM! Enter the antagonist: MS.

I hadn’t even heard of this autoimmune condition. I was shocked and so was my family. Life started spiraling downward. My health took a hit and my marriage was in shambles. MS diagnosis and a divorce? Yes, it was a double whammy!

My story isn’t all dark and bleak. As Nassim Taleb points out in his book “Antifragile,” sometimes a black swan event helps tidy up existing chaos and disarray. After my diagnosis, I decided not to look up too much about the condition or read about it on the internet. I received the best treatment available to get me up and going. Along with the treatment, I knew for a fact that I needed to get into the right mindset.

Acceptance of the condition is an important factor. Only after accepting the situation could one find sources of empowerment. This is exactly how I charted the road to recovery. I started training my mind to look at things differently.

Today, I start my day with a set of affirmations that put me in the right frame of mind. Meditation helps with the healing and provides me with clarity.

This changed mindset helped me discover a new me. Without MS, I don’t think I would have cleaned up my lifestyle. My new mindset made me stronger, helped me snatch the power back from MS, and has given me much-needed clarity.

Stay strong, fellow warriors. We got this.

Multiple Sclerosis News Today’s 31 Days of MS campaign will publish one story per day for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #31DaysofMS, or read the full series.