31 Days of MS: Live in hope, focus on healing

Photo courtesy of Kellie Alderton

Day 30 of 31

This is Kellie Alderton‘s story:

I was 17 years old in 1988 when my body just stopped working. I had played softball for over a decade, but at my first practice that season I missed an easy fly ball and could barely swing the bat. I looked like a child learning to play tee ball, spinning around uncontrollably. I was quickly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and my whole life changed. I had optic neuritis, chronic fatigue, terrible aches/pains throughout my body. I had to finish my senior year of high school wearing a patch over my eye. (You know how teenagers love to stand out.)

I went for many years on what I like to call the MS rollercoaster, trying to figure out how to feel better and navigate this disease, going to specialist after specialist, getting med after med, as so many of us do.

In 2001, I was introduced to the idea of whole-body healing. I was skeptical but started to analyze areas of my life. First, what I was eating. At the time, I was a junk food junkie. I never thought about how healthy eating related to possibly feeling good. I started taking supplements, which showed me how much my body was lacking nutritionally. I looked at healing therapies to see if they could help relieve symptoms, evaluated my thinking and found that negativity could be adding stress. I focused on personal development and meditation/prayer, which helped me become more centered, grounded, and at peace. I assessed my relationships as they, too, can be detrimental.

MS caused me to take control of my life, it’s made me stronger and led me on the path to healing. I’ve learned that our body is amazing, and there are many ways we can support it.

It’s been 35 years since my diagnosis, and my focus now is on paying it forward. I have a blog, FB group, and I’ve written a book, “Waking Up From MS,” which details my road to healing. I continue to work with others, hoping to inspire them on their journey! My mantra is: Live in Hope, Focus on Healing!

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