Desiree Lama is a 20-something-year-old PhD student living in Austin, Texas. She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis during high school at only 17 years old but began experiencing symptoms at 14. Since a young age, she has found a safe haven in writing because her grandma fostered her love for words and learning. Desiree lives her life through being authentically human in a superficial world. In this column, she will share personal memos of being a disabled, bisexual Mexican woman in an overcritical world. Desiree hopes that this column will encapsulate the captivatingly burdensome feelings of human existence, especially for those with MS.
I remember the day of my relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis diagnosis, when I didn’t understand the weight of what I’d been told. I was only 17 years old and didn’t know what questions to ask,…
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Note: This column refers to the author’s own experience with Gilenya (fingolimod). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. On a recent Friday,…
Before I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis at age 17, I was just a young adolescent eager to attend college but uncertain about my path. However, after my diagnosis, which happened…
About a year after I was born, my parents decided to get my ears pierced. Little did they know, it would become an obsession of mine years later. But little did I know, my…
Searing pain and tears characterized my life for years because of multiple sclerosis-associated migraines. I remember those feelings as clearly as day because they diminished my quality of life. One radiant…
A disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) is a form of treatment that alters how the disease develops over time. DMTs have the potential to impede the progression of MS and…
Let me paint you a picture of a scenario that has stuck with me for years. It was my sophomore year at the University of Texas at Austin and I was having lunch with…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with sleep medications and antidepressants. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Many years ago,…
Dear younger self, As I sit down to write this letter, I can’t help but tear up at the thought of you. First and foremost, you’re an amazing soul, full of life and…
My mom always wished for a son and a daughter. Ten years after I was born, her dream became a reality with the arrival of my baby brother, Michael. Because I was the only…
In previous columns, I’ve shared that I’m a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, but what exactly does that entail? Almost every time I tell someone I’m pursuing a doctorate…
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