Finally meeting the intriguing new employee with multiple sclerosis
Five years ago, I didn't know my new co-worker would become my partner
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A high-pitched, enthusiastic shout came hurdling through my low-lit office sanctuary: “Good morning, everyone! Please join us in the lobby to meet our new employee!”
At 8:30 a.m. on a Monday, my biggest enemy was a mandatory meeting. I managed to gather the little energy left in my body from the weekend and slowly inched toward the lobby.
As I creaked open my door, bright, fluorescent lighting flooded my office, and I could hear excited, shrieking laughter. We hadn’t had a new employee in our small LGBTQIA+ health nonprofit department for over a year. Our team had been talking about it for weeks, but we knew very little about who would be joining us, as our managers loved to keep us on edge. It must be a gay trait to love creating drama and suspense!
Our director was a popular local drag queen, and our manager was a short, gray-haired lesbian who was tough but had a heart of gold, so you can imagine the dynamic in our small department and how our morning meetings went.
My eyes adjusted to the well-lit lobby as I scanned the cerulean-colored room littered with pride flags to scope out the new face. I felt my eyes widen as they met a pair of hazel eyes across the room. I quickly diverted my attention to my director.
“Girlies! We have a new testing specialist joining our team today!” My director, who wasn’t usually this cheery, smiled broadly as he did spirit fingers toward the new person. He continued, “This is Feliciano! Feliciano, please introduce yourself and tell us a personal fun fact.”
My attention shifted back to the soft-colored eyes I had seen earlier, and I slowly began to inspect the rest of him. I noticed a full head of slightly shiny, dark, curly hair and the fair, peach-colored skin it lay against. I inspected his piercings, his earrings, and then his jewelry: chains, bracelets, and rings, nothing clashing or tacky. Every piece was meticulously chosen and paired.
Feliciano Velazquez is pictured in 2021, the year he and Michael-Lee Martinez met. (Photo by Michael-Lee Martinez)
His electrified voice immediately filled the room. “Hi, boys, girls, and theys! My name is Feliciano. I recently graduated from the University of Texas. I just turned 22 years old, and a fun fact about me is that I have three lesions in my brain!”
I wasn’t sure whether it was because it was before 9 a.m. or because I was entranced by this new ball of well-dressed energy, but when I sought reassurance from my co-workers, I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one questioning whether they had heard right.
I don’t think any of us were expecting that “fun fact.” Most people say something like, “I went to Paris last summer!” or “I have a dog named Benny!” (Just about everyone in Austin, Texas, has a dog. Big surprise.)
Feliciano must have picked up on our confusion because he quickly said, with a slight smirk, “I have MS, or multiple sclerosis. Do y’all know what MS is?”
I went to college for public health and had volunteered at several MS fundraising events in high school. I’d heard about the condition, but in that moment, I felt ashamed that I didn’t actually know much about it. And I had definitely never met anyone living with MS.
Feliciano continued, “MS is a disorder where, basically, my immune system attacks my central nervous system.”
In a department of self-proclaimed empaths, myself included, I could feel the immediate shift in energy.
“But divas! Don’t feel bad for me!” Feliciano said. “I was diagnosed more than a year ago; I am healthy and happy. And you would never know I was living with MS if I hadn’t told you. Which is why I always share my story!”
I could feel the energy begin to rise again. “I know that’s right, queen!” one of my co-workers shouted as the rest of the room joined in laughter and snaps.
I was still processing everything when my manager announced, “Feliciano will be working on his training, but once he is done, he will be training with Michael-Lee!”
I instantly felt a hot flash shoot through my body as I relocked eyes with the hazel ones I’d seen earlier. An anxious thought ran through my head: “I want to impress this guy; I need to know everything about MS.” After all, I didn’t know it then, but he would end up being my partner of five years and counting.
Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.
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