31 Days of MS: Living with MS is a blessing in disguise

by Bionews Staff | March 9, 2023

An photo illustration for 31 Days of MS, where people share their stories of life with this disease.

A youngish band bearded Indian man in a yellow surfing T-shirt and wearing glasses flashes a wide, open-mouth smile as he looks to his right. He is standing in a kitchen in front of two cakes with candles on them, presumably to mark the anniversary of his MS diagnosis three years ago. He is holding a knife to cut the cakes in his left hand.

Photo courtesy of Mohit Ojha

Day 9 of 31

This is Mohit Ojha’s story:

Life before MS: I was born into a traditional Indian family, so my childhood was a very typical one until the 10th grade. After that, I didn’t feel like studying so I dropped out of school to explore, travel, and gain some real-life experience. I traveled across most of the states of India, including taking a road trip to everyone’s dream destination, Leh Ladakh. I never thought at the time that life had something absolutely crazy planned for me, and that it would be my last road trip.

Diagnosis: Fast forward to a time when the hospital became my second home and my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) was a work in progress. I started having MS symptoms, including impaired vision, incoherent body movements, and more. I visited all kinds of specialists, but all their experiments on me were in vain. Finally, a neurologist — who is no less than a god figure for me — declared that I have MS. In a sentence, my world turned upside down.

Life after MS: Once I was diagnosed and understood the gravity of the disease (which was yet to become a blessing for me), I was shattered and depressed for the first few months, which involved regular trips to the hospital. Paying for medicines with no regular source of income was a nightmare. I’ve faced situations in which I was hospitalized without an attendant, and I had to run to get my medicines and beg hospital staff to allow me to be admitted without an attendant. Gradually, people changed and life hit me, although, at that point in time, there were some angels called friends who stood by me.

Accepting MS: One fine day, I had a chance to meet someone with MS when I was at an all-time low. The spirit he carried was phenomenal, and suddenly, in a moment, I accepted MS and realized it was going to stick, and that it’s on me to decide how to take it. From that day on, it’s been a blessing to me. I actually celebrate my “MSversary” every year. It has taught me some real-life lessons, and now I am confident that no matter what life has planned for me, I will be able to confront it face to face. That’s what defines me now!

Thriving with MS: Now, after three years of having MS, I’m leading an entrepreneurial life and trying to build a brand called Multiple Stories, which is supposedly the first experiential stay brand in India. We are trying to bring different kinds of boutique stay options to one place.

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.

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Bionews Staff Bionews, the owner and publisher of this site, employs science writers and editors, most of whom have PhDs in the life sciences, as well as veteran journalists, who ensure stories are well-written and easy to understand. Our stories undergo a comprehensive fact-checking and editing process to confirm accuracy, objectiveness, and thoroughness in order to best serve our audience of patients and caregivers.