MS has changed my course but it hasn’t taken my dreams

Naty Caez shares about her life with MS on Instagram. (Photos courtesy of Naty Caez)

Day 9 of 31

This is Naty Caez’s story:

In September 2024, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Everyone’s diagnosis story is going to look a little different, but for me, it took nearly six months of doctor’s visits and exams to get answers. Once I had a name for it, this unexpected sense of relief came over me because now I knew, and I could move forward with a game plan.

Caez undergoing her first Ocrevus infusion.

A lot of grief comes up when you receive a health diagnosis — grief for what your life was like before, and all the things you were able to do. That’s been one of the hardest things for me to accept. I went from running and being very active to needing to use a cane.

When I was first diagnosed, someone said to me, “My MS is not your MS.” That has stayed with me. I try not to think too far ahead, but thoughts about how my life will look as my disease progresses haunt me. Maybe someday I will be able to get to a place where that will no longer be the case, but this is still fresh for me.

I am eternally grateful for my wonderful support system of family and close friends. Living with a chronic illness can feel so lonely and isolating at times, and I don’t know what I’d do without them in my corner. I have lived such an independent life for many years, and all of this has forced me to ask for help.

As challenging as this all has been, I refuse to let MS define me. It’s a part of my story now, but it’s not the whole narrative. I hold on to hope that, with time, I’ll regain pieces of the life I had before, like solo travel. It may look different, and it will come with new challenges, but I feel more determined than ever to embrace that adventure again, on my own terms.

Caez uses her new cane at the beginning of 2025.

I don’t know what the future holds for me and that’s a hard reality to sit with, but what I do know is that I’m still here. I’m still me. And I am still capable of living a full life, just in a new way. MS has changed the course of my path, but it hasn’t taken away my dreams. As I continue to navigate this journey, I am choosing to focus on what I can do, not just what I’ve lost. Because no matter what, I am more than my diagnosis.

In recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March, the MS Community Spotlight campaign features a series of stories highlighting the real-life experiences of people affected by MS, written in their own words. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Pinterest for more stories like this, using the hashtag #MSSpotlight, or read the full series.