numbness

An Interview With Writer Edith Forbes: Living With MS

Last year, I got the chance to read and review Edith Forbesā€™ medical memoir, “Tracking a Shadow.” I thought it was an encouraging and thoughtful work, so I contacted her by email for an interview to share her thoughts with readers of this column. Forbes graduated from Stanford…

The Visible and Invisible Reflections of MS Ā Ā Ā 

“Mirrors donā€™t lie. They only show a part of truth.” ā€” Lara Biyuts I’ve written about how my reality feels jagged compared with actual reality. I wrote, “The woman looking back at me isnā€™t whom I perceive myself to be.ā€ Iā€™ve been pondering this recently. The realism of reality With…

Manifesting Change with SPMS

The state of our world lies heavy on my shoulders. I worry about and miss my family. Our geographical distance, although unchanged, seems to have grown exponentially. Is everyone so far, or am I so very confined? I understand how a prisoner in solitary confinement finds his own perception…

Under Pressure

There’s always something. The trouble with a mĆ©lange of complex medical issues is that one good action often can lead to a bad secondary one. It’s like a game of consequences that unfortunately not only injures your psyche, but also leaves a mark on the body. In my case, it…

I Am a Millennial with Multiple Sclerosis

I remember the day like it was yesterday: Sept. 20, 2012. I was fortunate to receive a swift diagnosis ā€” following a couple of tests, my neurologist told me that I have multiple sclerosis (MS). At the time I thought, “Well, let the journey begin.” My name is Stephanie…

PPMS Suddenly and Spontaneously Surges My Symptoms

When I was diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I didnā€™t know what to expect. It quickly became apparent that my doctors didnā€™t know, either. Iā€™m sure they could have given me some scenarios of what my future might be…