In August 2021, my life seemed to be following the path I had envisioned since I was 10 years old. But two days after my 29th birthday, everything changed.
While driving to work as a police officer, I turned to merge into another lane—and suddenly, I saw nothing but black. I could still see out of my right eye and was only minutes away from the station, so I continued driving. When I parked, I could barely stand; my limbs were numb, and I felt a tight, suffocating pressure around my ribcage. Pain gripped my neck, my head, and behind both eyes, while vertigo set in. A coworker helped me into the station, and I was quickly taken to the hospital. After 10 hours of tests and no clear answers, I was sent home.
The next day, I visited my primary care doctor. I was prescribed steroids and gabapentin, a medication for seizures, to help with the symptoms in my left eye, and was referred to a neurologist. Following MRI scans of my brain, cervical, and thoracic spine, along with nerve tests, I received the diagnosis: multiple sclerosis. Two lesions were found in my brain and two active lesions in my neck. While waiting to see an MS specialist, I underwent five days of painful steroid infusions.
It has been over three years since that diagnosis, and I’ve been on sick leave from my job. The physical limitations imposed by MS have forced me to grieve the life I once knew—the career I loved, the future I had planned, and even the simple act of moving freely.
Accepting my MS diagnosis was not easy, but I’ve learned to manage it through medication, exercise, a healthy diet, and reducing stress. And while I hold out hope for new treatments—or even a cure—I’ve come to terms with my reality.
Living with MS has transformed me. It’s deepened my empathy for others, and through the MS community, I’ve found support. A decade ago, after graduating from the police academy, I got a tattoo to commemorate my perseverance. The words “Somewhere weakness is our strength” were chosen as a reminder that with determination, anything is possible. Little did I know, those words would become even more significant as I faced the challenges of living with MS.
In honor of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month this March, the MS Community Spotlight campaign is sharing stories like mine—personal accounts of those living with MS, written in their own words.
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