I don't think I've been able to say that for about 10 years now.
I feel like myself.
I want to push myself, I want to socialize, I'm not afraid of "feeling bad" or "dizzy" or "tired" -- my legs aren't numb.... the anxiety of having an invisible illness for right now doesn't exist.
Since my last infusion I made a deal to walk 10,000+ steps every single day, no excuses.
I am currently on day 168... with a total of 2,342,967 steps. This has been my way of reminding myself daily that I can't let MS ruin my day.
There have been days that have been REALLY freaking hard... and days where I hit that 10K before noon, but it's my reminder that anything is possible.
In early January I emailed my doctor to ask when I needed to get my MRI for the year (I have gotten an MRI 1 or 2 times a year for the past 10 years of my life.) She told me that since I have been improving and haven't had any new symptoms I didn't need to get a MRI this year... we can "reevaluate in the future" ... guys, this is a HUGE for me.
Even though I have had a very mild form of MS (I got very lucky) it has left it's mark and will be with me.
On my good days I say to myself "Wow, I feel good today... because I have MS and I should feel bad"
In 15 days, I'll roll my IV with me into the bathroom at the infusion center and look at myself in the mirror - it all becomes real again - and I get another shot in the arm (literally and figuratively) to push myself even harder in the months to follow.
Again, I cannot stress enough how much research put me in this position. I was part of a research study in 2018 where they tested the effects on glucose instead of contrast dye with a MRI. This glucose was able to light up a lesion on my brain that a regular MRI did not see... we switched treatments and attacked this thing head on. The switch of meds could have been drawn out a little bit longer, and maybe I wouldn't be experiencing the results I am now. Guess we will never need to find out.
Please considering donating to (or joining!!!) my MS Walk team... the National MS Society has been a fantastic resource for so many people living with MS. They fund research and make stories like mine possible. http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/juliewigley
(oh and it was a good curl day)
