Back toUpdated on October 16, 2024
Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis can be overwhelming. In this video, MS patient Eliz Martin shares the story of her diagnosis, how she stays committed to managing her symptoms, and her strategies for living a full life.
Medically reviewed in December 2019.
Transcript
My life has changed in every way because of MS. And you can either choose to be victimized by it
or become a warrior and fight against it. The day I was diagnosed with MS was supposed
to be just like any other day. And then all of a sudden, I realized something wasn't right. I couldn't feel my legs.
So I went to the hospital. Before entering the ER, I actually sat in my car for a long time--
about 20, 30 minutes-- because somewhere deep inside, I knew
that if I walked through those doors, my life would be changed forever.
And I was diagnosed with MS that evening. I googled it.
Didn't know how to spell it. I do now. My expectations were like, I got this. Now that wasn't exactly how my journey played out,
but my expectations in the beginning were exactly what they are now. But despite the disease, I still was
going to be able to live fully.
And then a really tough symptom was actually dysarthria.
What happens is is it interrupts your ability to talk. For eight full months, I could not speak the way
that I'm speaking now. The transition from to RR MS to SP MS is not something that necessarily happens overnight.
For me personally, it played out over two to three years where it was like maybe you've progressed to this,
maybe you haven't. Let's see how the MRIs turn out, and let's see how your disease progression goes.
