9 Years with MS

by Caroline Kyriakou

It’s been quite a while since my last blog post. As someone with MS, you have good days and bad days. Lately I have been struggling with insomnia and fatigue. I am sure most of you can relate with that. At this time I am still working full time (I am a receptionist in a periodontal office) and it can be such a challenge with these specific symptoms. Most people think fatigue is just being tired, but with MS it is so much more. Luckily soon I will be starting a new medication for fatigue that I am hoping will help. I have tried other medications in the past, but am hopeful that this one will work! It has been hard to keep up with blogging when I don’t have any energy. And now my neurologist has told me no caffeine after 2pm. That has been a real challenge!!

I have also been struggling with the idea that I “look so good” that I feel like people around me forget I have this invisible disease. Next month, July, will mark 9 years since my diagnosis. It feels so strange to type that I have had MS for 9 years! It seems unreal still after all this time. It is so difficult when others cannot see the symptoms we experience as MSers. People think you have to be in a wheelchair or using a walker. I think about MS all the time, as it has completely turned my world upside down. But, I know others don’t really think about me having MS at all. At 35 most of my outings are monthly infusions, neurology checkups and MRIs. Not how I imagined my mid-thirties!

As I continue to deal with all that comes with a MS diagnosis, I try to stay positive, but it is not possible all of the time. As MSers, we all go through ups and downs. I find talking to others with MS, whether at a local support group or on Facebook, really helps. As much as family and friends want to understand, they just can’t. Talking to someone who knows what a numb limb, tingling or vision problems is like, well, nothing can compare to that kind of camaraderie.

So as I approach my 9 year anniversary with MS, I would like to thank all the friends I have made along the way. Without you, I don’t know where I would be! So, here’s a toast to friends!

Caroline Kyriakou was diagnosed with MS in 2006. She enjoys reading, blogging, and is working on her first book. Caroline volunteers as a mentor through MS ActiveSource. She also is an administrator of a Facebook MS Support group, Friends Against the MonSter and writes other Blogs on MS Relief.