My diagnosis

I'll never forget the day I was "officially" diagnosed. It was in March of 2006. One of those beautiful early spring days. Sunny, yet still cool enough to require a sweater. I've always found it amazing what our minds remember as our lives are forever altered.

As an R.N. I was pretty sure what my diagnosis would be. After years of being "klutsy" and having periods of stumbling along with a loss of balance, I knew Multiple Sclerosis would be the most likely diagnosis. Of course, I also knew other diseases mimic MS. Diseases in my opinion that are far worse to be diagnosed with.

My husband (fiancee at the time) and I were sitting in an exam room with a Nurse Practitioner. No one was saying anything. I had been through a comprehensive exam and now was just waiting for the confirmation of what I suspected. Dr. Geisser came back into the exam room, pulled up a stool and I heard the words that forever changed my life. "You have multiple sclerosis".

Wow. Part of me felt incredible relief that we finally had a name. That there was really a disease that was causing my problems and it wasn't "all in my head", and that it was a disease that I could fight. Another part of me was absolutely terrified. Now what? How long before I couldn't walk? How long before I lost my independence and became dependent on others for help. I remember having so many emotions and questions tumbling through my mind. I remember being scared. Really scared. In that moment of time my life as I knew it disappeared. I now was a person with MS. At that point my world narrowed down to one question: Was I going to live my life or MS? I chose to live my LIFE.