As we approach the season of giving, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) would like to bring special attention to the many wonderful community members that we serve. With our mission of Improving Lives Today, MSAA genuinely strives to advocate for and prioritize the well-being of all individuals who have been affected by multiple sclerosis. Over the years, we have collaborated with so many inspiring people, and we are honored to be able to highlight their stories.
In the spirit of the holiday season, we would like to share the heartfelt story of mother and son, Monica and Brian, who both live with multiple sclerosis.
“I’ve learned that in any situation, if you are not advocating for yourself, you’re not going to get anything. My name is Monica Proctor Wilson, and I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on my 40th birthday after spending several years seeking answers to my symptoms. For four or five years, doctors kept saying that it was fatigue, and that I was overworked and needed to take a break. I believed it was multiple sclerosis, and I started asking about it. People would ask me, ‘Why would you want MS?’ I did not want MS. I just wanted to know what was going on with me,” Monica shared.
“Finally, after several years and an MRI, at my annual physical, the doctor told me that I had MS. Without the knowledge that I sought out, I would not have been empowered to keep pushing for answers. Educational programs allow members of the MS community the opportunity to hear from experts and meet others who might be going through something similar. These types of resources helped me advocate for myself and for my son Brian, who was diagnosed with MS eight years later.”
“Getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis was not something I ever thought would happen to me,” Brian shared. “I remember feeling a lot of anger when it just hit me all of a sudden, because I was still pretty young at 27 years old. I still think I’m in denial.”
“I remember waking up one morning and everything was doubled. I was on my way to work, and cars weren’t side by side – they were on top of each other. That was my first sign that something wasn’t right. My doctor checked it out and sent me to an ophthalmologist, but he still wanted me to see a neurologist for some of the other symptoms I hadn’t thought anything of. Even with my mother’s experience as an advocate for her own MS to guide me, it still took about a year to get my diagnosis,” Brian expressed.
After years of navigating MS side-by-side, Monica and Brian came to an agreement that each would navigate their journeys with MS in their own ways.
“Because MS is not all the same. We are not all the same,” Monica explained. “I am very aggressive with my MS, he is a little laid back with his. But even with the different approaches we have to living with multiple sclerosis, being a part of the MS community takes pressure off of me. I don’t have to explain myself when I’m fatigued or I start experiencing foot drop. The people of this community at large get it. I might miss an event or an outing, but I’m not losing my connection.”
Insight to personal stories like Monica’s and Brian’s highlights that multiple sclerosis affects every single individual differently. It is because of these vast experiences that MSAA continues to provide support and specific resources for the MS community.
We are grateful to Monica and Brian and all of the individuals who share their stories of advocacy.
From the MSAA family to yours, we wish you a very safe and happy holiday season.
