Letter: Join together in walk to end multiple sclerosis

Published 10:35 pm Thursday, April 13, 2017

My name is Bailey; I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in February 2013, almost six months after I married my husband, Joe. About two weeks prior to my diagnosis, I was having continuous pain in my neck, combined with tingling and numbness that were spreading to my left side of my body — the feeling that is in comparison is that of when your foot falls asleep, except throughout your body. I had gone to the chiropractor for multiple days in a row thinking it was a pinched nerve, and when that didn’t work, I went to my doctor. After doing multiple MRIs and X-rays, it was determined that I had MS.

When I received the phone call, I was devastated. I was at work, and Joe was out of town. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me, and I didn’t know anything about MS. I had many thoughts running through my head: Would I be able to start a family and not only start one but be able to care for them? Who was going to take care of my family and me if something happened? After the diagnosis stirred so many questions, I made appointments for a second opinion at Mayo Clinic and a spinal tap, meanwhile secretly hoping that something was missed and I didn’t have multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that effects the central nervous system by damaging the myelin sheath (the protective coating around the nerves), making the connections to the brain and body disappear; this results in numbness, tingling, vision problems, fatigue, impaired speech and mobility issues, to name a few.

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After consulting with the doctors, Joe and I decided to start a family and delay treatment. We now have two beautiful girls who I love with every ounce of my being. Yes, I have had times where buttoning tiny buttons can be difficult and have broken cups because I forgot I was holding something in my left hand and accidentally dropped it due to the numbness. After our most recent daughter’s birth in August, I also developed a new symptom, ocular neuritis, which has made seeing things difficult. I would have issues seeing true colors; they looked lighter than normal or dull.

I just started my treatment in October of a self-injectable drug that I take three times a week. I will have followup MRIs to see whether the MS has progressed. It did take me until just last year to realize the answer to my question of who would take care of my family and me if something happened: It’s my family and friends and co-workers and my community.

Walk MS brings people together and helps raise funds that support MS research, programs and services. This year’s Walk MS event takes place Saturday, April 22, at Southbridge Mall in Mason City. Please join me, because ending MS will take all of us. And with every step we take, every dollar we raise, we’re that much closer. Together, we will end MS forever.

Bailey Frye

Mason City