In over thirty years of knowingly living with this disease, I have rarely heard about it unless a public figure was unfortunately diagnosed and revealed they had MS.
There have been a few times when people have said they had this horrible disease to steal funds for themselves. If people like that are so low to put a condition like this on their lives to steal, they surely deserve all the misery we endure. OK, well, just a little. I'm not backing off that. What perfect specimens they would be as its willing partners. They did ask for it, right? What a fantastic testimony it would be too.
This MonSter is wicked. It has taken me on a physical and emotional rollercoaster for over 50 years, with 20 of those years being undiagnosed.
Awareness matters, and with these numbers, MS, Awareness needs to matter to us, especially to those of us who live with the effects of this horrific disease.
There are nearly 1 million "others" of us living with MS in the US and over 2 million worldwide.
When our voices need to be heard, think about those numbers, and if we vote, then watch out.
We are all a commodity for the companies that sell the disease modifying drugs to us and make it appear this this disease is an easy one to live with as it seems in many of their advertisements. Ask me, and anyone I have ever known what this disease really is like.
Over the years, I have met many of us who are living with the compounded effects of balancing everything that "normalcy" is and then MS becoming an additional integral factor in just trying to live with it too.
About 35 years ago I was seriously hurt at work on 2 occasions. Long story, but the infringement of my and other folks rights forced and prompted my fight in advocacy.
It was then, I began interjecting my voice in the push to legalize the issues I found important to me. There was the American with Disabilities Act, EEOC complaints, passing the FMLA - Famly and Medical Leave Act, legalization of Medical Marijuana and this long drawn out MS battle that began in 1993 with the final diagnosis of this disease.
The fight for my justice in the workplace along with two other women who were terminated for job related injuries kept me in the fight. I have not yet told that story the way I have needed to because of the long term effects it has caused me.
I suffer everyday. MS just additionally wears me out as I live with the effects of both. It's either this or that, and still, I'm just trying to live, and now from a wheelchair. Thanks MS!
I do know our fight and our eventual wins kept countless others around the US and it's territories from losing their jobs caused by work related injuries. Back then, the precedent that would have been set that would have meant job related losses based on as they noted, "unrealibilty to perform the duties of our jobs." This is the extent I will address this issue for now. It's just too much!
Stay strong sisters and brothers. Gods word says "The race is not to the strong or swift, but he who endures to the end." 💕
