March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month.  I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and so I am aware of what it is and what it does to my body.  Basically, MS is a neurological condition that starts in the brain with damage from lesions.  Also affected is the myelin in the nerves and spinal cord.  So that means that there is the possibility of every part of a person body being affected by MS.

There are over fifty symptons associated with MS with no two people having the exact same ones.  In addition, many other diseases are similiar to MS in the symptons, so it can take years to get a diagnosis.  The most common symptons are fatigue, pain, weakness and cognitive issues.  Of course, those can be of varying degrees as well.  Even a different day can bring on different sypmtons.  Many people with MS have a hard time with hot weather and some have anxiety issues.

Before I was diagnosed, I had episodes of random weakness or numbness that went unexplained or were misdiagnosed.  Additionally, trouble with the eyes are a symptom and is one way that can lead to diagnosis.  In my case, an episode of Optic Neuritis and a good eye doctor finally led to more testing and more doctors and a diagnosis of MS.  

While there are many symptoms and more than one form of MS, I have been very luckily blessed in that mine is only the RRMS form.  Essentially this means that although I have daily battles to get through, I can care for myself and I am mobile.  This doesn't mean I am able to work full time any more or run any marathons.  It means that I am able to walk and shower without assistance.  

Thankfully, I have a husband who has stayed with me through this journey.  That simple fact alone is huge since our government says though I am disabled, I didn't work enough credits for disability payment.  The last years that I worked, the employer was "self" insured - they had their own retirement plan and no monies paid into SS - and so those work years just don't count.

If you have stayed with me this far, reader, than please do your own research about Multiple Sclerosis and the different types.  There is a lot of information out there, so be sure to check a valid website such as NationalMSSociety.Org or MultipleSclersis.net.  Remember, not all disabilities can be seen