I have not been able to pin point the reason, but this month has dragged on for an eternity. Could it be the hellish time change? That is certainly a part of it, but my son and I are still transitioning from our move. Single mom life, dealing with an erratic ex, staying on top of my writing, making sure my son’s mental health is maintaining, and growing businesses is energy depleting. I am juggling many hats, or wigs. (Lets go with wigs al la Moira Rose.) I love what I do, but I am only one woman, and I have Multiple Sclerosis. EVERYTHING is harder for me to do than the average person. I may look “normal” on the outside, but my MRI results would tell a much different story.

Before March ends I feel obligated to speak about MS Awareness Month. In my post “Reiki Me This”, I speak a little about the day I was diagnosed. The day that changed my life was June 18th, 2011. By the following March, I was already fundraising for NMSS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society) and participating in the MS Walk. In 2011, Multiple Sclerosis was not as well known as it is today. The following year after I was diagnosed, Jack Osbourne was also diagnosed with it. This brought much needed attention to the disease because of his celebrity status. My heart ached for him and his family.

MS Awareness Month was started by NMSS in 2003 in order to bring awareness to the autoimmune disease, aide in fundraising for a cure, and build community. The fierce, trailblazer, Sylvia Lawry, created NMSS from the ground up. She accomplished this in a time where a woman’s place was in the kitchen and nowhere else. Sylvia basically said eff that, and in March 1946, she established the Advancement of Research on Multiple Sclerosis (this later changed to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in July 1947). You can read about her inspiring story here. Sylvia whole heartily embodied the soul of what makes up G.G.G. May her remarkable soul rest in peace.

Every March, NMSS comes up with various events to bring attention to new advancements in research and help shine light on the struggles people with MS undergo daily. I’m grateful for the celebrities that have come forward with their diagnosis. Some of these include: Emma Caulfield, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Ann Romney, Jaime-Lynn Sigler, and Montel Williams. There are countless others. No matter what your financial situation is, who you are, or what you do, having a life altering diagnosis is jarring. It’s brave of them to be open about their MS stories. I cannot imagine having to process anything of that nature while having to work in the public eye. I myself have encountered discrimination in the work place. I’ve wondered what potential projects these fellow MS Warriors have lost, or may lose, because of their willingness to be vulnerable and open in an industry that is fueled by vanity and the ability to function perfectly. I raise my glass to them. Cin-Cin!

What about all the others with MS who do not have access to healthcare, or even worse, they have a provider who ignores their symptoms or is completely unfamiliar with the disease. What about them? I wish I had an answer for that. I have actually experienced each one of those circumstances throughout the last twelve years. It was terrifying and I always had the safety net of my family and friends. Imagine those who have neither? What about them? There are so many within the Multiple Sclerosis community who lack access to basic resources, guidance, and medical treatment. May we please bring awareness to that?

While I can go down a rabbit hole of sadness for all that is unfair in the world, and believe me I have, I would rather think of solutions to the problems I ponder. Will I bring about policy change for the disabled or sway the minds of the masses to think outside of their own box? I do not know, nor do I care. For now, all I can do is my part. To me that means sharing my story, the good, the raw, and the unconventional. I will pay every piece of my knowledge forward. I fully believe the purpose of my existence is to give back. What is the point of surviving hell if you aren’t going to help others?

This MS Awareness month, I would like to bring attention to the MS population without healthcare. Imagine having an illness that could rob you of your sight, without any warning, and not being able to go to an ER. Or having the right side of your body lose all feeling because a stressful life event occurred. I can imagine this because I’ve lived it. Luckily, I crossed paths with a man who took his Hippocratic oath seriously.

It was dinnertime one evening in 2012. I noticed my right hand had stopped responding. Fucking wonderful. I had no health insurance at the time, but I went to the ER anyway. At Providence St. Jude Medical Center, I was able to explain my medical history to the ER doctor and he actually LISTENED. My medical background helped me greatly with this situation. Miraculously, he wrote an order for me, which allowed me to return to the ER for the next two days and ONLY receive a steroid infusion. This is SO not the norm. Usually, a doctor would run MRI’s and other diagnostics to determine if I had MS, even after saying I was already diagnosed with it. This is partly protocol and a little for profit too. The manner in which he wrote the order greatly reduced the cost of the treatment, which resulted in being able to receive it. This man practiced medicine without worrying about the bottom line that day. I wish I could tell him what an enormous help and turning point this was for me. It was everything. Thank you Dr. McSteamy (I forgot to mention he was easy on the eyes.)

I am an optimistic realist. I know the story I just shared is rare and highly unlikely to replicate. It brought an awareness though, to a subject that might easily be overlooked or not thought of at all. I encourage anyone reading this to take a moment to think outside of their own box. Are there any members of your family, maybe a friend, which has been diagnosed with MS? Let’s expand that awareness to include anyone who deals with an ongoing illness or struggling with a season in life. What privileges do you take for granted? The word “privilege” appears differently from one person to the next.

Some examples of privilege:

• Having parents make education and living in a safe neighborhood a top priority
• Having Multiple Sclerosis, but still being able to walk/run
• Having access to healthcare
• Having a car that works
• Being able to see
• Having a solid support group of Baddies
• Having a roof over my head
• Not having to worry about how I will feed my family

Am I making my point…?

If we reimagine how “privilege” shows up differently in everyone’s lives, it would allow an overall shift in how we think and treat others. It seems like such a simple task to do. Many of us would like to think we already go about life with this mindset, but do we really?

As March comes to an end, I invite you to honor Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month by intentionally making an effort to be aware of other’s struggles and lack of “privilege”. And as always, be intentionally grateful for your own.

Peace out March. ✌️