It was a rainy, gloomy morning the day I woke up and half of my face was completely numb. It’s crazy the things you remember when your life is about to change. All I thought was that I must have had a stroke while I was sleeping. I called my Mom in a panic and told her what was happening and she made an emergency appointment with the neurologist. The next few days were a whirlwind of testing and panic but the good news was that I did not have a stroke. I was 25 yrs old when this happened and the Doctor told my Mom that I could possibly have MS but based on my age and lack of other symptoms they would just watch it.  All “watching it” means in terms of an MS diagnosis is getting an MRI done every year.

Over the course of the next three years, I would find myself with other strange ailments that most Doctors would treat with a course of steroids or anti-inflammatory medicine and proceed to write off my symptoms by saying, “I was too young for the disease.”  But, I lived in a constant state of confusion and fear of what the next episode would be like. However, all the wondering came to an end in October of 2008. The very last straw was when I woke up with my hands and legs completely numb. So, off I went for another round of testing with a new neurologist who would eventually give me my “official” MS diagnosis. For those who don’t know, MS is an autoimmune disease that deteriorates the protective coverings on the nerves. The medical definition of MS is that it is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Furthermore, once you have your diagnosis the doctors categorize the disease among 4 subtypes. The most common subtype of MS is Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) and that’s what I have. My symptoms range from chronic fatigue, numbness/tingling, localized pain to dizziness/blurry vision, and spasticity. Like any other autoimmune disease, no two cases are the same, and it’s incurable.

My truth is, is that it took a long time for me to accept I had MS. I was scared, angry and in complete denial. The first time reality even set in was when the nurse came to my house and had to teach me how to give myself daily injections. I can tell you this, there’s nothing like welts all over your body to give you a wake up call. Yet, even when you are awake that doesn’t mean you know what to do.    

So, began the next five years of one too many ups and downs. Those years brought random exacerbations (when the disease flares up) and different forms of medications, all of which I detested. I was running in circles and I still didn’t feel good.  I knew something had to change.  Truth be told, it was only until I took it upon myself to change the course of treatment that I began to feel better. I began looking into homeopathic therapies and went for a more holistic approach. Currently, I take anywhere from 9-15 vitamins per day, CBD oil, I go for weekly acupuncture, go for daily walks, stay away from dairy, and do intermittent fasting. It’s amazing what letting my body rest between food in-take has done to help.

Although, I’m still a work in progress these other forms of treatment have helped in the management of my disease. I still have good days, great days, and bad days depending on what is going on in my life.  As a matter of fact, I’m in the middle of a flare up right now because of traveling and stress. But, I won’t let it get me down and I have learned when to fight and when to rest.  I have learned a lot about my disease and how it affects me. I have also learned about my limitations and how to accept them. Like when I can’t go out in extreme heat or when I know I’m getting sick just based on the numbness/tingling in all my fingers. Most importantly, I’ve learned what it means for me to have MS while not allowing it to become who I am.

My name is Andrea Guariglia and I am 41 yrs old. I live in California with my husband. I teach 11^th grade English and enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, reading, my puppy, and anything that involves music.