A “Thriving Beyond MS©” Featured Story
Colleen P.’s relationship with her son helps her thrive beyond MS:
My name is Colleen. I am 31 years old and I have relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. I was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 22, and my son was 3 years old at the time. Here is my thriving story:
MS has changed my life for the better because I am now connected to a bunch of people that also have MS. Either as Facebook friends, or meeting people at MS events, I love the connection I have with other people that know what I’m going through. I also belong to a support group for MS that meets once a month.
My best friend Heather and my mom have been a huge support system for me. Heather always goes to MS events with me and is someone I can talk to about my issues. I live with my mom, so she is always reminding me to take my MS medication and is also someone I can talk to. My now 11-year-old son is a huge inspiration for me. He was 3 when I was diagnosed and he saw me doing my Betaseron injections. Now that he’s older, he told his class that I have MS. I think it’s a way for him to talk about it with his classmates. My son keeps me going!
I have been on 12 different MS medications in the 8 years that I’ve been diagnosed, so I think I’ve learned a lot from a medical perspective. I am thriving with MS! I can still walk without the help of a cane or a wheelchair, and I can drive. I have recently lost 27 pounds with the help of diet and exercise.
Thanks to the support of my family and friends, multiple sclerosis is not going to stop me!
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