MS can't steal our SPARKLE! We walk for the cure.
Read more about Stephanie's story and Team SPARKLES! in the "Despription", "General Information", and "Mission" sections. :)
In December 2009, as I prepared for my finals, I noticed I had a "Christmas eye". My left eye was red on the inside corner- so combined with my green eyes I joked that it was my Christmas decoration. I was also extremely "clumsy". My doctor told me that I probably scratched my eye in my sleep, and it eventually went back to regular. He also tested me for vertigo, which I didn't have. We shrugged it off as stress related to finals. A few weeks later- January 10 to be exact- I woke up and my left eye was closed. Now, I hadn't hit it, and it was not swollen- it just wouldn't open on it's own. I went back to the doctor and he suspected Bell's Palsy, but I didn't have the "droopy mouth". He scheduled me for a CT scan the next day. I returned to work, and then his nurse called me and told me they cancelled the CT scan and that I was to meet with a
neurologist, Dr. Kho, first thing the next morning. I was completely scared by this point, pondering all the possibilities of what could be wrong with me. I decided that I could handle just about anything but a brain tumor and began to pray ferociously.
I met with Dr. Kho and he performed some tests on me in his office, then sent me over to the hospital to be admitted so we could run more tests. In this short amount of time I began to have slurred (drunk like) speech, difficulty walking and limited control of my left hand.
After 4 days in the hospital, MRI's, (TONS of) blood work and a spinal tap the suspisions were confirmed- Multiple Sclerosis, or MS for short. That was probably the scariest thing in my life! I began to search the internet and was completely freaked out by what I found! I recoverd fully from that episode and began daily injections of Copaxone. Labor day weekend of 2010 I began having difficulty walking, which quickly progressed to the inability to walk unassisted, extremely poor control of my left hand and very, un-understandable slurred speech. I was put back in the hospital where I was given steroids once again.
I stayed there for 6 days this time. I was off work for two months and even after physical therapy- I've still never fully recovered from that episode. I still to this day have poor control over my left hand and difficulty walking from time to time. Later in December of 2010 I had severe double vision, which affected me again Memorial day weekend 2011. Since that time I've regained my vision and have only had "minor" episodes. (Fatigue, occasional slurred speech, occasional walking difficulty).
I'm no longer on the Copaxone injections. My neurologist reffered me to another neurologist who explicitly specializes in MS, Dr. Okai. She determined that the once a month infusion Tysabri would be a better fit for me, which I must say I agree with.
To raise as much awareness about MS, and as much funds as we can to help find a cure for this disease.
