Breathe
By Sandra Esquivel
Since 2016, muscle pain in my body began to be part of my life, I did not know its reason and common contractures led me to visit physiotherapists, traumatologists and take painkillers. Although in the consultations everything indicated that I was fine and I was with the right treatment, I sensed that something wrong was happening in my body.
In the summer of 2022, I had COVID 19 where the main symptom was a sore throat, however, my legs started to feel different: I had a constant tingling and gradually lost strength in each of them. Incontinence was added and then my balance began to be affected. With all this, I sought medical opinions and possible diagnoses to which were added medications that did not resolve the way I was feeling. Little by little, I began to feel frustration for not knowing what was happening to me.
After going back and forth with private specialists, I turned to my occupational health service. I was immediately taken to the emergency room, underwent tests and the neurologist soon began to treat me. It was only then that I found out I had Multiple Sclerosis. On a personal level it was complex, first it was comforting to know what I had and, on the other hand, it was chaotic to understand the diagnosis.
It was the first time I heard about Multiple Sclerosis, I knew nothing about it. I began to be afraid, to believe that I would never walk, that my life would depend on a wheelchair and that I would not lead a normal life. If it is still a challenge for me to understand my body, it is even more of a challenge for my family; they do not fully understand what it is and what it is like to live with this disease.
After everything, I started going to therapy, now I have accepted that I have an autoimmune disease and that I have done my best to be well physically and mentally. Psychological support was and continues to be fundamental, not only has it helped me to feel accompanied, I also feel more supported.
In this process, my loved ones have been that safety net you need so much: at the time my ex-boyfriend represented a very important and empathic support, since he suffers from epilepsy. At work as a teacher, the assistant principal has been a key element with unconditional support; so far he is the only person in my job who knows about my diagnosis.
Having Multiple Sclerosis is painful. Not many people know what it is and what it is like to live with it. So I have limited myself to telling people about it and also to having contact with people for fear of getting sick. Those who know about me and my diagnosis have expressed their support, but I also realize that they don't know what to tell me. I do not blame them. It is difficult to explain what this disease is about and medically how it affects me.
Today I can say that this disease has made me strong and aware of my environment and the flaws in it, especially when we talk about inclusion and the design of spaces for people with mobility problems. Multiple Sclerosis has also led me to be a more informed person and to understand that there are new paths to try. That's how I came to EMovimiento.
My need to understand about the disease and take care of myself led me to be part of this group, where the mutual and integral support has helped me to think positive and take action. EMovimiento has made it clear to me that moving helps me to get rid of pain, to have a healthy lifestyle and that having a support network is extremely important.
Today I can say that I feel strong, that my life changed when I got informed and understood that pain was not going to keep me in bed. Today I live the moment with great intensity. Although I recognize that it is not easy to tell it, to live it and to transmit what Multiple Sclerosis is, it is a diagnosis that does not stop life, it does if you allow it.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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