Living with Multiple Sclerosis

I chose to watch this TED Talk, "Thriving in the Face of Adversity" by Stephanie Buxhoeveden simply out of curiosity of Multiple Sclerosis. I was unfamiliar with this disorder, but Buxhoeveden goes into great detail explaining what MS is by using her own story of being diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS. At 25 years old, in the midst of pursuing her dream career as a nurse anesthetist, she began to lose feeling in her legs, control of her hands, and even the clarity of her vision. She stayed in the hospital for a week before being able to return home. Her vision and sensation of her body returned, but this was just the first of many attacks her central nervous system would face. 

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that effects the neurons in the brain and spinal cord, which impacts the entire body one way or another. The hardest part about MS is its unpredictability - Buxhoeveden recounted of a time she went hiking up a mountain one day and then had to use a cane to walk across her room the next. During one of these attacks, the immune system disrupts the communication between neurons by breaking down the protective myelin sheath surrounding the axons. Individuals living with Relapsing Remitting MS not only have to deal with the sporadic, yet immediate repercussions of an attack, but must also be aware that the CNS is very delicate and repeated damage could lead to long term deficits. 

Buxhoeveden not only accepted her diagnosis of MS, but she pursued it. She is now an MS nurse on a mission to educate and empower others living with this incurable disease. This TED Talk was incredibly helpful and even inspiring. As an occupational therapist who may work with someone with MS, I will be more comfortable explaining this disease and, more importantly, reassuring them that their life is not over because of it. The diagnosis is the beginning, not the end. 

For anyone who is even remotely interested in Multiple Sclerosis, I recommend watching this!

Buxhoeveden, S. (2015, April 3). Thriving in the Face of Adversity [video]. TED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuLOT6GsAxw