What was your biggest Challenge with MS? Take a Read, Comment to show your Support and Share if you can Relate.
Hi, I’m Linda and from the Chicago area! I’ve got 2 adult kids and 2 Awesome Grandchildren. I was diagnosed with MS 16 years ago! Wow!
As far as a great story mine isn’t so exciting, which is good I guess! I’ve been on 7 different MS drugs each one with bad side effects that I had to stop all except for chemo which I had no reaction to but had to stop because I had the recommended dosage. I started with RRMS but now turned progressive but it’s been slow. I’m lucky!
I’m a pediatric nurse but gave it up 10 years ago when hand tremors and fatigue got to bad for me to work. I’m divorced and should have been a long time ago but was too scared. After I was diagnosed I told my ex and he said “are you one of Jerry’s kids?” This gave me the push I needed to say Bye to him. It was scary but had to be done! My kids and I are much better off without him, he was physically and emotionally abusive to all of us. He never looked back after he left. He’s never talked to his kids in 17 years. I felt bad for them, but at this point, he’s just not a part of our life. I have a great extended familyand they have helped me out so much. So in so many ways, I am really blessed.
I now teach at a fitness center in a class called “Heart Strong” a fitness class for those who have any type of heart or any health problems or need an extra push to get me back into working out. I’ve always been active, I have a black belt in Karate which I got about 6 months before being diagnosed. It took 7 years Of hard work. I Had to stop because I couldn’t risk getting hurt alone with 2 kids! After being diagnosed I started taking Zumba classes and decided I needed to teach Zumba or any fitness classes to help those with MS or anything to not ever give up! So I got certified to teach Zumba fitness classes and Certified to teach other fitness classes, weights, dance, kickboxing lots of things to anyone with disabilities or those without.
I have learned that being active physically as well as mentally is so important to everyone. I tell my classes I can’t dance for anything, just move it, have fun just don’t stop moving! Yes, I’m not able to work out teaching 5-7 classes a week like I used to, but I’m there teaching less and more now taking classes like yoga or water classes.
People who I teach tell me I’m an inspiration to them, I tell them you have no idea how many people have disabilities that you can’t see that have inspired me daily. I have one man in a class I teach he’s 94 now that’s inspiration!
SORRY, THIS WAS A BIT LONG, JUST DON’T EVER GIVE UP!
