| In 1992, after the birth of our first child, Maria, I was sitting alone and my right leg
started to feel "cold". No amount of blankets could
warm me up. It was June and my leg did not feel cold to the
touch, it was an inner sensation. When I awoke the next morning the
cold sensation had traveled up my leg to my torso, all only on the
right side of my body. I saw my internist and he concluded that
it was a neuropathy, I was sent to the neurology department at the
University of Michigan and eventually had an MRI. After several
months and several new symptoms, I was diagnosed with MS. There
were no treatments at that time, just - "go home and call us if
you have any problems".
The Lord saw us through that rocky time of uncertainty. We
were surrounded by his grace through the prayers of his people and I
had very few exacerbations for many years.
After the diagnosis we decided to be proactive and build a house
that was more conducive to handicapped situations (we were in a two
story home with laundry in the basement). Not knowing whether my
health would decline quickly or not at all, we built a small two
bedroom home and settled in with Maria.
A year later, James was born. I
felt so good during my pregnancy and again had very few complications
afterward. The growing symptom that I could not escape was
fatigue. This was of course compounded by two small
children. The Lord continued to provide for us. Darrell's
job, though with an unpredictable schedule at times, allowed for him
to be home with me and the kids a lot.
A few years later, I convinced Darrell that I was in good enough
health to have another baby. Abigail!
Our third and last (Lord willing), she is a handful and a
delight. Now the fatigue was a big factor in my everyday
life. Napping was (and still is) the norm. Through it all,
God has cared for me and allowed me to continue to care for my family,
home school my kids and begin watercolor painting as a hobby.
The past few years, Darrell has been
participating in the National MS Society's MS 150 Bike Tour. It
was the impetus for his interest in cycling which has now taken off
(into orbit!).
This year I will be walking the Ann Arbor MS Walk on April 21,
2007. I invite you to join me by walking
with me or pledging me as I try to raise money for this worthy
cause. 87 cents of every dollar raised for the NMSS goes toward
the support of our mission to end the devastating effects of MS! Your
money supports hundreds of local programs and services as well as
numerous national research programs.
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