Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:54 pm   Reply with quote      

Hello all,

My name is Mily and I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 94-95 after 11 years of being totally ignored by my doctors when I would complain of the intermittent symptoms.

This might have been a blessing in disguise as I see it.

I had always been a lean and extremely athletic person involved in league sports of many types. I played softball (3rd base), basketball, volleyball, tennis all on leagues so there were also practices involved. I loved 10spd racing, running the ridgetops, and I used my 10spd as my mode of transportation even though I owned a car.

I had a great job or two at times, a full social life, and I was never home except to shower, sleep, change clothes and gooooo again!

In 94 at the age of 38 I went 100% blind in 6 days. Won't bore you with the details, but I was certain that I was dying. There was the "MS lassitude," which made my body feel like pure lead.
My life stopped until I pulled myself up by the bootstraps, and started phoning places like Easter Seals for referrences.

I lived alone, and had nobody to help me except the Red Cross (rides to docs), Lion's Blind Center (Oakland, CA), Meals on Wheels, and the CA Dept. of Rehab. They were all a major blessing!

After white cane training, relearning how to cook without over reaching the pots, cutting myself instead of the tomato or onion and doing all of my grocery shopping on my own I felt like I might (MIGHT) be able to adapt.

My emotions were wrecked, and I went to a geriatric counselor to try and learn to cope and adapt. It helped me to understand why my family (cousins and friends) were pulling away from me in my time of need. I had always been their ROCK, anytime, anyplace...I was there for them.

It has been a battle, but I try to look on the positive side. If I had not had this happen to me I would not have been connected with Dept. of Rehab who retrained me and set up my PC so that I wasn't trapped in my home.

It was a couple of years, and I made online friends, and then my husband found me online. I had never been married before although I had been engaged 3x to the wrong people, and so I was leary. Especially since he lived 6,000 miles away (UK), and I live in California. Well, he courted me for about a year, and after several visits (him here & me there) in 2002 he moved here to marry me.

My theory is that if I had not been slowed down by the Multiple Sclerosis, I would never have purchased a computer or gone online and never met the love of my life.

We are transitioning to the Gold Coast Diet, and I would be very appreciative to anyone that can help make the transition a little smoother. It seems like a very straight forward, and power packed with nutrients way of eating.

On the negative side ~ I do have at least 60-70 pounds to lose. Since I am not *always* able bodied I cannot do cardio during the times that my legs won't allow it. I do use an exercise ball, resistance bands, seated exercise with weights though.

That's my story, and I am so glad to have found this site!

I look forward to getting to meet others here. That is ~ if you have made it this far...

Mily

Mon Jun 27, 2005 5:08 pm   Reply with quote      

Hello Mily,

Welcome to OHCNetwork Forum!

Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:12 pm   Reply with quote      

Thank you for the welcome.

Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:48 pm   Reply with quote      

Hi Mily... good to meet you. Welcome to the forums.

Aaron

Tue Jun 28, 2005 7:14 am   Reply with quote      

Hello Mily & a big welcome to the forum.

What an amazing story you have to tell! I have known a couple of people who developed MS when leading hyper active lives - I wonder if it's to send you a message of some kind?? And you certainly wouldn't bore me if you described how you went blind in 6 days!! I am very interested to know how that happened.
I'm glad that you found so much help, & sad that your family didn't feel able to

I don't know anything about the Gold Coast Diet, I'm afraid - what does it entail?

Congrats on meeting the love of your life!!