Everything (& Everyone) Happens for a Reason

Well, it's been a few days since I've updated but I just want you all to know that I am so, so, so, so, so, soooo glad that I went to the annual MS Womens' Conference! I was definitely apprehensive about going but something kept telling me that I woke up that morning for a reason...and that something also kept telling me that the conference was the reason! Needless to say, I got dressed and headed over to the venue realizing I'd either leave feeling inspired...or traumatized (lol).

I showed up and to my surprise, they had a laminated name tag ready for me as soon as I walked in! I checked-in the attendees and began to get used to seeing the tons of women arriving in wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and canes. Some appeared as young as 30 and some as old at 80+!

*Note: MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that can lead to (severe) disability over time if not treated quickly and aggressively. As of now, no medicine can stop the progression of MS, but they can slow the down rapidness of disability for awhile.

As I greeted these women, I kept a bright smile on my face and handed them their conference materials. Many of the women appeared to be just as happy as I was, some seemingly unaware of their physical conditions. In greeting these women (about 80-100 showed up) it saw that it is clear that MS does NOT discriminate. Not only was there a wide range of races and ethnicities, some of the women were clearly wealthy, while others looked like they had just wandered in off the street. The age range was also pretty significant, as well.

Another interesting observation I made was that almost all of the black women that I saw were not constricted to wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and canes. Some of them looked just as healthy as you and me! I thought that is was extremely encouraging. My dad suggested that this may be due to culture of the strong, resilient black women. Maybe most of the black women I saw should, in fact, be wheelchair-bound but their unwillingness to bend to the disease kept them walking. Either way, it was definitely encouraging to see them walking around (slowly) with their heads held high, shoulders back and glowing with grace. I definitely pray to look the same way throughout the years ;)

The event featured a chair-yoga session (it was kind of boring and couldn't feel anything) but it was still fun. I also got a free 15-minute chair massage and loved it! After the massage, the conference split up into break-out sessions. I went to the Research Update session, where two scientists talked to us about MS, the recent scientific advances and the quickly approaching possibility of an oral medication (I can't wait!).

For lunch, I went to sit at a table with all of those strong black women that I talked about. There were about 10 of us at the table, all strangers and all diagnosed with MS. We talked openly about all of our cases, and as many question that I had for them- they had so many more for me! I was surprised at how interested they seemed to be in me, until I realized that I was clearly much younger than anyone at our table...and anyone at the event. Laughing, sharing and confiding with them was definitely the highlight of the conference for me.

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So, I've still been receiving daily IV-infusions of steroids because numbness in my feet still hasn't gone away yet. Yesterday, when I went in for treatment, I ended up (unknowingly) sitting right next to one of the young black women that I had met at the conference! We talked for hours as we received our IV-treatments. She's a super sharp pharmacist from Colorado who was recently married and new to the area. She and her husband spoke with me and my mom about everything. She was diagnosed at the same time as me, last summer and has some of the same feelings that I do about things concerning MS. Meeting her and running into her two days later was such a huge coincidence...but then again, you all know how I feel about coincidences :) Everything happens for a reason...and so does everyone. I think I am supposed to know this woman, and I definitely plan to keep in touch!