Wonder Woman

Hello World,

Photo by Dale de Vera on Unsplash

Let's talk about my momma. She is the Wonder Woman in my life. If you knew her story you would say the same thing, so here we go. My mother has MS (Multiple Sclerosis), and she has never let that define her. I know I talked about it a little bit in my Love Series but I am going to delve some more into the topic.

Multiple Sclerosis can affect the brain and spinal cord. The body's immune system attacks the protective sheath (called a myelin sheath) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. This disease can cause damage, sometimes permanent damage to these nerves. Multiple sclerosis signs and symptoms may differ greatly from person to person and over the course of the disease depending on the location of affected nerve fibers. There are also several symptoms of MS (from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269) they are:

Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that can occur on one side of the body at a time

Tremors

Lack of coordination or unsteady walking

Vision problems

Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement

Prolonged double vision

Blurry vision

Slurred speech

Fatigue

Dizziness

Tingling or pain in parts of your body

Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function

Some people experience:

Paralysis

Or the need to walk with a cane or crutches

Some use electric scooters or wheelchairs because of this muscle weakness

SO why is this information important? I'll tell you why. My mom has experienced several of these symptoms and is able to walk and tell her story. She has been to physical therapy a few times, she has had to use a cane to walk, she has lost feeling in her leg and hands before. I don't say this to depress you I saw this because I am in awe of her. Not many people can experience an illness such as MS and still carry themselves with pride and be bright and cheery all the time. I'll let you know that I most certainly would not be able to do it.

I'll even admit I used to be embarrassed by my mom, and I know you can't undo the past but sometimes I wish I could. I used to avoid eye contact with her, get frustrated with her, and be downright mean to her. All because I was scared of what others would think, granted I was between the ages of ten to sixteen but still. This is part of the reason why I want to be a nurse, I want to help people. As much of a jerk that I was to my mom I still loved helping her, I loved going to physical therapy with her, I loved seeing her progress, and I loved going to her doctors visits with her. It sparked my love for medicine. Anywho, I am proud of my mom and proud to call her my mom. She is a strong woman, she is my Wonder Woman and I don't know where I would be without her.

Another day as an adult (who has Wonder Woman for a mom).........damn,

Tasha