A Little Bit About Myself…
I want to share my name with you and get to know you.
My name is Joanna. If you decided to read my story, thank you. I am a wife and a busy mom of three. My troublemakers are like little tornadoes, but I love them very much, and I would do anything for them.
Sometimes, I feel like I control my life, but at other times, I am under the impression that my life is being controlled by something else. I call this 'something else', my secret Mr. Hyde, a reference to the classic novel character who represents the darker, uncontrollable side of a person.
My Mr. Hyde is a little less prominent and much sneakier. It usually strikes right when I cannot see it coming. I will tell you a short story about how I realized Mr. Hyde is a part of me.
Our first encounter happened in the summer of 2014. It was a hot Chicago summer, and I was driving to the arts and crafts store. Everything was ok until I was on my way back home. I had a slight headache, and the road seemed a bit wavy while I was driving. I thought that I was dehydrated. I grabbed a water bottle at home. Unfortunately, it didn't help. It did not take long for Mr. Hyde to get angry. I looked at the clock on my kitchen wall and suddenly everything started moving up and down like an old movie tape.
I called mt husband. Didn't know what to think about this. I was lying on the floor with my eyes closed, hoping that this would go away. After he came home, we went to the Walgreens clinic promptly. I was too afraid to go to the hospital and hoped that maybe all this was caused by my equilibrium. It didn't take long before I ended up at the Emergency Room, waiting for a head CT. After the doctor reviewed the images, he came to speak with me. By looking at his face, I could tell it was serious. At this point, my eyes were visibly jumping. The doctor called it nystagmus – foreign language, right? He started by explaining to me exactly what it was. The time came to state the cause. This is when I officially met Mr. Hyde.
The doctor said that the reason for my symptoms was Multiple Sclerosis. In that moment, I felt like my life was over. I didn't know much about MS or what the future held, so I became very dramatic. I even gave my husband permission to leave, not wanting to be a burden. But he reassured me, saying we would face this together. So, now you know my big secret.
I started this blog to connect with others who face similar struggles and to share health, diet, and fitness tips. But part of me also wanted to show my kids that I didn't give up. I've been fighting Mr. Hyde, and I won't let it control my life. I can't change that MS is a part of me, but I'm learning to live with it.
I hope you enjoyed this short story. We will talk soon.
Remember, anything is possible.
Sincerely,
Joanna
