So how to eat?? At the time I didn’t have much money, and I’d recently had and was nursing my new baby and so I was hungry a lot, I was a part of the WIC program which was a joke because all I was eating from there was completely against my diet, as it consists of milk, cheese, beans, and cereal for the most part. Our house was under construction and we were living in my apartment when I realized that even though we weren’t living there I could use the yard to grow some vegetables in!

Over the last 9 months I have had 2 of my worst MS flares ever. I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and coming to terms with the fact that parts of my body may or may not be working the next day. When an early spring sprung here in Seattle where I live I was elated and went out into the garden and planted some seeds, this is a few weeks ago and the joy felt when each little sprout comes up (especially the peas and amaranth!) is almost overwhelming. (continued)

I graduated from Parsons School of Design on time in 2003 and had a baby in 2006, six months later I left an abusive relationship and after about 6 months of couch surfing, moved back to the west coast, landing in Seattle Washington.

I was very functional, a young single mom working hard at a software company and quickly being promoted through the company. I got married and pregnant in 2008. Once I was 8 months pregnant I was laid off in the third round of layoff’s the company I worked for in February 2009.

After having my baby at home, yes it was planned that way, I had one of the worst flares I have ever had. When I was online looking for resources for moms with multiple sclerosis I came up short. Being a problem solving designer/techie type, I realized that MomsWithMS.com/org was NOT registered, and I decided it was time for us to have a place to go. I registered both domains, .com is a private community for moms and the .org will soon be the main page and mostly a public resource about what we experience as Moms with MS.

As I am writing this, we have submitted our application to become a national team for the NMSS, we have over 345 members on the site in over 6 countries and over 35 states in the US. I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful group of women that is growing daily and so lucky that I discovered that domain was available.

Moms with MS is a community by and for moms diagnosed with multiple sclerosis to compare notes and support each other through the joys and sorrows of parenting and dealing with multiple sclerosis.

Currently I can type, which I consider my ‘coordination’ as well as ‘strength’. About two and a half weeks ago, this was not possible! I was barely able to communicate digitally, moving a mouse was near impossible and required the use of both of my hands! I think this is most clearly described (cont’d)

Soon it developed into my neck down.. or I should say my neck got all ‘feverish’ and I lost feeling/strength and coordination below that. It was not cool in other words!! By Friday I was in my old neurologist’s office and being shuffled for my 3 days of steroids to begin…they did nothing and by the end of the weekend it was worse. It took me until Wednesday to get ahold of my neuro again and so I called a different doctor who saw me the following Friday.

At this point this was all almost a month ago, and fortunately after having 2 extremely difficult weeks I did start to improve. I went through insane ups and downs, the MA program I planned on applying for had a 2/1 application due date and at that point I could BARELY type at all, meaning I had to literally watch my fingers as they typed because I couldn’t ‘feel’ which keys they ere on. I think at this point my fingers are about 70% better though thankfully. Prior to the last week in January, I spent days not even able to do that, and days typing with just my pointer finger on my left hand (I’m a righty but my left hand had more control) and when it came to writing with pen and paper I was using my left hand to ‘lead’ my right. One form I had to fill out to get my transcript sent to me me which pretty much consisted of my address, social, name, and date of graduation took about TWENTY minutes to write by hand and it looked like a child or very drunk person wrote it.

I did manage to get my application in on time though, well, on the extended time (last Thursday) so I’m VERY grateful for all the support the admissions staff gave me. Hopefully I’ll have some more news to share soon! I have lots of other stories to share from January but I have a beautiful little teething 10mo climbing up my leg so I gotta go…plus I have some pre-requisite homework to do in Personality Psychology…

I’m not pregnant this year and am looking forward to doing the walk with BOTH of my lovely daughters this year.

I have upped my goal to $1,000.00 dollars this year as well, and hopefully can help coordinate the starting of many similar teams across the country too!! I will post information updates here and also on MomsWithMS.com

I launched the community on July 1 this year after suffering my first bad flare-up since my diagnosis in 2001. I’ve watched it grow like crazy, we’re now over 90 members and it’s barely been 2 months and we are not yet listed in or supplied brochures at any NMSS locations or on their site aside from links on their facebook page. One member told me she found the site through google even which is fabulous, means we’re showing up in people’s searches when they are looking for what we provide.

At this point though we are ‘only’ a community. I have it being run through a (wonderful) ning platform which is great as a community but so much more is needed for this site!! I want to supply moms with information, help them promote what they are doing, feature people, have specialists contribute regarding cutting edge information that affects us MoMS and so forth. So as I told my husband a few minutes ago…I need to get started with a mindmap because for this topic my brain is exploding with ideas and even better, I’m getting loads of support and encouragement from anyone I talk to about this, whether they are affected/in the field or not.

Time to get started on that business plan…after the mindmap and find focus within this focus of course.

I have been thinking a lot about what is happening and why. I believe it all is happening for a combination of reasons. Many stemming from past and present stress. Also it is building my reserve of stories to be told and lessons to be learned. I will be a very wise woman someday.

I am also taking as ment steps as possible to avoid this in the future. I am working my way back to following the swank diet because I did well and felt bettet when following a low fat diet in the past anyway, I also started the Arbonne Hybrid supplement program which I have known many people to have wonderful health and energy benefits from.

I am walking every day, usually with the stroller now which helps with my balance as a walker would. Geoff helps me too letting me hold his pocket for support.

Emotionally I am I think taking the most extreme steps. I will be going to Klemmer as Geoff did starting sometime in June or August. I will be seeing a neuropsych next week to discuss all i’m doing and are what kind of tips and recommendations she has. My friend recently became certified in hypnotherapy as well and we sill do what we can with that.

I feel the most driven to get better to care for my girls. Yesterday Kenzie my 3yo was in tears when they dropped me off at the hospital. I don’t want her to be scared like that. I want to be the strong mom that both of them deserve and to run and play with them again and always. Kenzie hasn’t been able to really play with me for a year or so what with the pregnancy limiting my rough housing capabilities, then being busy with baby and now with the MS she just wants her mommy back. I want the same.