Sharing their journey—life with relapsing multiple sclerosis
MS LifeLines® Ambassadors chronicle their thoughts and feelings about living with MS.
These journals reflect the personal experiences of one person and others can be different. It is best
to contact your doctor to discuss what's best for you. David and Joni are MS LifeLines Ambassadors
and have chosen to share their stories with other people living with MS. MS LifeLines and MS LifeLines
Ambassadors are sponsored by EMD Serono, Inc and Pfizer Inc.
Search Journal Entries by Topic
Select a topic or topics below to find journal entries that interest you most.
A few years ago, I left a doctor's appointment very frustrated with myself. As I drove home, a lot of things that I had wanted to discuss with her popped into my head. However, I had completely forgotten to bring up the topics I wanted to. When I got home from that appointment, I had firmly decided in my mind that I had to set a plan of attack for my next appointment.
In 2001, Joni was living the college life. She was enrolled in a top-rated pharmacy school
and between classes, homework, and a part-time job, she rarely slept. One day she noticed
numbness in her feet and felt overwhelmingly fatigued. When the numbness spread to her hips,
Joni was admitted to the hospital. To Joni's shock, she was diagnosed with relapsing Multiple
Sclerosis. She began treatment, but after experiencing negative side effects, changed drug
therapies in 2002.
Since Joni was diagnosed, she graduated from college, moved to a different state, and started
a new job. In 2004, Joni earned a doctorate in pharmacy and she currently works as a community
pharmacist. Throughout her journey with MS, she's learned the importance of candidness and honesty.
Joni now loves to share her experiences with others and in her free time, she enjoys reading,
traveling, and hanging out with family and friends.
I remember receiving my MS diagnosis early in the day, just after waking up in a hospital bed on a dark and dreary morning. I didn't have any questions for the doctor so I just rolled over and went back to sleep. This may seem strange but that's the way it happened.
David has a passion for travel. He had just returned from a trip to Africa when he began to
experience numbness and double vision. Both David and his doctors assumed that his international
trip was the source of his symptoms. After a lengthy hospital stay and many tests, he was
diagnosed with relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in 2005. David's reaction was one of disbelief and
concern for his future, and it took months to adjust to the diagnosis. With the help of friends,
family, and his doctor, David regained his positive attitude. He began treatment immediately and
has responded well.
As part owner of a travel agency and in consultation with his doctor, David enjoys scuba diving
and traveling around the world. He also owns his own business that creates unique beverages.
David believes his optimistic attitude helps keep him in control of his own life with relapsing MS.
An error has occurred. We apologize for the inconvenience.
You are now leaving the MS LifeLines® website to go a site that contains information about a treatment option for relapsing MS. The site is sponsored by EMD Serono, Inc and Pfizer Inc.
You must be logged in to use the My Conversation Starter interactive resource. To log in, please enter your email
and password in the form to the right. If you don't have an account, you can
register here.
You must be logged in to make changes to your homepage.
Please enter your email and password to log in now.
Restore homepage
Are you sure you want to delete your homepage and restore the classic version?
