Invisible My Story of Multiple Sclerosis and Trigeminal Neuralgia

By Mya Meriweather

Mya Meriweather had her life planned out. Recently married and working on her MBA, she dreamed of becoming a professor and giving her son a sibling. All of that changed in a heartbeat when a tingling numbness in her face led to an MRI, which revealed a diagnosis that would forever change her life—Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN). Instead of a rewarding career and a six-figure income, she had constant pain, mounting medical bills, and a body that suddenly seemed to have a mind of its own. Left wondering how she was going to function, Mya did what anyone would do—she hit Vegas!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9780359118021

Book preview

5:7

Prologue

I wrote this book for all the people who are suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), for the people that don’t have the support of their family and friends because they don’t believe in invisible symptoms. Also, for people who might think that they have these two diseases but haven’t been formally diagnosed.

Having a disease is hard enough, but not having the support you need is even more challenging. Often time’s people don’t believe in things they cannot see. I use the God analogy for MS/TN because it fits perfectly. If I can’t see that you are physically handicapped, then I don’t believe that you are. Same thing if I can’t see God, then he doesn’t exist. In many cases of Multiple Sclerosis/Trigeminal Neuralgia symptoms are invisible.

This book is therapeutic for me. It’s my reality. I never get to express my real feelings for fear of hurting someone’s feelings or making someone feel some type of way. This book is not to make someone feel sorry for me, but it’s to enlighten people about the invisible symptoms of, Multiple Sclerosis and Trigeminal Neuralgia. Not all people who have these diseases think the way I do, but the more stories and blogs and articles I’ve read, I’ve come to realize many people suffer in silence as I do.

I want people who read this book to see that these two unforgiving and relentless diseases are not an excuse people use to get out of responsibilities, or to get special treatment, have a handicap sticker, or collecting disability because they are lazy. I want people who think this way to realize that’s not the case. If this were true, I wouldn’t write this book, and I am sure many other authors would not either. Having these diseases is my reality. Oh, how I wish that there was a cure so that so many people would not have to suffer. Some people might not have the type of chronic pain I’ve described, but that does not mean that they don’t have still have Multiple Sclerosis or Trigeminal Neuralgia. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a whole different type of chronic pain that is not only found in MS patients .

The MS Society defines Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The exact antigen — or target that the immune cells are sensitized to attack — remains unknown, which is why MS is considered by many experts to be immune-mediated rather than autoimmune."

Within the CNS, the immune system attacks myelin — the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers — as well as the nerve fibers themselves.

The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name.

When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing a wide variety of symptoms.

The disease is thought to be triggered in a genetically susceptible individual by a combination of one or more environmental factors.

People with MS typically experience one of four disease courses, which can be mild, moderate, or severe."

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines the different types of MS; Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS), Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS), Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS), and Primary Progressive MS (PPMS). Each one of these types of MS has very different symptoms. It is estimated that more than 2.3 million people are affected by MS worldwide.

Invisible

Going through life every day like you have on an invisible cloak, watching, looking, and observing everyone and wondering what their life is like? My invisible cloak is Multiple Sclerosis and Trigeminal Neuralgia. Nobody can tell from the outside looking in that I have pains running through my legs, spasms in my arms, feet, or fingers. Having balance issues and pretending like I accidently tripped over my feet or got up too fast and became dizzy. Walking like a zombie some days and blaming it on my clumsiness. What do you do with an invisible cloak? You hide behind it and hope no one sees you. Going from being a person who was always on the go, being able to walk long distances, walk up stairs, and doing normal things. This is how it used to be, but now I sit in the shadows and become invisible.

I am a mother and wife who never thought I would have to limit things in my everyday life. MS affects so many things that people can’t see but I have a loving husband that sees right through me and a caring son that understands that I have some hard days. Although I wish to be normal again, I have to welcome the new me. It might be hard to accept, but I have to realize that I am able to wake up every morning, get out of bed, and still have a full- time job. I know there are many people who are not able to do this and would love to be in my shoes because I can do these things. One day I will be able to fully take off my cloak and let the world know that I have MS and TN, yet there is nothing I can do but spread the word about how these invisible symptoms affect a lot of people, but they are still human and have feelings.

1

What the Hell!

You wake up one day, and your life will never be the same. As I slumbered, havoc was stirring in my brain. I woke up with a numb and tingling face, which I thought was going to go away after a few minutes, but it took about a month and a half. What could this mean? Did I have a stroke? Is it Bell palsy, or do I have a brain tumor? I was a temp at a job that I started back in July of 2015, but I was