We are a team of people who are impacted by the devastating effects Multiple Sclerosis has had on our mom, grandma, cousin, and friend: Theresa Manas

Please take a moment to read Theresa’s letter about her diagnosis and experiences living with Multiple Sclerosis.

A Letter From Theresa:

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999. While watching my daughter’s soccer game, all of a sudden, and I mean BOOM, just like that, I was seeing double. Instead of 11 girls out there on the field, there were 22.  They looked like they were chasing themselves.  I didn’t know what was going on.

 I could not drive at night.  The only way I could see normally was by closing one of my eyes.  After a day or two walking around like a Cyclops, I decided to go to the eye doctor.  After examining me, he told me to go to a neurologist. I thought, why?  But, I went.  He wanted to do an MRI.  He had done an MRI of my brain a year before when the right side of my body was completely numb and tingly. Well, he did the MRI and informed me that I probably had MS.  They compared the lesions on my brain from my first MRI.  He informed me there were several more lesions.  To be sure, he wanted to do a spinal tap.  Of course that turned out to be worse than any of my symptoms.  I went to work the next day and part way through the day I got very ill.  I remember being out on the beverage cart and all of a sudden I got a headache that was excruciating.  I barely made it back to the clubhouse. Here I was, seeing double, and had a headache that was making me sick. I thought, what the heck is going on. I ended up in bed for several days and could not raise my head off the pillow.

 Well, the spinal tap came back showing that I had MS.  For your information, unlike other diseases, there is no test that positively shows that you have the disease.  The doctor informed me that there is no cure for MS at this time.  He also told me that most people end up with some kind of walking device within 10 years of diagnosis, whether it is a cane or a wheelchair.  He recommended that I go on 1 of the 3 treatments that they have.  Unfortunately, the treatments would require me to give myself injections daily.  And I hate needles!!  Also, that the treatments cost about $1,600 a month.  He told me to think about it and try to make a decision soon.  I thought about it for about 6 months.  I was doing O.K. and I would never have the problems that the people I read about were having.  So why should I start treatment? Well, of course I did start having problems, little things, which most people didn’t even notice.  My hands and feet were cramping up (anytime they wanted, I might add!), I would be standing there and all of a sudden my legs would give out.  Luckily, there was always someone there to catch me.  My short-term memory was getting shorter!  (I have to keep a sense of humor about this to keep sane).  It sometimes takes me a few minutes to remember how to do something very simple. My thinking process is a little slower. No comments please!!  I need to write everything down.  Tension and stress would always activate something. And who doesn't have stress in their life! The bad thing is, you never know what or when it is going to happen.  That scared me.

 Well, I decided to start the treatment.  People always ask, well has it helped?  The bad thing is, you really don’t know.  The treatment is supposed to help you not have as many episodes, and the ones that you do have to be shorter in duration.  Who knows? All I know is that I’m still up and walking around and that has been my biggest fear, ending up in a wheelchair.

I decided that I was going to fight this.  I have a different perspective on life now.  I try to do as much as I can, when I can, because I may not be able to do it tomorrow.

 I hope this has shown you why the MS Society so desperately needs your help in raising money to help find a cure.

 Theresa Manas

OUr impact through the years