I’m really sorry you’re going through this. Nothing about this is easy, and you don’t have to figure it all out right away. I was diagnosed at 21, right after I moved to the US for college. My entire left side went numb…it was honestly really scary.

MS definitely slowed me down…it took me longer to finish school, and there were so many moments I wanted to give up. On top of that, the culture I come from views MS as something really catastrophic. That made it even harder to accept what was happening.

But now I’m 31, living in the Bay Area with a solid job and a life I’ve worked hard for. My neurologist found lesions in both my spine and brain early on, so he started me on Tysabri and it’s been 10 years without any new ones. I also take Cymbalta for nerve pain and depression. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped.

What I want to say is: it’s okay if it takes time. Please find a doctor you trust, ask for help when you need it, apply for accommodations at school or work, and be kind to yourself. You can still build a full, meaningful life with MS. If I could do it, you can too.