As a person living with multiple sclerosis for about 10 years, I still find it frustrating and sometimes isolating trying to explain it to my loved ones. The symptoms can be so bizarre and people often can’t tell 
when they’re happening to me. I’m sure you’ve heard from others that “you still look okay.” That’s the irony! Living with this hidden disability can make you feel like you’re buzzing, tingling, going weak, and having vision problems, and yet the outside world cannot see this. Not everyone with MS is using a cane or a wheelchair. And yet there are times when maybe a cane would help with the tiredness, but how do you explain this to someone? Multiple sclerosis is so unpredictable and living with it involves a constant renegotiation of your life path.
My name is Jen, I’m 37 years old, and I’m currently in the middle of a relapse. I’m a freelance writer who worked in the health and human service fields for over a decade, particularly as a registered ultrasound technologist. I have an English degree and I enjoy children’s fiction and adult nonfiction, biographies, and mysteries. I volunteer at my local library, and I plan to continue taking library science classes online, if only to make me a better library patron and to provide me with optimal sources for my writings. I am a member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and have volunteered at their walking and bicycling fundraising events.
Welcome to my MS story. I also welcome you to tell your story.
