My MS Story, by Deborah Dalton

My symptoms started long before being diagnosed with primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I knew something was wrong in spite of all the negative tests results from the EKG’s and many other MS mimicking diseases.

I enrolled in online classes at Kaplan University to get my BA in Human Services. I completed registration on March 16, 2010; I was not computer literate and began to have regrets. Less than a week later on March 22nd, 2010, my older sister that I was caring for passed away while her husband was at work.

I fell three weeks behind in my classes. My academic advisor instructed me to contact professors to explain the situation and ask for extensions on the already past due work. I thought that would be impossible, but I did it and made the dean’s list.

My symptoms were becoming more severe. I was at a service station in November of 2011 when someone called the police saying I was drunk driving. The breathalyzer was not registering anything, I could not pass heal to toe, and standing on one foot was impossible without holding onto the car. He assumed I had to be on drugs. He took me to the hospital for blood tests and then to a county jail.

Since episodes like this occurred the director of Mentoring Plus, the organization I volunteered for that helps juvenile delinquents and status offenders advised me to keep going back to my family doctor until they do something to help me.

I knew I was on the path God wanted me to be on and that was why the devil was raging. I was more determined than ever to find out what was going on and to finish my education because I felt God had something special for me. I won’t allow the devil to steal anything that God wants for me.

The next visit to my family doctor was December 2011. I happened to see an intern before the doctor came in, she listened to my story about the jail stay and how I had trouble walking without tripping. I cried as I explained how I could not walk and hold my two grandchildren. She excused herself and said she would return with the doctor. When they came back, the doctor asked what her recommendation would be. She requested that I have an MRI.

I got a call from the doctor’s office saying that it was very important that I come in after my Christmas break but it was not an emergency. On December 27th, 2011, the doctor told me that I had white spots on my brain and spine. God was looking out for me because I was able to get an appointment the first week of January with a neurologist. The doctor did not wait for an opening for my spinal tap. She decided I should come in before hours and do the procedure to do in her office.

I was told I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) on January 24th, 2012. She ordered the testing of JC virus and wanted me to start Tysabri infusions as soon as possible. I was relieved that I was diagnosed with something because now it could be treated. By the time the results came back with a negative for JC virus, it was a couple of months later. On March 5th I would start infusions.

On February 29th, 2012, I started my final term for my associate’s degree and finished on the President’s List with a 3.7 GPA. It was not long after on March 2nd, which happened to be my 50th birthday, that I had another appointment with the doctor. This was a blessing in disguise, while we were at the doctor’s office everyone had to go to the basement because of tornado warnings. We were told we could leave but we had to be careful.

When we got off the exit the roads were blocked off, the tornado hit my home and it hit my home hard. I would have been hurt very badly if I had been home. The Red Cross, FEMA, and friends helped with the cleanup. The next Monday I had my infusion therapy. I have learned so much about Multiple Sclerosis, the classes were therapy for all I have gone through.

Yeah, it has been a long journey, but I can look back and feel blessed that God was with me every step. I am positive that God has plans for all of us. God bless everyone.

Written by,

Deborah Dalton

Edited by,

Garrett Owen