By Kelsey Schauf

As we stepped into the chilly, gray office, we were taken into a room with the remarkable neurologist, Dr. Ena Andrews, who had been overseeing my care for the past week. Meeting my gaze, she delivered the words, “You have multiple sclerosis.” It was 2010, and as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school, embarking on my college journey, that short four-word sentence reshaped the trajectory of my life. That September marked the official diagnosis of a neurological condition, driving me into the scope of young adulthood living with a brain disease.

Fourteen years have passed since those four words altered the course of my life, and I believe the time has come to document my journey. Whenever I recount my story, one emotion remains constant: I aspire that my openness about my experiences can offer comfort to at least one individual. I want to state that I am no doctor, and I have no medical degree. What I do have is experience with a disease and a story to tell.

Read the full article on Issuu >> Aug-Sept 2024 Issue