Chelsey Horn, an Atlanta-based writer and actor, shares her journey to finding the right MS treatment for her.
I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). It was my 20th birthday.
I was sitting in a coffee shop with a close friend, studying for college midterms. I had just pulled an all-nighter to finish a 10-page paper, and only one more test stood between me and a long-awaited birthday celebration.
As I carefully examined all my notes, my left hand started going numb. At first, it felt like pins and needles, but the sensation quickly spread over the entire left side of my body.
I assumed I just needed to take a break from studying. I stood up from the table and nearly fell over from intense vertigo. Thankfully, my friend was pre-med and knew something was awry.
We gathered our backpacks and headed to the hospital.
Getting diagnosed
After what felt like an eternity, an ER doctor came into my hospital room. He sat down beside me and said, “Ms. Horn, based on your symptoms, we need to evaluate you for a possible brain tumor or multiple sclerosis. I’m putting in an order for an MRI and spinal tap ASAP.”
That was the first time I ever heard the words “multiple sclerosis.” The next day, my results came in, and an MRI confirmed that I had 18 lesions on my brain.
I remember being scared but also feeling an immense sense of relief.
In the 2 years leading up to my diagnosis, I went from playing sports, working two part-time jobs, and maintaining a long list of extracurriculars to barely being able to move out of bed due to fatigue, vertigo, and body aches.
Any time I brought these symptoms up during a checkup, I was dismissed. My doctors would assure me that my symptoms were “just stress” or “growing pains” but I knew deep down something wasn’t right.
Receiving a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) was scary, but it was also validating. I felt hopeful because, with a diagnosis, I knew there were support and treatment options.
So, I threw myself into research in an attempt to regain my quality of life.