I Still Have MS

I had finally gotten into graduate school. I'd been a divorced, single mom for 7 years. I struggled. I worked, a lot. My ex-husband rarely saw our kids and even more rarely paid his child support. I was working at a nursing home in the admissions department while going to grad school for counseling. It was actually wonderful. I really liked where I was. My boys and I lived with my parents because it was all just too much to handle with not enough money at that time. So, in December of 2017, my parents went to visit my grandmother in another state on a Wednesday. I was left with my two children, which was fine. I could take them to work with me.

When I noticed something was feeling off

Friday Night comes along, and my lips start to tingle. I get up Saturday morning to go to work, and my lips are numb and it's starting to spread up my face as the day goes on. I asked my boss at work if I looked strange. She said no, so I forgot about it. I go home, and we go to bed. Sunday morning, the entire left side of my head was numb.
Now, my parents were gone but my dad is a nurse so of course I call him first. I tell him we are going to go to church and then I'm going to go to work. Dad said no, better go to the ER just to make sure you're not having a stroke. I laugh it off, but I have my sister watch my kids and I go to the ER.

I received the news that day

About 8 hours and an MRI later, I have a preliminary diagnosis of MS. The neurologist on call told me that my low vitamin levels are probably to blame and so it's basically my fault. I wish I could go back and find that doctor. After researching MS for the past 4 years, she doesn't know what caused it. I had no idea at that time and I allowed her to make me feel guilty about an already bad situation. I am now three and a half years out of graduate school and I'm a school based therapist at an elementary school. My ex-husband remains uninvolved. My father has passed away from Covid. We live with my mom. I still have MS.