Living With Multiple Sclerosis

It all started in the Summer of 2018. I had woken up one morning and couldn't see out of my right eye. At first, I figured I had just got something in my eye or rubbed it too much. However, after a few days, nothing seemed to be helping. I was completely terrified, everything had become a blur. My mom and I went to the regular eye doctor and they began running some tests however, I struggled with some due to the fact that I saw nothing. Shortly after the tests were complete, the doctor suggested I go see an ophthalmologist because she was unsure of what was wrong with me. A few days later, I found myself undergoing more tests and procedures with the opthalmologist. She seemed to believe the only way to tell what was the exact problem was to get a brain MRI. That weekend I found myself getting admitted to the hospital after the MRI. I was completely confused because I had went in for an MRI and they said I had to be admitted. That same night I underwent another MRI, 3 spinal taps and had abour 17 vials of blood taken for sampling. I was then hooked up to an IV drip and disturbed constantly as I tried to sleep. Within the next couple of days, I dealt with constant tests and procedures from numerous amounts of doctors. We had found out the reason my eye was blurred was due to a condition called optic neuritis. Sadly, that wasn't the only thing they discovered. Through the MRI's and spinal taps, they discovered leisions on my brain and spine resulting in the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. I was beyond scared because I had never heard of this disorder and everyone seemed alarmed. They were so confused, how did a 17 year old end up with Multiple Sclerosis? Once I was released from the hospital, life started changing. I couldn't do everything I once loved doing without doing it in moderation. Things became really difficult and depression started to kick in. Nearly two years later, I have tried 3 different medications to slow the progression of this disorder along with nearly 5 different medications to help ease the constant pain.While living with Multiple Sclerosis has changed my life and I have bad days, I just remind myself that my disorder does not define who I am. I'm not Multiple Sclerosis. I'm Lianna, the girl with Multiple Sclerosis. To everyone suffering from any kind of life modifying disorder, you are not your disorder, you are so much more and you will achieve your goals, slowly but surely.