Paula is a local business owner here in Lynchburg, VA. She started Paula's Answering Service about five years ago. In October of last year she finally tied the knot with her now husband Troy after 10 plus years together. She is a hand-on dedicated and loyal daughter, wife, step mom, sister, friend, very proud aunt to RyLee who is five, hard and talented worker. I would say she is an everyday person, but I find her to be exceptional. The better I get to know her, and the more I learn about her the more proud I am to call her a close friend of mine. Her strength shines through and she continue to have positive attitude day in and day out.
DIAGNOSIS
Although formally diagnosed 8 years ago, Paula has been having symptoms in which an easy answer was no where in sight for about 15 years. She experienced unexplained numbness and would be very dizzy, "dizzy like never before, not like a roller coaster dizzy, like I can't see anything..... dizzy---it was terrible!", Paula remembers.
Eight years ago she was formally diagnosed with Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis after an episode of numbness in her chest and hands, blurry vision and staying dizzy convinced her this was serious. Her primary care doctor got her in with a neurologist. She had to endure the non-stop numbness, blurry vision and dizziness for two weeks until her appointment. She was thinking maybe she had diabetes or something, and when she got the diagnosis of MS she went for a 2nd opinion at University of VA Hospital, had an MRI and it was confirmed.
Her doctor then told her to "expect about 100 different things. MS is a one of a kind disease....no two people have the same symptoms, they can be very similar and we can relate, however, some live there whole life with minimal problems, others are in wheel chairs, crutches, in the bed, some have terrible symptoms for months even years and then one morning they wake up and they are gone."
POST DIAGNOSIS
On one side you could be doing great no extreme symptoms and one morning you wake up and can't walk. During the time she was searching for answers and until her 1st diagnosis she was having a horrible time with symptoms, describing that two week wait as "torture". Luckily the symptoms all ceased for a while so after her original diagnosis she was not immediately put on any medications. However, BOOM one day all the symptoms came back without warning even worse and stronger than before. From that day on she has lived her life with medication. Thankful for being her, trusting in God and having an amazing support system in her family has been a huge blessing when dealing with MS.
SYMPTOMS
Paula's current symptoms are dizziness, leg cramps, poor eye sight, numbness, and heavy leg; She can't lift them sometimes, they drag That is what makes MS patients fall and hurt themselves. Cane's are good to use for balance, and Paula uses one on a daily basis. It helps her with balance and keeps MS from stealing anymore of her mobility and freedom from her.
MEDICATION
Paula take Avonex and has been on it for almost 5 years. She takes one shot once a week in the muscle. It is a two inch needle that hurts, stings, and gives you flue like symptoms for 24-48 hours each week. You feel like crap, don't want to do anything usually, some weeks are worse that others. You don't see the benefits of this medicine until later in your progression, months and years down the road. Since there is no cure for MS, the medicines have two main goals. First to ease the pain of the symptoms or to stop the symptoms (which does NOT stop the disease). Secondly it is designed to slow down the progression of your disease, prolonging your strength. Eventually MS takes your strength so the longer you have it, the more blessed you are. You have been given another day.
OTHER TREATMENTS
Paula takes a lot of vitamins and eats pretty good. I do not get sick often like colds, flu, stuff like that. I have a lot of pain in my legs and I never sleep much because of it. So, she takes pain medications and natural remedies like herbal medications.Her doctor then told her to "expect about 100 different things. MS is a one of a kind disease....no two people have the same symptoms, they can be very similar and we can relate, however, some live there whole life with minimal problems, others are in wheel chairs, crutches, in the bed, some have terrible symptoms for months even years and then one morning they wake up and they are gone."
POST DIAGNOSIS
On one side you could be doing great no extreme symptoms and one morning you wake up and can't walk. During the time she was searching for answers and until her 1st diagnosis she was having a horrible time with symptoms, describing that two week wait as "torture". Luckily the symptoms all ceased for a while so after her original diagnosis she was not immediately put on any medications. However, BOOM one day all the symptoms came back without warning even worse and stronger than before. From that day on she has lived her life with medication. Thankful for being her, trusting in God and having an amazing support system in her family has been a huge blessing when dealing with MS.
SYMPTOMS
Paula's current symptoms are dizziness, leg cramps, poor eye sight, numbness, and heavy leg; She can't lift them sometimes, they drag That is what makes MS patients fall and hurt themselves. Cane's are good to use for balance, and Paula uses one on a daily basis. It helps her with balance and keeps MS from stealing anymore of her mobility and freedom from her.
MEDICATION
Paula take Avonex and has been on it for almost 5 years. She takes one shot once a week in the muscle. It is a two inch needle that hurts, stings, and gives you flue like symptoms for 24-48 hours each week. You feel like crap, don't want to do anything usually, some weeks are worse that others. You don't see the benefits of this medicine until later in your progression, months and years down the road. Since there is no cure for MS, the medicines have two main goals. First to ease the pain of the symptoms or to stop the symptoms (which does NOT stop the disease). Secondly it is designed to slow down the progression of your disease, prolonging your strength. Eventually MS takes your strength so the longer you have it, the more blessed you are. You have been given another day.
OTHER TREATMENTS
EMOTIONAL SIDE OF MS
Paula told me "I talk angry some times but I'm really not. I get frustrated because I can't run anymore, or skip, or play on the playground with my n, but then I have to think that I am so much luckier than others. I also have a relationship with God and I feel he will guide me in my path as well. I guess we are all just lucky to be walking around, breathing, living and enjoying what God gave us. I could get real depressed, give up, think my life is over, all the jazz, no need! Weather you believe in God, Buddha, Aliens, Allah....what ever...we are living for a reason and a purpose. If it takes a life time to figure it out I want that opportunity!" Although she was dealt MS in her life's hand of cards she has chosen to put on her boxing gloves and give it a good fight. She is nearly always in a positive up beat manner when see her, although I am sure at times she puts up her guard and the positiveness can be just a front. But she has a power and strength and desire to over come this disease and impresses me every time I see her. In the back of my head I know Paula has MS, but in our friendship over the last several years I just know her as Paula, the loyal friend, dedicated wife, great step mom, strong business woman, hard worker, and sweet lady with a great sense of family importance (she especially adores her five year old niece) and good sense of humor whom I am lucky to have as a close personal friend.
IN honor of Paula, and other MS victims like her, will you please consider making a donation to the National MS Society. I am specifically asking you support our bike team as we raise awareness about MS, and raise funds to find a cure and erase MS. If you are able to donate please visit our MS 150 bike ride page
We are riding in a 150 mile bicycle ride to raise awareness and funds for those struggling with MS. Thank you for your financial support as well as for your thoughts and prayers for us as we train for this bike ride and for those struggling each day with MS.
