One Woman’s Powerful Story of Living with Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms first began as back pain for Colleen. She thought it was caused by the whiplash she experienced from a car accident that happened a few years prior.

After several years of minimal improvement, Colleen began to worry there was something seriously wrong. It didn't make sense that her whiplash would cause her so much pain and irritation that simply would not go away.

Colleen decided to visit a neurologist for further diagnosis. The doctor performed certain scans and tests, including an MRI and spinal tap, which revealed Colleen was suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Finally, she was relieved to have the answers to her pain, but there were now fears about this unexpected medical condition.

She worried how she would raise her five children while dealing with this disease. MS is a damaging condition that takes away the individual’s independence as the disease progresses and worsens. Having all this in mind meant it was a challenging and difficult time for Colleen and her family. With each passing day, the disease progressed, making her realize how much she had taken her independence for granted. Colleen began to feel tired and weak, and on one particular day, her husband became especially worried when his wife did not wake up from her sleep — for two whole days.

Colleen was taken to the doctor where she was not very responsive, alerting the medical team that she was in for a lot of trouble. They discovered her lungs and kidneys had stopped functioning and put her on a ventilator, giving her a grim prognosis. She was in the ICU for more than a month’s time, and due to her sickness, she was unconscious for most of it. Finally, though, Colleen began to regain consciousness. Then she realized she had developed gangrene on her toes and hand and the doctors told her they would have to amputate her hand and foot. This left Colleen feeling very helpless and reduced her to tears.

After the surgery, Colleen awoke to a missing foot and just one hand. She had to endure painful therapy before finally making it out of the ICU. She spent 10 days in recovery before asking the doctors to allow her to go home. Initially, the doctors were very reluctant to release her due to her condition, but they eventually agreed to let her leave. She was wheeled back home with her husband and mother.

As her disease continued to advance, Colleen became more and more dependent on others to carry out everyday tasks. She was lucky to have a supportive family by her side that took her every challenge in a positive stride. Colleen’s mother would come home in the mornings and perform most of the daily tasks as well as help her daughter with her morning rituals. Sadly, Colleen passed away in 2017. Her story is a powerful one that teaches us not to take life for granted, and her tale of courage and strength to battle out the pain of multiple sclerosis provides inspiration for the many others fighting just like she did.