This is a picture I took of my littlest sister Shannon. I love this picture. The shadows. The little smiles peeking through.
Shannon is hiding something. Can you tell what it is?
In 2003 I got married. I had the big church wedding. Four bridesmaids, five groomsmen, flowers, flower girl, ring bearers. The whole 9 yards. During this time Shannon was not feeling well. She came to me and asked if I would talk to "Doc" (my step dad) about some of the symptoms she had been dealing with for a little while now. Doc is a retired Chiropractic and Shannon thought that the weakness and numbness in her legs might be something a chiropractor could fix. So I called "Doc". Shannon had no pain with any of her symptoms. Just a lot of weakness. "Doc" said that he didn't feel that what she was experiencing was something chiropractics would be able the help with.
My wedding went on as planned.
After I got back from my honeymoon all the videos and photos started pouring in. Photos from the professional photographer. Photos from family and friends. My wedding video. So Babe and I sat down one night and looked at all the photos and watched our wedding video. As I watched us light the unity candle, say our vows, kiss and be pronounced husband and wife I was thrilled. We finally got married and I had it all on video to prove it. Then as James Brown's "I feel good" played Babe and I walked out arm and arm, then the wedding party. Nicole and Jon, Ashley and Dean, Shannon and BJ. I looked a Babe.
"Did you notice that?"
"I think so. Rewind it"
I did. I watched my baby sister walk down the isle clutching the groomsmen's arm we had matched her with. I mean really clutching it. With ever step she trembled. She was holding on to him with all of her might.
I called Shannon. I asked he how she was feeling. She said the same. She was lying. She was using the walls in her house to support her while walking. She was weak. She had more numbness. She was even needed a wheel chair some days.
I called my mom. (Shannon and I have different moms) We talked about what I had just seen. What my conversation with my baby sister was. My mom is a nurse. Has been for 25 plus years. She told me to call her and tell her to go to the emergency room. My mom said it sounded like a neurological problem.
After a few phone conversations she went to All Children's Hospital.
A bunch of test were ran and after about 5 days of blood work, cat scans, and MRI's, we heard the news.
Shannon was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I cried.
Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.
This information is from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Here is the link.
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/index.aspx
You can read more about the disease, find ways to get involved or donate through the website.
Help educate people about this disease. Donate to help the research efforts. Volunteer.
