When people find out I am living with Multiple Sclerosis, there is always a lull in the conversation. What do you say to that? People usually respond one of two ways: They either offer their condolences, or tell me, “I would have never guessed” and that is the double-edged sword of the situation. Because while I may appear normal on the outside, internally it is a whole different story. 

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves of the central nervous system. Think of the myelin sheath as the conductive material surrounding a wire — once this is damaged, the wire might work, but not always well. This disease can affect any part of the central nervous system, but my personal experience has been limited to my brain. I have had MS since I was about 17 years old, and while I think I have a pretty good handle on it, it is definitely not without its challenges.