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The Face of MS
Donna Stevenato had been having symptoms for three years before she was properly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her early 40s. "I was having numbness in my face and my legs were dragging," she said. Doctors didn't know what she had at first. It was only after doctor gave her a spinal tap and an MRI that she was told she had MS. At one point Stevenato lost her eyesight for three weeks, but it came back after a neurologist put her on a steroid. "I still have funny eyes," she said. "I don't see well." She added she usually has to get a new prescription for her eyes every two years. She also finds she's tired all the time, but she usually feels "alive" in the morning. "Mornings are excellent," she said. She doesn't sleep well so she's usually up at around 5 a.m. and gets her day's work done by 9 a.m. She can't walk too far or do strenuous exercises. "Climbing stairs is terrible," she said. She also can't drive her car at night or drive long distances. "I used to drive a lot. I miss that." Her treatments include yoga and walking on a treadmill. She doesn't take any medication. Stevenato visits her neurologist every two years, unless she has an attack where she can't walk or see. She's been told it's unlikely she will have another attack. "Two doctors told me that, so I believe it," she said. When she moved to Bolton 19 years ago, she knew of only other person who had MS. Now there are about 12 to 15 people with MS who attend the monthly Self Help Group meetings at Christ Church Anglican in Bolton. The group also has guest speakers come in. "It's very educational for newcomers," Stevenato said. The local Zehrs Super Cities WALK for MS will be held Sunday, April 15, at the Caledon Community Complex in Caledon East. |
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