SciOP/sciteach79
Laura
Chat Host


My name is Laura, and I’m 28 years old. I currently live just north of Charleston, WV. 
I, however,  consider myself a Minnesotan
as I lived there from age nine months to age 24, before moving to Michigan and then to West Virginia.

I graduated from the University of MN, Duluth, in 2005 after completing my final requirement of student teacher at a small school in West Virginia. After graduating, I spent a half year substitute teaching before being hired on full-time in fall, 2006, teaching high school biology/general science.

My first symptoms of MS appeared in the spring of 2007 during my very stressful first year of teaching. To start with, I attributed them to the stress, but who wouldn't when they are stressed out anyway and the only symptoms are fatigue and jaw pain (thought maybe I started clenching my jaw in my sleep?)  But then summer vacation came around and the stress subsided.  However, the fatigue and jaw pain got worse, and then my left scalp and face went numb.

At this point I had already scheduled an appointment to start seeing a primary care physician about the asthma I also suddenly developed during the spring of 2007.  So while I was there, I mentioned these other curious symptoms to her. After I got a raised eyebrow and a barrage of questions from her,
she decided one of the first things
she was going to do was send me to MRI to
"rule out" a neurological cause.
When results came back, it was off to a neurologist who ordered a second, more thorough MRI, EVP, and Spinal Tap, before the neurologist gave me the final diagnosis on Nov. 1, 2007.

Well, about a week or two later, I decided to check out MSWorld Chat.  I had found it back in August after receiving the results of the first MRI, but had put off actually going into it until then, after all I’m one who always rolls with life’s punches and was taking to the MS idea fairly readily. Though after getting on MSWorld, I found a group of such wonderful new friends that it wasn’t long before I was addicted to the site and spending every moment I could here.

So now it's already January 2008, and I’ve joined the staff. As an MSWorld chatter, I have loved being able to help comfort and support other members in addition to just socializing and having some good laughs with the other chatters. I am very excited to be able to continue this and more in my new role on staff.

One of my primary personal outlooks on life that now applies more than ever with MS is: No use wasting time and energy on worrying about what might happen, enjoy today and deal with the future when it gets here.