>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO GREATDAYHOUSTON.COM.
GREATDAYHOUSTON.COM. ACTRESS SELMA BLARE DESCRIBED
IT LIKE THIS."
I FALL SOMETIMES AND DROP
THINGS AND MY LEFT SIDE IS
ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS FROM A
BROKEN GPS.
BROKEN GPS. I'M IN THE THICK OF IT BUT I
HOPE TO GIVE HOPE TO OTHERS.
IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE SYMPTOMS
MIIC OTHER HEALTH ISSUES AND
MS DOESN'T ACT THE SAME WAY IN
EVERY BODIES."
EVERY BODIES." TWO PEOPLE LIVING WITH MS THIS
MORNING, GOOD MORNING.
[ APPLAUSE ] WHEN I WAS
READING WHAT SELMA BLARE HAD
WRITTEN YOU WERE NODDING YOUR
HEAD.
HEAD.
HEAD. LET'S GO BACK TO HOW THIS
STARTED.
STARTED.
STARTED. MY COUSIN HAD MS. IT DID MIMIC
SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
WHAT WAS IN HINDSIGHT THE FIRST
SYMPTOMS?
SYMPTOMS?
SYMPTOMS? >> PROBABLY WHEN I LOST MY
VISION WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS SIX
WEEKS OLD.
WEEKS OLD. >> THAT WAS A BIG ONE.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> ANYTHING BEFORE THAT?
>> WELL, WHEN WE WERE -- I GOT
MARRIED 21 YEARS AGO AND WHEN
WE WERE ON OUR HONEYMOON I WAS
TRYING TO BLOW DRY MY HAIR IT
FELT SO HEAVY I HAD TO TAKE SO
MANY BREAKS.
MANY BREAKS. I HAVE TWO PIECES OF HAIR.
IT SHOULDN'T TAKE ME NO TIME
BUT IT TOOK ME LIKE 30-40
MINUTES TO BLOW DRY MY HAIR
BECAUSE IT FELT SO HEAVY.
>> WHAT WAS IN YOUR MIND AT
THAT TIME?
THAT TIME? >> I WAS HAVING TOO MUCH FUN ON
MY HONEYMOON.
MY HONEYMOON. JUST TIRED.
JUST TIRED. WE WERE OUT LATE, TRAVELING AND
I JUST THOUGHT I'M TIRED.
I'M ANEMIC SO I THOUGHT MAYBE
IT'S THAT.
IT'S THAT. >> MICAH, FOR YOU?
>> THE FIRST SIGN WAS COMPLETE
NUMBNESS ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOWN
TO MY FOOT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING -- I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
>> SO WHAT WAS POPPING INTO
YOUR HEAD?
YOUR HEAD? >> I DIDN'T KNOW.
I WAS 19 YEARS OLD.
I THOUGHT I HAD AN INJURY FROM
CAR ACCIDENT OR BEING THE
ATHLETIC GUY I WANTD TO BE.
TO WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS
SOMETHING I MAY HAVE PULLED A
MUSCLE OR SOMETHING.
>> YOU AND I WERE TALKING, WHEN
THINGS PERSIST PEOPLE GO TO
WESTBOUNDMD AND YOU CAN FIND
OUT THAT YOU EITHER HAVE 15
MINUTES TO LIVE OR THAT IT'S A
HANGNAIL, RIGHT?
HANGNAIL, RIGHT? SO THAT CAN SCARE YOU.
WHEN YOU FINALLY WENT TO THE
DOCTOR, OBVIOUSLY LOSING YOUR
SIGHT, YOU GOT TO GO IN.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. MY SWEET HUSBAND TOOK ME TO THE
EYE DOCTOR.
EYE DOCTOR. MY EYES WERE DIE LATED AND THE
DOCTOR LOOKED AT ME AND SAID
IT'S PROBABLY A NERVE AND SENT
ME HOME.
ME HOME.
ME HOME. >> TO MY POINT EARLIER,
SOMETIMES IT CAN BE
MISDIAGNOSED OR NOT EVEN
UNDERSTOOD.
UNDERSTOOD. WHEN YOU WENT IN, WHAT
HAPPENED?
HAPPENED?
HAPPENED? >> I SAW A SERIES OF PHYSICIANS
AND THIS HAPPENS A LOT.
>> YES, WE CALL IT A BOUTIQUE
DISEASE BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES
HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS IN EACH
PERSON.
PERSON.
PERSON. WE SAY BE YOUR OWN BEST
ADVOCATE.
ADVOCATE.
ADVOCATE. ONCE YOU GET TO A NEUROLOGIST
IT'S MOST EASILY DIAGNOSED
THROUGH A NEUROLOGIST BECAUSE
THERE'S AN MRI AND THEY CAN
TELL THE SYMPTOMS QUICKLY.
WE DO A LOT TRYING TO EDUCATE
YOUR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS AND
ER DOCTORS BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES
PEOPLE END UP IN THE ER BUT IT
TAKES MORE EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE
TO KNOW HOW TO DIAGNOSIS MS.
>> WE SAY MS, WHAT EXACTLY IS
IT?
IT?
IT? WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE BODY?
>> MULTIPLE SCLER ROES IS LIKE
YOUR OWN NERVES FIGHTING
AGAINST YOURSELF.
AGAINST YOURSELF. YOU WOULD SAY YOU HAVE THE
MYLAN IN YOUR BODY STARTING TO
GET ATTACKED AND IT IMPACTS
PEOPLE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
WAYS.
WAYS.
WAYS. THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE SYMPTOMS
SHOWING THEMSELVES IN DIFFERENT
WAYS.
WAYS.
WAYS. SOMEBODY ASKED ME IF THEIR
VOICE WAS IMPACTED BUT A LOT OF
THINGS AREN'T USUAL IN, MS.
>> CLAY WALKER, I WAS WITH HIM
THE DAY HE WAS DIAGNOSED.
I SAID DO YOU WANT TO TALK
ABOUT IT AND HE SAID I DON'T %
KNOW WHAT IT IS.
FAST FORWARD, HE'S DOING WELL.
NOT EVERYBODY DOES WELL AND
THANK GOODNESS WITH THE WORK OF
THE MS SOCIETY, WE KEEP
MARCHING FORWARD AND THINGS ARE
BETTER TODAY.
BETTER TODAY. WE WANT TO GET TO THE POINT
WHERE MS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A
NUISANCE.
NUISANCE.
NUISANCE. WHAT ARE DAYS LIKE FOR YOU?
>> I'VE BEEN LUCKY.
HAVEN'T HAD A FULL BLOWN ATTACK
IN NINE YEARS.
I'VE BEEN ON A MIRACLE DRUG
THAT'S WORKED FOR ME AND SLOWED
MY PROGRESSION WHICH I'M REALLY
GRATEFUL FOR.
GRATEFUL FOR. THE MS SOCIETY IS LEADING THE
WAY FOR DRUGS AND RESEARCH AND
EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN
THE WORLD OF MS. THAT'S WHY I
SUPPORT THE CAUSE AND I WANT TO
PAY IT FORWARD.
I'M DOING SO WELL AND JUST FOR
ME, I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL TO BE
DOING THAT.
DOING THAT. I HAVE OFF DAYS AND MS IS
UNPREDICTABLE.
UNPREDICTABLE. SOME DAYS I WAKE UP AND I'M
SUPER TIRED AFTER EIGHT HOURS
OF SLEEP.
OF SLEEP.
OF SLEEP. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
DEAL WITH.
DEAL WITH. IT'S A SMALL THING TO DEAL WITH
AT THIS POINT.
I'LL TAKE IT.
>> AND GIVEN WHAT YOU HAVE
SEEN.
SEEN.
SEEN. >>
SEEN. >> YES, RIGHT, AND MICAH FOR
YOU, WHAT ARE DAYS LIKE?
>> DAYS ARE GREAT IN SAYING
THAT I'VE BEEN WELL ENOUGH LONG
ENOUGH TO WHERE I DON'T
CONTRIBUTE THOSE MS FLARE UPS
TO SOMETHING.
TO SOMETHING. I MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SOMETHING
ELSE, JUST FATIGUE OR A COLD.
ONCE I REALIZED IT'S MS FLARE
UPS WHERE I'M ABLE TO TAYLOR IT
OR MANAGE THE PROCESSES, BACK
TO WHAT SHE WAS SAYING ABOUT
THE MS SOCIETY RAISING FUNDS
AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE
MEDICATION, I'M ON MEDICATION
ALSO WHERE I HAVEN'T HAD A
SEVERE FLARE UP IN SIX OR SEVEN
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> IT DOES TAKE MONEY.
THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
IT TAKES MONEY NOT JUST FROM
RESEARCH BUT PEOPLE DON'T
REALIZE WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY DON'T MAGICALLY APPEAR.
THEY COME FROM A COMMUNITY.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE DOLLARS
YOU'RE HELPING TO RAISE FOR
SOMEBODY WILL BENEFIT YOU.
WHAT TYPES OF THINGS CAN WE
HELP OUT WITH?
WITH THE MS SOCIETY IN TERMS OF
RAISING MONEY.
RAISING MONEY. >> THE BIGGEST THING COMING UP
NOW, THIS WEEKEND OUR BP MS
150, THE LARGEST EVENT WE HAVE
IN THE COUNTRY TO RAISE FUNDS
FOR THE NATIONAL MS SOCIETY.
SO ANYBODY CAN STILL JOIN, WE
WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME
CYCLE WITH US FROM HOUSTON TO
AUSTIN OR SUPPORT SOMEONE ELSE
RIDING.
RIDING.
RIDING. WE HAVE WALKS IN THE FALL,
LUNCHEONS AND WE NEED PEOPLE
TOO, NOT JUST SUPPORT THROUGH
DOLLARS BUT VOLUNTEERISM.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE PEOPLE GO
TO THE NATIONAL MS SOCIETY'S
WEBSITE AND JOIN US YOU
MENTIONED THAT YOUR FAMILY GETS
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. >> YES, MY KIDS HAVE DONE
EVERYTHING FROM BAKE SALES TO
SHOWING UP AND HANDING COLD
WATER BOTTLES TO THE RIDERS AND
THEY MADE A VIDEO FOR ME ABOUT
BEATING MS. AND KIND OF WENT
VIRAL AND RAISED MONEY ALSO.
IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR.
MY HUSBAND RIDES WITH ME.
HE'S A REALLY BIG SUPPORTER.
I WISH I COULD BOTTLE UP THAT
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. >> AND HE'S HERE THIS MORNING,
YES [ APPLAUSE ]
>> AND THEN IT'S SO IMPORTANT
TO SEE, YOUR FAMILY SUPPORT BUT
WHEN YOU SEE STRANGERS OUT
THERE, OR THE MONEY COMING IN
FROM PEOPLE WITH NOTHING TO DO
WITH MS SO THEY THINK SO THEY
GIVE ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY
BELIEVE IN HELPING SOMEONE
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SEE THIS
COMMUNITY WRAP AROUND YOU?
>> IT TOUCHES YOUR HEART TO SAY
THE LEAST.
THE LEAST. WHERE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU
DON'T KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING
UNTIL YOU GO THROUGH IT.
THE PEOPLE DOING IT BECAUSE
THEY SEE THE CONNECTION OR HEAR
YOUR STORY.
YOUR STORY. IT GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY
AND MOTIVATION TO PUSH HARDER
AND MAKE SURE THERE'S A CURE
COMING SOON.
COMING SOON. >> YOU HAVE A BOOK, THE
REFLECTION OF OVERCOMING ODDS
AND THE MS 150 IS A WAY WE CAN
ALL HELP.
ALL HELP.
ALL HELP. IT TAKES PLACE THIS SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY AT 6:45 A.M.
FROM MULTIPLE START LOCATIONS
AROUND HOUSTON.
AROUND HOUSTON. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RIDE
REGISTRATION, LOG ON