Welcome to Living Healthy Chicago
I'm Jane Monzures.
For many people facing a serious diagnosis,
it can be hard to stay positive.
But a strong support system from your family
and health team, can make all the difference.
So let's meet a woman who says that's exactly
what helped her navigate MS for more than 30 years.
There's a special bond between
Anne Matty and her husband Ray.
- He's my rock, everybody with MS should have a Ray.
- [Jane] Some of her favorite moments with him
involve spending time in the kitchen together.
(Ray mumbles) (laughs)
- Don't break your tooth on it!
He enjoys what I cook, he enjoys what I bake.
That's the happiest, is when I make a nice big meal.
- [Jane] There relationship has stood
strong through some tough times.
Starting when their children were young,
Anne began to struggle with her health.
- I lost all feeling on the left side of my body.
Right down the middle of my face.
It lasted for 30 days, and then just
one day I woke up and it was gone.
Seven years later I lost all strength on my right side.
It just didn't make sense.
Very scary, very scary.
- [Jane] Anne eventually had an MRI,
which eventually helped doctors determine what was going on.
- With the MRI, and spinal tap, it became definitive MS.
- [Dr. McCoyd] Hello, how are you doing?
- Hey!
I'm good, how are you?
- Multiple Sclerosis is considered
to be an autoimmune condition,
where your own immune system makes a mistake,
and starts to damage the protective coating
of the brain, or myelin.
Myelin helps signals go faster,
from one part of the brain to another part of the brain.
And the symptoms someone may experience
reflect the part of the brain that was injured.
They may lose vision in one eye
for an extended period of time,
difficulty with walking, difficulty with coordination,
are some of the potential warning signs of MS.
On an MRI scan we can see characteristic
looking spots, in characteristic locations,
with a characteristic appearance.
- To give something a name,
that you're going through, it means the world.
It really does.
Right away, they started me on a drug
to ease the spasticity in my legs.
- [Jane] In addition to starting medication,
Anne learned that exercise can be beneficial
to people living with MS, and decided to give it a try.
- I got there, and I loved it.
Because I could do so much more in the water
than I could on land.
It just makes the world of difference
- Exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of MS,
improve energy levels, and improve cognition as well.
We strongly encourage patients to consider
exercise as part of their regular routine.
- [Jane] Anne joined a program
at the Orland Park Health and Fitness Center,
specifically designed for people living with MS.
- Get them on the move.
That's the main goal.
To increase their flexibility, increase their mood,
help bowel movement, range of motion.
We've been doing aqua aerobics,
we've been doing yoga.
- The instructors keep us on our toes.
I feel so relaxed afterwards, to the point where
I can sometimes feel my blood flowing through my fingers.
I really do feel great after that workout.
- She's increased.
She's amazing.
Her movement has increased tremendously,
she has gone from, you know, walking
a little bit slower, to now standing up
in my classes and doing more movement.
- [Jane] Anne says exercise helps her maintain
a good quality of life, and keep up with her family.
- I'll give you two!
(Ray chuckles)
- [Ray] No, one is good.
- No, you're gonna have two.
I am able to keep doing what I want to do,
and what I enjoy doing.
I still love to cook and bake, for me that means a lot.
- [Jane] She hopes her story inspires others
living with MS, to get moving and focus on the positive.
- This is something you need to do every day.
You need to move.
It's so important to get off the couch.
Your mood improves and your outlook improves,
and the quality of your life is improving.
- Patients do exercise, as little as 30 minutes a day,
they do find that their energy levels improve.
They simply feel better from exercising.
Maybe the biggest message I want to deliver,
is that disabilities can occur with Multiple Sclerosis,
but disability is not an inevitability.
I think Anne is a great example of that.
That MS is something we have to take seriously,
but it's something they can live with and have a great life,
despite being diagnosed with a medical condition.
- The important thing is just to keep strong.
If you don't use it you lose it.
You have to be positive, I feel really good.
I feel blessed.
(laughing)