When you were first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 31, you cried. How did you move forward? At first, I was really scared and thought I would end up in a wheelchair. Because of my symptoms—vision problems, numbness, and fatigue—I had to quit my job managing bands. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But after a while, I thought, "I'm not in a wheelchair. I'm actually doing okay. I can maybe start trying to have a life."
What prompted you to dive back into the world? In 2008, I was working for an investment firm that collapsed because of the financial crisis. I remember thinking, "Okay, that's my life push." Around the same time, my symptoms worsened, and I began to have spasticity in my legs and needed a cane for walking. That's when I started volunteering for the National MS Society. I wanted to encourage people living with MS to not give up.
How have you helped others? I started doing makeover workshops called Makeover Your MS with my friend who is a makeup artist. At MS care centers and MS Society wellness and awareness events, we'd bring in a group of professional makeup artists to do makeovers and then re-create a red-carpet environment, rolling out an orange carpet, the color of MS. Once the women were made up, I would take their photograph. I'm also a professional photographer.
What did the women think of these Makeover Your MS events? They were all acting like regular women, not women with a disease. People would be yelling advice: "Put your hip into it!" "Smile more!" People were howling and laughing, and I got the most amazing photos.
You've gone from one-time events to life coaching. Tell us about that. I realized how important it was for people to be around others who understood what they were going through. I wanted to provide ongoing support. That's when I started writing my book, Overcome the BS of MS: A 3-Step Plan for Women Living with Multiple Sclerosis (CreateSpace Publishing, 2015). The book provides a tool kit of practical tips for living with MS. Now I'm working on an online venture called Rockstar Women with MS, to provide resources that build upon the principles in my book.
What are some tips in your book? The first is that you have options, even if you can't see them right away. For instance, a lot of people don't think about physical therapy, especially MS-specific physical therapy, which can help with mobility problems. Another tip is keeping a sense of humor, even when it's absurd. A third tip is maintaining a positive mindset, which is believing in yourself and your own power. Another tip is setting "impossible" goals.
Give us examples of "impossible" goals. These are things you've told yourself are impossible. They are all reasonable and safe. For example, you may tell yourself, "I could never write a blog," "I'm not a person who wears red." Start chipping away at one of those goals. Behave as if you're talented enough to write a blog. Before long, you discover you actually did the thing you thought you couldn't.
