An interview with Michele Shea, a longtime sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis. Michele will be one of the guests of honor at an upcoming event in Radnor, PA, raising funds and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

1. On
Wednesday,
December
5th,
333
Belrose
Bar
&
Grill
will
partner
with
the
National
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society
(Delaware
Valley
Chapter)
to
host
Shop
for
MS.
This
well-­‐
time
charity
fundraising
event
will
give
guests
an
opportunity
to
kick
start
their
holiday
shopping
and
kick-­‐off
NMSS’s
spring
Walk
for
MS
(May
2013).
For
more
information
on
the
event,
visit
the
organization’s
event
page
on
Facebook.
For
an
inside
peek
at
how
Multiple
Sclerosis
impacts
its
sufferers,
please
read
this
Q+A
we
did
with
Michele
Shea,
wife
of
Belrose’s
“local
legend”
bartender,
Mike
Shea.
Her
journey
was
the
impetus
for
the
event,
which
organizers
hope
will
prove
out
the
benefit
of
bringing
community,
charity
and
personal
struggles
together.
It’s
a
thoughtful
way
to
make
a
difference
at
a
time
of
year
that
puts
the
spotlight
on
giving.
When
did
you
first
start
to
"hear"
the
alarm
go
off?
At
age
30,
when
my
2nd
child
was
5
months
old,
I
was
jogging
daily,
trying
to
shed
baby
weight.
One
morning
I
was
hit
with
a
wave
of
weakness
in
my
legs.
All
of
a
sudden,
I
couldn't
feel
them.
A
hospital
visit
and
extensive
neurological
testing
followed.
It
wasn't
until
9
years
later,
while
getting
an
MRI,
that
I
was
diagnosed
correctly.
The
doctors
finally
discovered
the
telltale
lesions
in
my
brain.
What’s
been
the
most
difficult
challenge
of
living
with
MS?
Accepting
that
some
days
I'm
simply
going
to
feel
lousy
and
out
of
sorts,
and
that
on
those
days
it's
OK
not
to
feel
guilty
that
some
activities
and
chores
will
have
to
wait.
What's
been
easier
than
you
anticipated?
Giving
myself
a
shot
everyday.

2. How
has
the
original
diagnosis/prognosis
panned
out
over
time?
Quite
well.
My
remitting-­‐relapsing
diagnosis
has
remained,
and
not
crossed
over
to
the
chronic
progressive.
That
is
when
patients
face
a
constant,
downhill
battle
with
their
bodies.
How
much
of
that
had
to
do
with
your
own
lifestyle/modifications?
It's
hard
to
say
because
while
I
try
to
maintain
a
very
healthy
lifestyle
of
eating
well,
exercising,
not
smoking
and
drinking
moderately,
I
do
know
of
women
who
do
the
same,
but
unfortunately
continue
to
decline.
What
scares
you
most
about
having
MS?
Initially
I
was
most
scared
about
being
confined
to
a
wheelchair
at
some
point.
Now,
however,
nothing
scares
me.
Having
lived
with
MS
for
21
years,
I
know
how
to
cope
with
any
and
all
setbacks.
What's
the
misconception
that
you
encounter
the
most?
Most
people
think
anyone
with
MS
is
wheelchair-­‐bound
or
using
a
cane.
If
like
me,
you're
ambulatory,
they're
amazed.
What
are
some
of
the
latest
medical
advances
in
treatment/prevention
of
MS?
The
FDA
approval
of
injection
therapy
such
as
Betaseron,
Avonex
and
the
medication
I'm
on,
Copaxone.
Are
there
experiences
that
you
think
about
pursuing
now,
rather
than
later,
as
a
precaution
to
losing
any
mobility?
No.
What
do
you
wish
people
knew
about
the
disease?
People
should
know
that
while
there
is
no
current
cure
for
MS,
people
afflicted
with
it
can
still
lead
very
normal
lives
with
some
limitations.
How
has
sharing
stories
with
other
sufferers
or
family
and
friends,
helped
you
cope?
It
has
made
me
realize
that
others
are
experiencing
the
same
pain,
numbness
and
frustrations
that
I
am,
but
you
don't
need
to
let
these
things
hold
you
back
from
living
your
life.
Does
MS
manifest
differently
in
men
than
women?
It
seems
that
the
few
men
I
know
with
MS
have
declined
more
quickly.
That
could,
however,
be
because
they
have
the
chronic
progressive
type
of
MS.
How
meaningful
are
events
such
as
Shop
for
MS
and
Walk
for
MS?
Extremely
important—the
more
awareness
there
is
about
MS,
the
more
money
will
be
raised
for
research
(which
has
exploded
in
the
last
20
years).

3. What
resources
are
out
there
to
help
instill
a
positive
outlook?
Every
local
chapter
of
MS
provides
so
many
resources
to
anyone
in
need,
from
support
groups
and
educational
programs
to
seminars
for
long-­‐term
disability
and
financial
help
to
those
with
limited
or
no
insurance.
Are
there
exercises/activities
that
you
cannot
engage
in
that
you
wish
you
could?
Yes.
I'd
love
to
do
power
yoga,
aerobics,
go
for
a
jog…
but
any
activity
that
raises
my
body
temperature
usually
renders
me
"noodle-­‐like."
What's
the
one
way
friends,
your
husband,
kids,
can
help
you
move
forward
as
you
age
and
head
into
uncertainty
regarding
how
your
MS
will
manifest?
I
am
blessed
with
an
extremely
understanding
and
supportive
family
and
network
of
friends
who
have
made
dealing
with
MS
very
manageable.
When
I
was
diagnosed,
my
children
were
5,9
and
15,
so
being
involved
in
their
academic
and
sports
lives
was
my
major
concern.
But
with
the
help
of
my
loving
parents
and
terrific
husband,
who
has
been
there
for
me
from
the
start,
the
challenges
of
parenthood
and
coping
with
the
uncertainly
of
MS
have
never
presented
a
real
problem
for
me.
One
day,
my
son,
Michael
asked,
"Mom,
are
you
going
to
die?"
I
replied
"Well
yes,
someday,
but
not
because
of
this."
He
replied,
"So
what's
the
problem?"
And,
that
pretty
much
sums
up
my
situation
well;
I
do
not
view
any
of
my
challenges
associated
with
MS
as
insurmountable.