When you look at the list of higher risk people and see your disease listed, it’s sobering. 

I’m not in a relapse. My disease is totally invisible. I am 10 years post diagnosis and I still surprise people with the fact that I have MS. It makes me happy because, even though I know that I am not beating the disease, I’m thrilled with every day it isn’t progressing. I feel fine. Mostly. I do not have a cold or any other virus. I take a nap everyday to manage my fatigue. My symptoms come and go…but that is nothing new. 

I am on the higher risk list. I’m in the immunocompromised community. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system is confused. It was designed to fight the enemy. When a bug comes in, it is supposed to attack, kill and return our system to strong and healthy. When you have an autoimmune disease part of that system is attacking you. For Multiple Sclerosis patients, our immune system is destroying our central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, optic nerve). As you can imagine – when the immune system is not all available to fight for you – you are considered immunocompromised. 

My disease modifying therapy (DMT) is Lemtrada. This drug comes with a long list of possible side effects. The drug manufacturer requires that I have my labs done every month. To help make sure this happens, they send a nurse to my house…which is amazing. So, what if you don’t let people into your home because of Covid-19? I set up a table on the front porch and met her outside. My labs in March were a little chilly, but I knew I had reduced my risk of germs entering our home.

Today I feel fine. I am healthy (virus-free). I am an extrovert. I want to go see people…any people but, my immune system is not all available to fight Covid-19 if I picked it up. I would probably be fine but, there is so much we do not know and what I do know is that part of my immune system is not doing what it’s supposed to do. So, I stay home. For another day. And that is OK.