In all my conversations with MS’ers, I have rarely come across someone who had such a crazy time getting diagnosed as Suzanne Edholm. A rabid NY Mets fan, it took two years of severe symptoms and three neurologists to finally determine her MS. In that stretch of time, she lost 75% of her vision, as well as her ability to walk and talk. She even has the crazy claim to fame of having a brain lesion the size of an orange.
The good news is Suzanne is a warrior. When I met her this summer, two characteristics emerged that made me realized that the last thing I was going to feel for her was pity – I saw her courage and her sense of humor. Though still debilitated, Suzanne is now functional, and that is huge progress. Specifically, she can talk again, though you might notice she sometimes has problems saying what she wants to say. She tells a very funny story of being the recipient of a delicious home cooked meal created by her daughter. When they tasty entrée was put in front of her, Suzanne announced with fanfare….”Wow, this is disgusting!” She meant delicious!
Suzanne wants to work on her speech and her mobility and get back to normal. And she has decided to use our option of videotaping her progress as part of her therapy. This fills me with awe and utter delight; her courage is clear. Want to see someone throw it out there in a vulnerable time? Go check her out and cheer her on.
And if you’re a Yankees fan, I’d think twice about telling her.
