Betty started feeling as though something was “wrong” with her body in 1980. “I was holding my 6-month-old daughter and feeding her when I noticed some strange sensations. I felt numbness with both of my legs and it continued up to the middle of my back. I then noticed numbness on the side of my face and across my forehead. When I walked barefoot on a cold floor, my feet would hurt, like they were sun burnt,” remembers Betty.
Soon after, she went to see her doctor and described her sensations. He didn’t know what was going on. She saw a second doctor who did numerous tests, and when the results came back, the doctor told her that she had multiple sclerosis. “I was 28. I didn’t know anything about MS. I was a mother of three, aged 6 years, 2 years, and 6 months, and I had to take care of them, my home, and my husband.”
Betty describes her symptoms over the years: “My legs became very heavy and sluggish with the heat (or extreme cold), which caused me to walk slower and took more energy. Balance issues made me give up heels and go into flats.”
Betty and her family moved to Laguna Nigel, where Betty continued to work. “I would start out writing very nicely and then it became harder to move my hand. I began to have difficulty remembering the spelling of simple words, or people’s names, conversations or phone messages.” Betty soon left her job and found her way to the chapter. “I didn’t take advantage of the chapter right away as I was still working. But after I had stopped work, we had to make changes in our life.” She attended a support group and obtained referrals for doctors, both medical and emotional. Additionally, Betty attended many seminars including research symposiums, women’s wellness weekend, and the couple’s weekend. She is now a support group leader and a member of the Government Relations Committee (GRC), along with being a telephone peer. “I do whatever is asked of me, if I can.”
For many years, Betty and her husband, Sam, have had a top-fundraising Walk MS team called “Betty’s Builders.” “I am proud when we present the chapter with the money we have raised from our fundraising efforts for the Walk. I know that the money will be helping people locally as well as helping in research to find a cure.” Betty is a Champion, sharing her story with participants in many of the chapter’s fundraising events. “It gives that person a better understanding. And they begin to identify with what someone might be going through or has gone through with MS. I am always ready to share and talk about my journey.”
Betty and Sam’s son has ridden in Bike MS for the last two years with his riding team at work. In 2008, he rode 100 miles for the first time, in Betty’s honor as well as in honor of a friend and her mother. “We are so thankful for so many people who do support the cause.”
Betty manages her symptoms by staying cool when the weather is hot, “resting when I’m fatigued, and simply staying aware of my body. My ongoing symptoms of MS are minimal right now. I have some numbness in my legs, some bladder issues but that is about it,” says Betty.
“I never know from day to day if this day will be the day that I will have a flare-up and if I do, will it cause me to get worse again? I pray that I can keep going strong. I pray that I am able to understand and be understood. I try to eat well and to keep a good attitude.” Today, Betty is a proud grandmother of six children and a firm believer that “life does go on!”
Written by volunteer Megan Overholser
Though the cause of multiple sclerosis is not known, it is a disease of the central nervous system typically diagnosed in the prime-of-life years, ages 20-50. At least two to three times more women than men are living with MS, the most common neurological disease leading to disability in young adults. To learn more about MS, Betty, chapter programs and services, fundraising events, sponsorship/underwriting chapter activities, or to donate, email stories@MSpacific.org, visit www.MSpacific.org or call 1-800-486-6762.