Faces of MS
“The Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Us” – A Profile of Jennifer 
Digmann
By Roy Sexton
To be understood can be a challenge for anyone. To be understood when living with a disease as insidious as MS can prove impossible. Yet, Jennifer Digmann, a graduate student in humanities at Central Michigan University, is doubly blessed both to be understood and to be understanding.
“My husband Dan has MS. I have MS. For being such a dominant thing in our lives, we don’t dwell on it. We take our shots together. When he says he’s numb, I know what that’s like. It’s just understood that much better. He helps me a lot since he still walks and works. It’s an understanding – we’re really fortunate to understand each other,” Digmann explains. “We often see other couples squabble over petty things; we face such immense battles with our MS, that we don’t sweat the small stuff. So what if someone didn’t make the bed or didn’t do the dishes.”
Digmann and her husband, a communications professional for Central Michigan, currently co-lead an MS Self-help Group in Alma. The group has fifteen core members, who travel from far and wide for the support. Both Digmann and her husband are passionate about helping others understand and manage this disease, and it was that passion that brought them together.
“That’s how we met. I was one of the planners of a program that took place in Frankenmuth. He lived in Mt. Pleasant and I lived in Grand Blanc. We both went to this program, and I thought, ‘Who is this very handsome man?’ I wondered whose husband he was since predominantly women have MS,” offers Digmann, who has been diagnosed for twelve years. “He was part of my discussion group and he was single … I was so taken with him – and ever since we have been together. He has been diagnosed for nine years.”
Digmann also credits the support she has received from her parents and her brother, and she beams when relating the story of her engagement to Dan, “He and my mom were in cahoots because she knew he was going to ask. It was my thirtieth birthday party. He got really emotional, and I thought he was going to break up with me! When I looked away and looked back, he was one knee and asked me to marry him. At my party, I had this engagement ring, and it was the most amazing night of my life. Our wedding was wonderful but nothing will ever top the engagement.”
With the support of this strong and loving family, Digmann has set an ambitious goal for herself. “I want to obtain a master’s degree in humanities. I want to prove to myself I can do it. I graduated from college in May 1997, and I was diagnosed in November of that year. Mine was a very aggressive disease from the start. I want to prove twelve years later that I can still do something. I want to prove to myself that I’ve still got it,” Digmann observes. “My classmates are younger. They are recent college graduates. It’s a diverse crowd. I have been very open about my MS. I’m in a wheelchair so it’s kind of hard to hide, and people have been very accepting.”In addition to her studies, Digmann is deeply involved in the Frankenmuth Walk MS. “I had a wonderful physical therapist named Heather. She helped me get a team together. We are Team MonsterS – we’ve had a team for seven years now…my friends from college, my family, my support group. It is the most fun, and we have the best time. We get t-shirts made, and we’ve always gotten recognition for our fund-raising, earning a bronze or silver award.”
The generosity of Digmann’s heart seems to know no bounds, and this is most apparent when she speaks of her pets. “I am a tremendous animal lover. Dan and I have a cat named Cooper – he was a stray…he found us. My family had a dog named Buster who passed away in April 2008. If you have MS and you are sad and lonely, get a pet – the unconditional love helps your spirit. Cats are better for me now because of their self-sufficiency.” notes Digmann.
“This little amazing guy [Cooper], this little black cat didn’t have a family…and he picked us!,” she adds. “When we bought our house, he was outside – one day he was hurt and we took him to the vet – we paid to have him fixed up and found out he was fully declawed. He was outside with no defenses – who would do that? We paid to have him fixed, and then we never let him out again. The coolest thing about pets is they know you saved their lives, and they are so appreciative of that forever. I just get so choked up when I talk about my pets.”
Digmann is grateful for her life, and her good spirit is infectious. “MS is terrible, but for an awful, awful disease it was the best worst thing that ever happened to us. It really got our priorities straight,” she comments. “I hope it has made me more compassionate, empathetic. I hope it has made me a nicer person. It has made me see what is really important. I don’t need $90 shoes – I can’t wear them. My well-being is more important than my fashion sense. I don’t wear trendy shoes or clothes like I used to. I’m still kind of a clothes horse but, while I used to see a button-down shirt and just think ‘That’s cute!,’ I now think, ‘Can I slip that over my head?”
She concludes, “It is really, really difficult at times and can very frustrating. It will test your faith but it can be done. You can have a good life. There is so much for which to be hopeful.”